About the Role
With support and input from the City Manager and City Commission, the Director is responsible for the overall direction and management of the Department of Public Works. The Department consists of multiple Divisions including Engineering, Water Treatment, Wastewater Treatment, Public Services. Further, Public Services Division contains units including Forestry, Water Distribution, Sewer Maintenance, Streets and Cemetery.

Core Competencies
Leadership and Strategic Management
Ability to direct, evaluate, and coordinate a diverse set of divisions within the Public Works Department, establish clear goals, and lead a high-performance organization, including developing policies and procedures that align with city goals.

Project Management and Budgeting
Skilled in overseeing complex infrastructure projects, including managing contracts, timelines, quality, and budgets. Proficiency in preparing and monitoring capital and operating budgets is essential for resource allocation and fiscal responsibility.

Regulatory Knowledge and Compliance
Strong understanding of local, state, and federal laws, codes, and regulations to ensure that infrastructure, engineering, and public safety activities are compliant and uphold community standards.

Effective Communication and Public Relations
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present technical information to large groups, city officials, and other agencies, as well as diplomatically managing interactions with diverse stakeholders.

Grant Writing and Funding Management
Proficiency in applying for, coordinating, and monitoring federal and state grants, as well as managing awarded funds to support departmental projects and goals efficiently.

Essential Responsibilities
• Plans, directs, evaluates and coordinates the activities of the Department.
• Ensure that the health and safety of the people who live and work in the city is protected, maintained and improved through the efforts of the department as it relates to the development, care and maintenance of the infrastructure.
• Applies for federal and state grants. Coordinates and monitors grant awards with division, other agencies and departments.
• Make public presentations to large groups, community meetings and facilitate discussions and problem solving among staff, public and agencies.
• Supervises employees and handles sensitive personnel matters, evaluates and leads a high-performance organization.
• Consults with superintendents of various divisions and monitors operations of those divisions. Conducts research and prepares and maintains records, reports, bidding documents, contract documents and other related documents.
• Make administrative/managerial decisions regarding the interpretation and application of applicable codes, ordinances, regulations and construction standards.
• Prepares and monitors departmental and divisional performance measures with goals and initiatives in the Strategic Plan, to benchmark performance toward departmental and citywide focus, goals and priorities.
• Monitors engineering and construction contracts as to budget, time schedule, quality and value.
• Prepares, in cooperation with others, the annual operating and capital budgets for the department.
• Acts as liaison between other city divisions, local industries, state, local and federal regulatory agencies, consulting engineers, Erie County Department of Environmental Services, and others relative to Public Works functions and policies of the department.
• Attends City Commission meetings and advises City Commission of technical and Public Works functions and represents the City Manager and the city on special assignments.
• Develops and modifies departmental policies and procedures.
• Manage infrastructure projects funded by federal and state government.
• Responsible to self-initiate activities consistent with the City of Sandusky’s and department’s goals and objectives.
• Manages compliance with established city policies and procedures.
• Manages in compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Manages and supervises assigned personnel, recommend new hires, recommend terminations, disciplines, evaluate performance and develop each employee to their full potential.
• Acts as primary liaison and coordinates activities with other city departments
• Directs, manages, coordinates and evaluates the effectiveness and operations of the department and divisions of Public Works.
• Formulates and develops plans, policies, procedures, regulations necessary to achieve effective performance within the department and divisions of Public Works.
• Understand and explain technical engineering concepts like hydraulics, floodplain management, stormwater management, fluid mechanics in simple terms.
• Have proficiency with Microsoft office suite, emailing and texting. AutoCAD usage is desirable.
• Communicate with tact, diplomacy, one on one, small and large group discussions.
• Mediate and facilitate information and discussion.
• The ability to follow a supervisor’s instructions and tolerate certain levels of stress.
• The avoidance of violent behavior that threatens the safety of other employees.
• The ability to complete related and other duties as required and assigned.

Educational & Employment Requirements
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in one of the following preferred disciplines: Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Public Administration or related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of engineering work as a Professional Engineer.
• Professional Engineer’s Registration in Ohio; If out of State registration, the ability to obtain an Ohio License within 6 months.
• A minimum of five (5) years of project management experience in public or private sector, working with local, state and federal standards and regulations. Effectively manage and interact with a large number of employees is desirable with a minimum of five (5) years experience at the supervisory level. Redevelopment experience, including brownfields, work in urban setting serving a diverse community and older infrastructure is preferred. Experience in budgeting and finance is desirable.
Physical Demands
• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or negligible amount of force frequently (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, or pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met. Seeing, Hearing, Speaking, and Walking.
Environmental Conditions
• Inside: Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. A job is considered “inside” if the worker spends approximately 85 – 95 percent or more of the time inside.