WATERVILLE — There’s hardly a moment to spare when you’re the new, and first, assistant city manager.

William Post, 50, hit the ground running last month, diving right into budget season in his department head-level supervisory position, assisting City Manager Stephen Daly.

The full-time assistant position pays a salary of $95,000, not including benefits.

“Ideally, he wants me to really focus on the budget process for the next fiscal year, so I’m working with department heads on budgets,” Post said Monday of Daly.

Though Post will oversee certain city departments, including IT, health and welfare, human resources, finance and assessing, he also will have other responsibilities including applying for, keeping track of, and administering grants. His position continues to develop, he said.

“It’s still evolving as Steve and I get to know each other, and he gets to know what my strengths are on the job,” he said.

The city advertised widely for the assistant position, which the City Council approved as part of the 2021-22 municipal budget. Daly had argued that having an assistant would free him up to do more economic development-related work. With Post at City Hall, Daly also can get out of his office to talk with business owners, city leaders and the public. Daly also will be able to devote time to updating the comprehensive plan and working to market Waterville, not just within Maine but also more broadly.

Post, of Waldoboro, has 26 years of experience working in county and municipal government, having landed his first town manager’s job at 24 in Bradley when he was in his first year of graduate school. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Southern Maine and a master’s in public administration from the University of Maine. He is a Medomak Valley High School graduate.

He most recently served as county administrator for Sagadahoc County, from June 2021 to February; was town manager in Rockport from August 2019 to May 2021; town manager in Bowdoinham from July 2011 to July 2019; town manager in Waldoboro from May 2008 to January 2011; and was county administrator in Knox County from April 2006 to February 2008.

One of the things that drew him to Waterville, he said, is the $11.2 million revitalization project to turn Main and Front streets from one way to two, while also improving sidewalks, landscaping and pedestrian safety. Also, Colby College and other entities have invested millions in the downtown, constructing new buildings and drawing businesses and enticing more people to work and live in the city.

“I think that that will spur even more development emanating out from the downtown area,” Post said.

He said it is an exciting time for Waterville and the downtown changes will make a big difference in slowing traffic and improving safety. Another thing that attracted him to Waterville, he said, is the fact that the majority of employees have worked for the city many years.

“That speaks a lot about the city itself,” he said.

Employees he has met and worked with have been exceptional, he added.

“They’re fantastic to work with, they’re really very intelligent, they know what they’re doing in their individual jobs.”

Part of his role is to provide leadership for all departments. He said he will look at productivity improvement and modernizing systems and processes.

“Essentially, what that means is working with departments I’m overseeing with a different set of eyes and saying, ‘Are there things we can do differently, things we can do better?’ ”

Daly was hired as city manager Jan. 5, 2021, succeeding  Michael Roy who served in the position 16 years.

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