Deputy Director of Utilities

Job Description

Position Summary:

Under the supervision of the Director of Utilities, responsible for the planning, organizing and supervising of all day to day activities of the Utilities Division, including the installation, repair, service, expansion and relocation of Water distribution, Wastewater collection and Stormwater conveyance systems and facilities. Assists with the budgetary oversight of this enterprise funded system, including billing, payroll, personnel, contract management, and supervision of construction projects; as well as developing and implementing long range water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure capital improvement plans.

Essential Elements

• Serves as project manager for all contractual water/sewer/stormwater construction, rehabilitation, replacement and expansion projects.
• Plans, schedules and supervises the operation and maintenance of the water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure systems, e.g. mains, service connections, pumping stations, fire lines, hydrants, water meters, culverts and brooks, Cross Connection Control Program, Regulatory Water Sampling Requirements.
• Direct supervisory responsibility over Superintendents, Contractors and Engineers
• Coordinates regularly with City Engineer to ensure efficient and effective operations.
• Analyzes population and industrial growth trends of the service area to determine the adequacy of current facilities and to forecast future city demands for water, sewer and stormwater capacities.
• Assists with the development and administration of the Utilities budget; including departmental operations, MWRA assessments and reserve funds status.
• Assists with the development of long-range planning for the Division; utilizes engineering principles and techniques to structure capital improvement programs for system upgrades.
• Assists with maintenance of current information on available federal and state assistance for water, sewer and stormwater projects; preparation and submission of grant proposal applications for same and administration of grants received.
• May be required to interact with the public regarding operational issues and for resolving public relations matters.
• May be required to attend public/committee meetings after regular working hours
• Assists Human Resources with labor related issues concerning Utilities employees.
• May be asked to serve as departmental liaison with Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on water/sewer/stormwater matters as prescribed by regulatory policy and law.
• Performs other duties of a supervisory and managerial nature as directed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, Master’s Degree preferred
• Massachusetts Professional Engineer Registration
• (5-7) five to seven years managerial experience in Civil or Environmental Engineering with experience managing municipal projects including Water, Sewer, and Stormwater systems.
• Possession of Grade 4 Full Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection Licenses
• Strong supervisory and interpersonal skills required.
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office Suites, GIS, Munis, PeopleGIS, SCADA software.

(This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.)

Company Description

THE CITY:

The City of Newton is a wonderful place to live and work. Newton has safe and attractive neighborhoods, an excellent public school system, an active community life, multiple transportation systems, proximity to Boston and a well-managed and financially strong City government. The City of Newton has a population of approximately 88,900, with 32,600 housing units and occupies a land area of 18.3 square miles. Newton is principally suburban-residential in character. Unlike many other communities that are established around a single Main Street or downtown, Newton is comprised of thirteen distinctive villages. Newton has a diversified economic base with approximately 4,700 establishments employing approximately 79,500 people. Newton is special in many ways. It is home to a variety of private secondary and post-secondary schools including a portion of Boston College, Lasell University, William James College, Hebrew College, and the UMass Amherst – Mount Ida Campus. The longest stretch of the Boston Marathon runs through the City, including the well-known Heartbreak Hill. Newton-Wellesley Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham health care system, serves as an important partner to the City. In September 2018, Newton was again ranked #1 in Massachusetts as the best place to live and #12 in the U.S.

OUR GOVERNMENT:

Newton has what is known as a “strong Mayor” form of government with the Mayor having the executive and administrative powers of the City. The legislative branch is comprised of 24 City Councilors. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller was sworn in on January 1, 2018 after serving on the City Council. She ran on a platform of providing Newton’s children with a top-notch education in an inclusive environment where empty nesters, seniors, young families, and people of diverse incomes can live together in vibrant villages and neighborhoods. Mayor Fuller is committed to keeping Newton safe, improving the city’s infrastructure, addressing climate change, providing excellent and responsive city services, and fostering art, culture and community life. The first female Mayor of Newton, she is a tireless advocate for all the city’s residents and is committed to making sure the city is welcoming, inclusive and diverse. The City of Newton was evaluated by Moody’s Investors Services in February 2020 and assigned its highest rating of AAA. Newton was thus well-positioned to weather the pandemic and economic downturn.

AS AN EMPLOYER:

The City of Newton believes that its employees are its greatest asset. To that end, we are committed to supporting our employees by providing competitive wages and growth, a comprehensive benefits package which includes a defined municipal pension plan, quality health and dental insurance plans, generous paid leave benefits, paid holidays, and access to supplemental benefits such as deferred compensation, short term disability plans, flexible spending accounts, and other employee benefits. We also provide access to an Employee Assistance Program and access to employee training and professional development opportunities. We continuously work to review and expand upon our benefit offerings. We encourage you to visit our Human Resources Department website to learn more about our organization and benefits which are available to our employees. And as always, you are encouraged to reach out to our dynamic HR Team by emailing hr@newtonma.gov.

Human Resources Diversity Statement

We recognize our workforce is a source of strength that is vital to our ability to effectively serve the City of Newton’s diverse community. We will:

• Actively recruit, develop, and retain a diverse and talented workforce.
• Proactively address discrimination through education and in partnership with other departments and leaders.
• Serve as a role model to celebrate and nurture diversity.
• Foster inclusion by staying curious and clarifying assumptions.
• Evaluate and develop policies and practices that reflect the diverse nature of our workforce.
• Build and strengthen accountability at all levels to support diversity efforts.

Benefits

• Health insurance - 70% employer sponsored
• Dental insurance - basic option and high option
• Tuition Reimbursement - up to $500 per semester, per course
• Flexible Spending Accounts - pre-tax monies taken from your paycheck to pay for certain health and dependent care expenses. The City also offers a commuter benefit.
• 457 Deferred Compensation plans
• Metro Credit Union
• Verizon Wireless discount
• Employee Assistance Program
• Generous paid leave time benefits and paid holidays for this group:
  • 12.5 paid holidays
  • 3 weeks of vacation time/year (new employees in this group accrue vacation time)
  • Accrue 15 special leave days per year (sick time), 5 of which can be used for personal business
  • 2 floating holidays per year (prorated if new employee begins mid-year)
• City Retirement (Mandatory)
• Weekly Direct Deposit
• Opportunity to serve the public and join a dynamic team of dedicated employees