Director, Water & Sewer Linear Assets

The purpose of this classification is to perform managerial, administrative, and planning functions associated with maintenance of Water & Sewer assets associated with water distribution, wastewater collection, lakes raw water lines, and meter divisions to include the maintenance, and repair of the water distribution, wastewater collections systems, meters, and lakes raw water supply lines.

The following duties are normal for this classification.  The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.   Other duties may be required and assigned.  Specific duties listed may not be required for all positions within this classification but are determined by the normal requirements for the position.

Provides director with needed information and assistance in moving overall department vision and goals forward.

Provides clear and concise information through organization channels (up and down) as needed to inform subordinates and superiors of significant issues that arise; provide clear written and oral communications on all matters of concern.

Plans, coordinates, and oversees daily operations; supervises and evaluates assigned professional, technical, and administrative personnel; processes employee concerns and problems, directs work, counsels, recommends disciplinary action and completes employee performance appraisals.

Coordinates daily work activities; organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work; develops work schedules to ensure adequate coverage; monitors status of work in progress and inspects completed work; confers with assigned staff, assists with complex/problem situations, and provides technical expertise.

Ensures that daily activities of crews are accurately inputted into the city's computerized maintenance management software and that any discrepancies in asset attributes found by field crews are reported per the process developed by the Water & Sewer Linear Assets Division.

Ensures compliance with all applicable codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures; ensures adherence to established safety and uniform procedures; monitors work environment and use of safety equipment to ensure safety of employees and other individuals; initiates any actions necessary to correct deviations or violations.

Work closely with Director of Water & Sewer Process Assets and Director of Water & Sewer Capital Projects, to coordinate daily activities, making the most efficient and effective use of resources.

Provide support as necessary to the operations and maintenance of the water & wastewater treatment plants and lift-stations.

Develops and implements budget for areas of assignment; monitors expenditures to ensure compliance with approved budget; recommends budget transfers.

Assists in the development and implementation of department policies and procedures, goals, and objectives; researches, formulates, and assures department follows long range strategic plan; consults with Mayor, City Council, and regulatory agencies; assists in the implementation of city and department rules, regulations, and policies.

Assists in setting metrics for staff activities and performance measurement using asset management program software and management tools; oversees the improvement of maintenance costs and efficiencies through use of asset management database and work order planning tools to include cost improvements such as material changes, task scheduling, functional coordination actions, operational changes, model changes, etc.

Exhibits decision-making skills to promptly resolve acute and chronic issues facing the Division.

Reviews customer damage claims and makes recommendations to Water & Sewer Administration.

Creates/maintains positive public relations with the public; provides education on department issues; interacts with the media; responds to questions and requests for information/assistance by telephone or in person from the public, news media, employees, and officials.

Oversees the planning and organizing of the meter reading division projects and workload; assigns work and coordinates with supervisors to develop employee work schedules to provide coverage; monitors status of work activities.

Coordinates with Finance Department to ensure the meter reading system and billing system are maintained in a way that customers are accurately charged for utility services provided; prepares special reports for auditing purposes; ensures the maintenance and repair of water and sewer meters serving the customers of the city.

Works closely with customer billing and support activities to ensure exceptional customer service delivery; oversees meter services to ensure accurate monthly meter reads; responds to complex customer inquiries and/or complaints.

Provides capital planning input as needed to ensure the reliable long-term asset life of all water and sewer department linear assets (pipelines) both in terms of capacity requirements and in terms of condition. 

Plans and organizes departmental projects and workload; works with Water & Sewer Management to develop and implement work schedules and monitor status of work activities.

Develops standard operating procedures (SOP's) for all routine tasks or jobs performed by subordinate operating division staff; in conjunction with the Engineering Department, ensures all work performed by city staff or contractors on or around linear assets of the water and sewer department conform to city standards and are performed safely; ensures SOP's are updated to reflect changes or additional safety concerns as they arise; ensures personnel are adequately trained on all safety procedures and requirements for duties required in the wastewater collection system, the water distribution system and water and sewer metering system.

Develops departmental policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines to include identifying proactive operational and maintenance activities or programs that ensure proper function, maximize service life of those assets, improve service reliability to customers and reduce long-term operating costs.

Oversees maintenance and repair of water distribution, wastewater collections systems, water and sewer metering systems and all lines and fixed assets associated with operating and maintaining raw water supply lines from the city lakes; monitors and inspects procedures, equipment, and operations for safety and proper process operations in compliance with state regulations; initiates problem resolution.

Prepares division budgets for all assigned areas (water distribution, wastewater collections, wastewater assessment, and meter division); monitors expenditures and revises operating budgets as needed.

Reviews activities, condition assessments, policy needs and any other relevant information to direct in developing short and long-term capital planning needs for assigned areas.

Approves material specifications on annual bids.

Coordinates with the Engineering Department as needed to develop long-range and short-range plans and specifications for expansion, modification and repair of water distribution, wastewater collections systems, meters, and raw water lines from city lakes; coordinates with and assists staff, third party consultants, and contractors as needed to ensure proper execution of asset repairs and system or asset improvements.

Processes documentation pertaining to payroll and personnel; completes, reviews, approves and/or forwards; maintains records.

Prepares and/or completes correspondence, forms, reports, or other documents to meet state reporting requirements; forwards or maintains.

Directs the preparation of division reports to all agencies; receives reports, charts, blueprints, forms, correspondence, and contracts; monitors water quality from operational and chemical reports/data; reviews, processes, or forwards; maintains documentation for reference.

Responds to calls from the public concerning system problems, complaints, or emergency situations, dispatches service requests.

Maintains an awareness of new trends/advances in the profession; investigates and approves the use of new materials, methods, and processes, in conjunction with third party professional engineers, supervisors and regulatory agencies.

Attends workshops, training sessions and other professional development educational opportunities to remain cognizant of the major issues arising which may impact subordinate divisions; stays abreast of new technologies, techniques, and other operational updates to ensure most efficient and effective long-term asset management.

Establishes division goals and objectives for all subordinate divisions; consults with director, regulatory agencies; implements department rules, regulations, and policies.

Assess job descriptions, job classifications, work functions, and pay grades for all staff position with the assign areas.  Work with the HR Department make needed changes, to reflect adequate and consistent requirements & compensations throughout the Division.

Develop and execute a QA/QC Process throughout the Division.

Consults with supervisors, regulatory agency personnel, the mayor, city council, engineers, contractors, the legal department, and other agency officials to review departmental operations, discuss problems, coordinate activities, develop long-term plans, provide technical expertise, and receive advice/direction.

Attends meetings and serves on committees.

Document functional activities of this position and provide a permanent repository of this information for departmental reference.

Develop succession planning for this position including functional individual development plan for staff successor that includes all normal functional duties.   Do likewise for other key positions within the assigned areas, as well as establishing proactive measures to ensure viable pool of applicants for all staff positions.

Must be generally computer literate; must be able to use basic office software packages; must be able to utilize software to construct, modify and maintain spreadsheets (MS Excel); must be able to produce and modify documents in word processing software (MS Word); must be able to produce slide shows in software applications for presentation needs (MS Power Point); should be able to use of asset management software application (Lucity) and geographical information systems software application (ArcMap).

Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.

Recommends policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of quality services by the department.

Incorporates continuous quality improvement principles in day-to-day activities.

Must meet regular attendance requirements.

Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.

Performs other related duties as required.

Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field preferred; five years of progressively responsible operations management experience in water distribution, wastewater collections, conveyance engineering, water distribution and/or wastewater collections operations, or related field; or any combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. Must obtain and maintain a Grade 1 Water Operator or a Grade 1C Wastewater Operator license in the State of Alabama within 24months of employment. Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license. 

The following requirements are normal for this classification.  Specific requirements may not apply to all positions within this classification but are determined by the normal requirements for the position.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to operate a pick-up truck and a variety of automated office equipment including a computer, calculator, copiers, fax machines, two-way radio, and telephone. Physical demand requirements are at levels of those for sedentary work.

DATA COMPREHENSION: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people, or things which may include forms, reports, blueprints, reference materials, legal documents, technical journals, procedural manuals, and operational manuals.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: Requires the ability to speak with and/or signal people to convey or exchange environmental engineering, personnel, legal, and water utility-related information, including giving/receiving assignments and/or directions to/from co-workers, assistants, managers, or supervisors as well as communicating with regulatory personnel, city council, engineers, and the public.

LANGUAGE ABILITY: Requires ability to read a variety of environmental engineering, personnel, legal, financial, and water utility-related documentation, directions, instructions, and methods and procedures. Requires the ability to write job related documentation and reports with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech. Requires the ability to speak with and before others with poise, voice control, and confidence using correct English and well-modulated voice such as in public speaking situations before the city council and community groups.

INTELLIGENCE: Requires the ability to learn and understand relatively complex environmental engineering, personnel, financial, legal, and water utility-related principles and techniques, to understand departmental policies and procedures, to make independent judgments in absence of supervision, and to acquire and be able to expound on knowledge of topics related to primary occupation.

VERBAL APTITUDE: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, and to follow verbal and written instructions.

NUMERICAL APTITUDE: Requires the ability to add and subtract totals, multiply and divide totals, determine percentages, determine time and weight, interpret statistical data, and utilize geometric, algebraic, and trigonometric formulas.

FORM/SPATIAL APTITUDE: Requires the ability to visually inspect items for proper length, width, and shape using job related equipment drafting instruments, calipers, and standard measuring devices.

MOTOR COORDINATION: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes in using automated office equipment and to operate motor vehicles.

MANUAL DEXTERITY: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, automated office equipment, control knobs, switches, etc. Must have the ability to use one hand for twisting motion or turning motion while coordinating other hand with different activities. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

COLOR DIFFERENTIATION: May require the ability to discern color.

INTERPERSONAL TEMPERAMENT:Requires the ability to deal with and relate to people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be able to adapt to and perform under considerable stress when confronted with an emergency.

PHYSICAL COMMUNICATION: Requires the ability to talk, express, or exchange ideas by means of spoken words and/or hear and perceive nature of sounds by ear.