Public Works Director

The Town of Estes Park is seeking a motivated and dedicated public servant as the next Public Works Director. 

About the Community
Estes Park is a full-service community with a population of 5,862.  Approximately 12,000 people live in the Estes Valley, which includes Estes Park and surrounding unincorporated Larimer County.  The Town of Estes Park is located 70 miles northwest of Denver and is the primary gateway community to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).  The Town’s superlative location is one of its primary strengths, with easy access to world-class outdoor recreation, urban amenities, and Denver International Airport (90 minutes). Surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rocky Mountains, Estes Park is a well-known tourist destination, with more than 4.5 million people visiting annually, staying in Estes Park’s 150 lodging establishments, and dining at one of the many restaurants in town. Estes Park’s low crime rate, excellent medical facilities (Estes Park Health), quality schools (Park School District R-3), Estes Valley Recreation and Park district, and a wide range of municipal services make this community a desirable place to live.

Major employers in the area include: Rocky Mountain National Park, Park School District R-3, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park Health, and the Town of Estes Park. 

The Town has a median household income of $63,598 and an average home value of $703,348.


About the Organization
Incorporated in 1917, Estes Park is a statutory Town that operates according to the State Constitution, the laws of the State of Colorado, and the ordinances adopted by the Town Board. The Town is governed by a Board of six Trustees and the Mayor. The Mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term and the Trustees are elected at-large for staggered four-year terms of office.  The Town Administrator serves at the Board’s pleasure and oversees nine (9) FTEs including the Public Works Director position.  The Public Works Director serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team helping guide policy for the organization forward.  

The Town is comprised of 183 full time staff members and 11.7 FTE (full time equivalent) seasonal/part time staff and is one of the largest employers in the Estes Valley.   In a recent Organizational Culture Survey, employees cited their workplace being enjoyable and work rewarding as the highest scoring question. 

About the Position
The Public Works Director position is a working Director position.  This position oversee all aspects of the Town’s Public Works Department which includes Parking and Transit, Parks, Engineering, and Streets/Stormwater.   The Public Works Director must be able to communicate effectively with colleagues in different departments, Public Works Staff, the Town Board, and the community.  The successful candidate will be able to effectively manage Public Works operations and staff to ensure the implementation of the Town’s strategic plan and objections, as well as the long-range capital improvement projects identified by the department.  The candidate must also be able to work collaboratively to earn the trust of residents who may express strong opinions and high expectations for municipal service delivery.

The Public Works department has 25.65 FTE (.98 FTE for two part-time positions; 5.67 FTE for seasonal staff; 19 FTE full time staff members) with the Director overseeing six (6) direct reports.   The department is close, not only in the physically in proximity of many offices, but in camaraderie and collaboration between staff. 

We are seeking a Public Works Director who has the technical skills necessary to lead the department and who has the skills to effectively manage staff. 

Upcoming Opportunities & Challenges:  

• Deliver vision for stewarding the 2024 voter-approved 1% sales tax that annually delivers $2.1M (46%) to street maintenance, $1.3M (28%) to stormwater infrastructure expansion, and $577,000 (12.5%) to trail expansion and maintenance through 2034 in a manner that earns voter support to renew this for the extended future 
• Establish a timeline and secure grant funding to implement the recommendations of the 2018 Estes Valley Stormwater Management Project
• Secure community support to implement the remaining two phases of the 2018 Downtown Parking Management Plan
• Establish a community-supported strategy to implement the recommendations of the new Multimodal Transportation Plan, Transit Development Plan, and Parks and Open Space Master Plan.

Minimum and Preferred qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, public administration, or relevant field.
• Eight (8) years progressively responsible Public Works administration experience.
• Four (4) years supervisory experience in a Public Works management position in a community of similar or greater size and service level. 
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience approved at the discretion of the Town Administrator. 
• Valid Colorado Driver’s License. Out of state candidates must obtain Colorado Drivers License within 6 months or hire. 
• Colorado Professional Engineer License preferred.

Benefits and Salary
The full salary range for this position is $132,392 – 191,968 annual equivalent.  

The Town has a market-based compensation program as well as a merit program, both are pending Town Board approval as part of the annual budget adoption.  

The Town of Estes Park offers a comprehensive benefits program.  Benefits include retirement, medical (eligible spouse, family), dental (family), vision (family), life insurance, sick leave, vacation, floating holidays, and volunteer leave.  Our Benefits Summary Guide will provide more details.  The Town also offers a Homeownership Program and aid for Dependent Care through a Flexible Spending Account. 

The Town contributes to Social Security and this position would have the option of participating in Colorado PERA or MIssionSquare for retirement.   Please see this link for more information:  Colorado PERA informational video.  

We also offer sick leave (accrued at 8 hours per month), vacation time (accrued at 10 hours per month), floating holiday hours (32 per full calendar year; pro-rated for partial year), and 10 paid holidays.  We believe that it is important employees have and use time off. 

In order to help the successful candidate who may need to relocate to Estes Park, the following are being offered with this recruitment: 

Transitional Housing – The Town has a Two Bedroom/One Bathroom (NS/NP) unit available for rent for up to one year.  This hopefully will allow someone a place to land while they get settled into our community. 

Relocation reimbursement – Per policy, the Town will reimburse for relocation expenses, $2500 for out-of-state relocation within the Estes Park school district; $2000 for out-of- state relocation to within a 60 minute drive time; $1000 for relocation for in-state candidates within a 60 minute drive time. 


To view the complete job description and brochure in PDF, please click here.

Salary : $132,392 - $191,968