Toronto’s top civil servant is stepping down from his post after four grueling years on the job.

In a statement Thursday, the city said that Chris Murray is stepping down as city manager this summer.

“I want to thank my colleagues on the senior leadership team, the corporate leadership team and the entire Toronto Public Service for their tireless commitment to the people of Toronto,” Murray said in a statement. “I would also like to thank Mayor Tory and City Council for their support and collaboration over these last four years.”

While the mayor is the city’s top elected official, the city manager effectively serves as the CEO of the corporation, taking charge of the municipality’s vast public service workforce.

Murray came to the job in 2018 after having served in a similar role in Hamilton for the previous 10 years.

On his first day on the job, he told CP24 that the scale would obviously be larger but he imagined the job would be similar.

“The fundamentals about running a city will be, I am sure, comparable,” he said at the time.

He was just two years into the job when the pandemic struck, confronting everyone — the city government no exception — with unprecedented challenges, including a roughly $1 billion budget shortfall.

“In March 2020, the world was hit with an unprecedented pandemic, where Murray steered the Toronto Public Service in its response and recovery to ensure residents continued to receive critical services throughout,” the city said in its release.

In a statement, Mayor John Tory praised Murray for his work in helping to steer the city through the crisis.

“I want to thank Chris Murray for his service to the City of Toronto. I have always appreciated his calm and steady leadership of the Toronto Public Service and I believe it helped our overall efforts as a city during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the mayor said. “After 14 years at the helm of two cities, I know he is ready to move on and I wish him all the best in his next endeavours.”

The city said an announcement will be coming in the weeks ahead about the search process for a new city manager, as well as who will serve as the interim city manager after Murray departs.

Murray has not said what he plans to do next. His last day on the job will be August 19.