Director of Water and Sewer

The City of Somerville is seeking a Director of Water and Sewer to direct both the Water and Sewer Departments and Enterprise Funds. The Director is responsible for the quality of the City’s drinking water, ensuring it meets all guidelines and mandates of the MWRA, DEP, EPA, and other governmental agencies. The position is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the City’s sewer, drainage and combined collection, conveyance and discharge systems, including compliance with MWRA, DEP, EPA, and other governmental agency permit requirements. . The Director is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type 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 the position.

• Ensures public health and safety through the responsible provision of potable water and adequate fire protection and through the proper discharge of sewerage.
• Serves as liaison between, and primary contact for, State and Federal regulatory agencies and the Water and Sewer Department.
• Secures all available funds/grants/loans to ensure compliance with all State, Federal, and local mandates and standards of operation of a local water/sewer system.
• Supervises the construction, operation, metering, and billing of approximately 15,000 customer accounts.
• Oversees the lead sampling program as mandated by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA).
• Oversees the lead service replacement program as mandated by DEP.
• Formulates written policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and ability to meet volatile conditions in the office and in the field.
• Determines annual budgetary needs based on departmental goals and objectives and formulates revenue rates necessary to meet these needs.

Benefits of joining the City of Somerville’s Water and Sewer Department include:

• Establishment of short-range plans and objectives.
• Assuming direct accountability for department results and performance standards.
• Directing the process of ensuring that municipal policies and objectives are adhered to.
• Implementing analytical skills and supervisory skills that will assure the success of the completion of various projects including the financial and staff resources required to meet successful completion.
• The ability to determine organizational structure operating guidelines and work operations; formulate, prepare and defend budget and manpower requests and account for effective use of funds and staff provided.
• May act independently as an elected official over a department.
• The opportunity to coordinate program efforts within the unit and with other departments.
• Delegates authority to subordinate supervisors and holds them responsible for the performance of their unit's work.
• Assists or oversees the personnel function, including or effectively recommending hiring, training, and disciplining of employees.
• Maintaining relationships at both the public and internal level with individuals who have conflicting opinions or objectives, diverse points of view or differences where skillful negotiating and achieving compromise is required to secure support, concurrence, and acceptance or compliance.

The Director of Water and Sewer will be accountable for the following duties:

• Department level responsibility for technical processes, service delivery, and contribution to municipal wide plans and objectives.
• Fiscal responsibility for the department including buildings, equipment, and staffing utilization.
• Consequences of errors, missed deadlines, or poor judgment could severely jeopardize department operations or have extensive financial and/or legal repercussions to the municipality.
• Maintaining confidentiality on official personnel files, lawsuits, criminal records/investigations, client records, department records, and client conversations in accordance with the state public records law.

Graduate of a four-year college, and five to seven- (5-7) years of related work experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions.

Send your resume and cover letter by Friday, March 10, 2017 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.