PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR

Public Works Director

The City is looking for its next Public Works Director—a dedicated leader committed to enhancing the quality, safety, and reliability of our community's infrastructure. Note: Application materials must include a cover letter, résumé, and three professional references. Under general administrative direction, the Director plans, directs, manages, and oversees the operations and activities of the Maintenance Division. Responsibilities include the development and maintenance of the City's community parks and open spaces, fleet management, the maintenance and operation of City facilities, and the upkeep of sewer lines and streets. The Director ensures resources are effectively allocated and managed, provides long-range planning for departmental programs and projects, coordinates activities with other departments and external agencies, and delivers highly responsible and complex administrative support to the City Manager. Performs related duties as required.

Examples of Duties

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to this class.

• Assumes full management responsibility for the Public Works Department.
• Develops, implements and monitors long-term plans, goals and objectives focused on achieving maintenance.
• Develops and submits appropriate application and documentation necessary to secure funding sources. Maintains appropriate records for compliance with these funding sources.
• Reviews work in progress, specifications, estimates, and contract documents for street, sewer, storm drain, bridge, and other projects.
• Provides direction for the department staff; approves a variety of policy and procedure changes and revisions; participates in special projects of department; reviews actions and effectiveness of the respective divisions.
• Directs the preparation and maintenance of records, field notes, reports, maps, plots, deeds, benchmarks, monuments, and similar information and records.
• Manages and participates in the development and administration of the department's budget; directs the forecast of additional funds needed for staffing, equipment, and supplies; directors the monitoring of and approves expenditures; directs and implements budgetary adjustments as necessary.
• Selects, trains, motivates, and directs department personnel; evaluates and reviews work for acceptability and conformance with department standards, including program and project priorities and performance evaluations; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements discipline and termination procedures; responds to staff questions and concerns.
• Confer with engineers, developers, architects, and a variety of outside agencies and the general public in acquiring information and coordination of engineering, public works, utilities, streets, and related matters; provides information regarding these matters.
• Performs site inspections during construction to ensure methods and materials are in compliance with regulations for system safety or design.
• Represents the department to other City departments, elected officials, and outside agencies; explains and interprets departmental programs, policies, and activities; negotiates and resolves significant and controversial issues.
• Manages the inspection of development projects and City capital and maintenance projects to ensure compliance with codes, ordinances, approved plans, specifications, and conditions.
• Manages Public Works contracts; conducts negotiation and administration of contracts.
• Oversee the Landscaping Maintenance Districts as well as the Citywide Assessment Districts.
• Ensures overall quality of the department's service by developing, reviewing, and implementing policies and procedures to meet legal requirements and City needs; continuously monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; assesses and monitors the distribution of work, support systems and internal reporting relationships; identifies opportunities for improvement; and directs the implementation of change.
• Prepares, reviews, and presents staff reports, various management and information updates, as well as reports on special projects as assigned by the City Manager.
• Responds to and resolves difficult situations and sensitive citizen inquires and complaints.
• Oversee the development of specifications and bid documents for a variety of public works and public utilities-related designs, construction and maintenance projects, recommends contract awards, negotiates contract provisions and coordinates, reviews, inspects and monitors and approves contractor's performance.
• Reviews and advises for completeness and accuracy on developments plans, permits for work in City rights-of-way, project construction plans and specifications.
• Manages the application process for acquiring and administering County, State and Federal Grants.
• Performs related duties as assigned.
• Assigns the design and execution of projects to subordinate staff, contractors, and consultants.
• Reviews work in progress and approve final designs, specifications, estimates, and contract documents for the Public Services Department.
• Prepares and administers the annual budget for the Public Services Department, approves the forecast of funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies, approves expenditures, and implements budgetary adjustments as appropriate and necessary.
• Oversee the planning, development, and delivery of a comprehensive recreation and leisure programs; identifies community needs and directs staff in delivery of programs; creates fee structures.
• Oversee the maintenance and repair of City facilities; creates maintenance programs and directs staff in maintenance programs including preventative maintenance programs; plans for building repairs and renovations; coordinates with consultants and provides appropriate recommendations.
• Identifies grant and other funding opportunities; oversees the preparation of grant applications and administers grant programs.
• Prepare and present verbal and written reports to the City Council, County Board of Supervisors, Commission, governmental agencies, and community groups.
• Formulate and recommend a variety of policy and procedure changes and revisions; participates in special projects of the department; reviews actions and effectiveness of the respective divisions.
• Review and approve the work of consultants engaged by the city.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and services delivery methods, based on desired outcomes. Assess workloads, administrative support systems, and internal working relationships to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Plans, directs, and coordinates, through subordinate level staff, the Public Services Department's work plan; assigns projects and programmatic areas of responsibility; reviews and evaluates work methods and procedures; meets with key staff to identify and resolve problems.
• Selects, trains, motivates, and evaluates assigned personnel; provides or coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements.

Typical Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for an executive-level public works position. A typical way of obtaining the required qualifications is to possess the equivalent of:

• Operations, services, and activities of a comprehensive recreation, parks/open space, and facilities maintenance program.
• General knowledge of the field of traffic and sanitary engineering on the municipal level.
• Philosophy, principles, and techniques of providing and assessing the recreational, parks, and facility needs of a community.
• Practices and methods of parks, facilities maintenance.
• Occupational hazards and standard safety practices.
• Skills in resource development to garner grants, legislative appropriations, donations, sponsorships, and in-kind services for programs.
• Principles and practices of public administration, including long-range planning, budgeting, purchasing, and maintaining public records.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and standards.
• Standard office equipment, including personal computers and computerized applications and programs including Microsoft office suite.
• Research methods and report preparation and presentation.
• Business arithmetic.
• Principles and practices of sound business communication; correct English usage, including spelling and grammar.
• The principles of administration, budgeting, supervision, personnel, and training.
• Municipal organization operation and applicable state and federal laws.
• Discipline and termination procedures.

Ability to:

• Plan and coordinate the work of engineering and technical personnel engaged in office and field work.
• Prepare, review, and approve comprehensive reports, plans, and estimates in a professional manner.
• Maintain effective working relationships with administrative personnel, public officials, contractors, and members of the public.
• Prepare contract documents and supervise and coordinate the administration of such contracts.
• Prepare and operate in accordance with an approved budget.
• Develop and administer effective department and program goals, objectives, policies, and methods for evaluating achievement and performance levels.
• Organize, set priorities, and exercise expert independent judgment within areas of responsibility.
• Develop and implement appropriate procedures and controls.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Present