Director, Public Works

East Gwillimbury; East Gwillimbury; Hybrid; CAD 151,000 - 178,000; Full time

Job summary

East Gwillimbury is seeking a Director of Public Works to lead the Operations Centre, oversee drinking water and wastewater systems, road maintenance and fleet management, and drive strategic planning for public works services.

The ideal candidate will bring a CET designation and a decade of municipal experience, including five years in supervision, with strong leadership and stakeholder engagement abilities.

Qualifications

• College diploma in Civil Engineering Technology or Environmental Technology.
• Certified Engineering Technologist designation from the Ontario Association of Technicians and Technologists (OATt).
• Minimum of ten (10) years of related municipal government experience in public works operations with at least five (5) years in a supervisory role.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Top Management representative for drinking water systems and wastewater facilities, ensuring compliance with SDWA and MECP regulations.
• Oversee road right-of-way operations and maintenance per MMS and CLI-ECA regulations.
• Oversee procurement, legislative compliance and asset management for Public Works.
• Provide leadership, mentoring, problem-solving, and staff development.
• Develop policies, standards and level-of-service recommendations.
• Prepare divisional operating and capital budgets, forecasts, and work plans.
• Attend Council/Committee meetings and report on departmental initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Staff supervision

Interpersonal communication

Budgeting

Problem solving

Strategic thinking

Public relations

Time management

Education

College diploma in Civil/Environmental Technology

CET designation (Ontario)

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Asset maintenance management systems

Job description

Salary Range: $151,060.00 To $177,708.00 Annually

Located along Highway 404 in northern York Region, East Gwillimbury is a premier centre for growth within the GTA.EG offers competitive wages and benefits and prioritizes the mental and physical well-being of its employees. Employees also have access to more than 50 kms of trails to enjoy the beauty of EG while at work. The Town of East Gwillimbury is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process and as we grow, it is important our workforce reflects the citizens we serve. We respect, encourage, and celebrate our diversity. Join our team and see the EG difference!

The Director of Public Works is responsible for the leadership, management and administration of the Public Works Division of the Engineering and Public Works Department including; the Town’s drinking water systems, wastewater collection systems, roads, stormwater systems, winter maintenance, sidewalk, boulevards, solid waste management, fleet management & fuel systems.

Key accountabilities include:

• Designation as the Top Management representative for the Town’s drinking water systems providing direction and oversight for the management of the Drinking Water Authority and Town’s wastewater collection systems/facilities ensuring all operation, monitoring and maintenance complies with the Safe Drinking Water Act and its Regulations and the Environmental Protection Act, and the Town’s ECAs.
• Accountable for all road right of way operation and maintenance in compliance with the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways and Council approved service levels, wastewater collection facilities in accordance with the MECP Consolidated Linear Infrastructure (CLI-ECA) regulations, solid waste management collections services, corporate fleet and equipment needs assessment, fuel management systems;
• Overseeing procurement, legislative compliance and asset management related to Public Works.
• Direct and provide leadership including mentoring, troubleshooting on inquiries and complaints, staff recruitment, staff leadership and development;
• Policy and standards development and level-of-service recommendations;
• Preparation of divisional operating and capital budgets, forecasts, business and work plans;
• Participating on the department management team and contributing to departmental work planning and strategic initiatives;
• Council/Committee report preparation and meeting attendance as required.

The ideal candidate will have:

• College diploma in Civil Engineering Technology or Environmental Technology, or related discipline.
• Certified Engineering Technologist (CET) designation from the Ontario Association of Technicians and Technologists
• Minimum of ten (10) years of related municipal government experience in the operations of drinking water systems, wastewater collections system, storm water systems, roads maintenance, winter operations, solid waste management and fleet in a management capacity preferably in an urban growth environment and including a minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience.

As part of the extended management team, the ideal candidate embodies and leads in a manner consistent with the Town’s Leadership Commitments:

• Lead for Results– Inspire staff to be their best, provide direction, feedback and coaching to contribute to individual and team development.
• Think and Act Strategically– Create a clear vision and strategy and see the big picture
• Build Positive and Influential Relationships– Build constructive and effective relationships with Town staff

Other requirements include:

• Excellent interpersonal, project/time management, communications/public relations, work prioritization, report-writing, analytical, problem-solving, and staff leadership/supervisory skills.
• Ability to think and act strategically in a political and community service environment, to foster corporate thinking and a healthy workplace environment, to build strong and enthusiastic staff teams and external alliances/partnerships, to align departmental programs/services with corporate strategic direction, and to champion the Vision, purpose and values of the Town.
• Thorough working knowledge of legislative requirements of drinking water systems and roads infrastructure maintenance and operations, benchmarking initiatives and best practices; the Occupational Health & Safety Act, the Highway Traffic Act, Minimum Maintenance Standards and associated Regulations, Commercial Vehicle regulations, and other applicable roads legislations/regulations/guidelines; sound fleet management practices; all types of vehicles and equipment used in a municipal fleet and associated vehicle safety and licensing requirements in the Province of Ontario; inventory control systems; tender practices in a public sector environment; contemporary management practices; and local government functions/ responsibilities and services in general.
• Availability to attend evening/weekend meetings or events and to investigate/trouble shoot on operational issues or community concerns, as may be required.
• Attend Council Meetings in support of departmental initiatives and reports, providing presentations and direct communication to Council and the public.
• Act as the public works lead at the Operations Centre during emergency events
• Computer literacy utilizing the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams) as well as Adobe, Internet,asset maintenance management and work-order systems.

Salary Range: $151,060 - $177,708 (Band 11)

Deadline for applications is October 16, 2026.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.

The Town of East Gwillimbury is committed to diversity and inclusivity in employment and welcomes applications from qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Town of East Gwillimbury will provide accommodations throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities. If selected to participate in the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process, please inform the Town’s People and Belonging staff of the nature of any accommodation(s) that you may require in respect of any materials or processes used to ensure your equal participation. In accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information & Protection of Personal Privacy Act, personal information collected will only be used for candidate selection.