Director of Water Services

Sevier County Government; Sevierville (TN); Vor Ort; USD 140.000 - 210.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Sevier County Government is seeking a Director of Water Services to provide executive leadership for the county’s public water utility. The role includes overseeing safe water delivery, regulatory compliance, financial stewardship, asset management, and capital planning, while guiding strategic policy and long‑range infrastructure needs.

The director will supervise staff, coordinate with the County Mayor and Water Committee, and communicate with regulators, customers, and community partners to

Qualifikationen

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering, public/business administration, finance, utility management, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum eight years in water utility operations or related field, with at least five years in management roles.
• Valid TN driver’s license or ability to obtain; water treatment/distribution certification preferred or obtainable.
• Pre-employment screening as per County policy.

Aufgaben

• Plan and direct all Water Services operations to provide safe, reliable, and cost‑effective service.
• Oversee regulatory compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act and state/federal requirements.
• Lead asset management, budgeting, and rate analyses for financial sustainability.
• Manage master planning, design, permitting, procurement, and project delivery for water infrastructure.
• Represent the County with regulators, customers, and partners; communicate policies and performance.

Kenntnisse

Leadership

Strategic planning

Regulatory compliance

Financial acumen

Policy communication

Ausbildung

Engineering degree

MBA/MPA preferred

Tools

GIS

SCADA

AMI/AMR

Jobbeschreibung

The selected candidate is expected to participate in an initial planned leadership transition with the incumbent Director to ensure continuity of operations, transfer of institutional knowledge, and orderly assumption of full executive responsibility. During the overlap, duties and decision authority will be assigned by the County Mayor or designee and communicated to employees and stakeholders.

The Director of Water Services provides executive, technical, financial, and operational leadership for Sevier County’s public water utility. The position is accountable for safe and reliable water service, regulatory compliance, customer service, workforce leadership, financial sustainability, asset management, emergency preparedness, capital planning, and the operation, maintenance, and expansion of water treatment, storage, pumping, transmission, and distribution facilities. The Director advises the County Mayor, Water Committee, County Commission, and other governing authorities on utility policy, rates, infrastructure needs, risks, and long-range strategy and represents the County with customers, regulators, engineers, contractors, funding agencies, and community partners. Job performance will be evaluated by the Vice Mayor based on the effectiveness of leadership, operational performance, regulatory compliance, financial stewardship, and achievement of departmental goals.

• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates all Water Services operations to provide safe, reliable, responsive, and cost-effective service to all customers.
• Ensures compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation requirements, permits, operator certification requirements, water-quality monitoring and reporting, drinking-water standards, and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Serves as, or ensures the availability of, the appropriately certified operator of record and qualified operational coverage required for the County’s water treatment and distribution systems.
• Develops and implements strategic plans, annual work plans, operating policies, standard operating procedures, key performance measures, service levels, and continuous‑improvement initiatives.
• Leads utility‑wide asset management, including condition assessment, preventive and predictive maintenance, criticality and risk analysis, lifecycle planning, inventory control, work‑order management, and prioritization of renewal and replacement investments.
• Develops and administers annual operating and multi‑year capital budgets; monitors revenues, expenses, cash requirements, reserves, debt, grants, and enterprise‑fund performance; recommends corrective action and sustainable funding strategies.
• Conducts or oversees cost‑of‑service and rate analyses and recommends rates, fees, connection charges, and financial policies that support affordability, equity, regulatory compliance, debt obligations, and long‑term system sustainability.
• Directs master planning, engineering, design, permitting, easement acquisition, procurement, construction, inspection, closeout, and commissioning of water infrastructure projects; coordinates consultants, contractors, developers, and funding agencies.
• Oversees water‑supply planning, source protection, treatment performance, storage, pumping, pressure management, distribution system integrity, leak detection, water‑loss control, meter accuracy, backflow prevention, flushing, and water‑quality maintenance.
• Maintains and exercises emergency response, continuity of operations, drought and shortage response, cybersecurity, physical security, mutual‑aid, and incident communication plans; participates in emergency response and supports 24‑hour operational readiness.
• Promotes a strong safety culture and ensures compliance with OSHA/TOSHA requirements, confined‑space, trenching and excavation, traffic control, lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, chemical safety, vehicle and equipment safety, and other applicable programs.
• Oversees customer service, billing, collections, meter reading, service connections, complaints, leak adjustments, account accuracy, public information, and service restoration; uses customer feedback and performance data to improve service.
• Builds an effective workforce through organizational design, staffing analysis, recruitment, training, certification development, cross‑training, succession planning, employee engagement, and clear accountability.
• Prepares and presents accurate reports, recommendations, budgets, project updates, dashboards, and policy proposals to the County Mayor, Water Committee, County Commission, auditors, regulators, and other stakeholders.
• Administers contracts, grants, professional services, purchasing, bid specifications, and records in accordance with County policy, applicable purchasing requirements, funding conditions, and internal controls.
• Maintains complete and accurate operational, financial, regulatory, personnel, asset, project, procurement, and customer records; ensures timely reporting and supports audits and public‑records obligations.
• Coordinates with planning, finance, purchasing, human resources, emergency management, GIS, information technology, public works, fire services, municipalities, developers, bulk‑water suppliers, and neighboring utilities.
• Represents Sevier County professionally with customers, community groups, regulators, elected officials, media, industry associations, and partner agencies; communicates transparently regarding service, projects, water quality, rates, and emergencies.
• Performs field inspections of facilities and projects, responds to significant service disruptions and emergencies, and remains available outside normal hours when operational conditions require executive direction.
• Performs other incidental and related duties as assigned.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in civil, environmental, mechanical, or sanitary engineering, public or business administration, finance, utility management, or a closely related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, certification, and progressively responsible experience sufficient to perform the essential duties.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in water utility operations, engineering, public works, infrastructure, or a closely related field, including at least five (5) years of management or supervisory responsibility for employees, budgets, programs, or projects.
• Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Tennessee driver's license and ability to be insured at standard vehicle liability rates.
• Possession of the Tennessee water treatment and/or distribution certification required to serve the system, or ability to obtain the required certification within a County‑approved period based on state eligibility and examination requirements.
• Ability to successfully complete required pre‑employment screening in accordance with County policy.

Preferred

• Advanced Tennessee water treatment or distribution operator certification appropriate to the County’s facilities and system classification.
• Professional Engineer licensure in Tennessee or eligibility for comity, Certified Public Manager, AWWA Utility Management certification, or another relevant professional credential.
• Master’s degree in engineering, public administration, business administration, utility management, or a closely related field.
• Experience leading a public water utility of comparable size and complexity, including an enterprise fund, multiple facilities, a geographically dispersed distribution system, and a 24‑hour emergency response function.
• Experience with utility rate studies, grants and state or federal funding, asset‑management systems, computerized maintenance management systems, GIS, AMI/AMR metering, SCADA, cybersecurity, and water‑loss control.
• Experience working with elected officials, public boards or committees, customers, regulators, and the media.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS

This position has department‑wide executive, supervisory, and management responsibility for administrative, customer service, finance, engineering and project delivery, treatment, distribution, maintenance, meter services, and field personnel. Responsibilities include establishing performance and safety expectations, selecting, developing, evaluating, coaching, and disciplining employees, approving work schedules and leave, supporting succession and workforce planning, ensuring appropriate operator coverage and certification, and holding managers and supervisors accountable for results in accordance with County policy and applicable law.

COMPETENCIES

• Comprehensive knowledge of modern water utility management, treatment and distribution operations, public health protection, water quality, engineering principles, and infrastructure lifecycle management.
• Strong knowledge of federal and Tennessee drinking‑water regulations, environmental and safety requirements, public purchasing, records management, enterprise‑fund accounting, grants, contracts, and internal controls.
• Ability to lead through managers and supervisors, establish clear expectations, develop employees, manage performance, resolve conflict, and build an accountable, service‑oriented, safety‑focused culture.
• Ability to translate long‑range needs into practical strategic, financial, workforce, asset‑management, emergency‑response, and capital improvement plans.
• Ability to analyze operational, financial, engineering, customer, and performance data; identify risk and root causes; evaluate alternatives; and make timely, defensible decisions.
• Ability to read and interpret construction plans, specifications, hydraulic information, maps, technical reports, permits, regulations, contracts, budgets, audits, and financial statements.
• Ability to communicate complex technical and financial information clearly to elected officials, employees, customers, regulators, contractors, community groups, and the public.
• Ability to manage sensitive and high‑visibility matters with integrity, confidentiality, sound judgment, transparency, and political awareness while maintaining professional independence.
• Skill in negotiation, contract administration, project oversight, emergency leadership, public presentation, customer issue resolution, and cross‑departmental collaboration.
• Proficiency with standard office applications and familiarity with utility billing, financial, GIS, asset/work management, SCADA, AMI/AMR, document management, and data‑reporting systems.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• This is primarily a professional, administrative, and field‑oversight position. The employee must be able to sit, stand, walk, climb stairs, bend, reach, and move through offices, treatment and pumping facilities, construction sites, and outdoor utility locations.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling of materials or equipment weighing up to 40 pounds may be required.
• Sufficient mobility, balance, and coordination are required to inspect facilities and job sites that may include uneven ground, ladders, stairs, wet surfaces, construction areas, and confined or restricted spaces, with appropriate controls and training.
• Vocal communication, hearing, and visual acuity are required for meetings, emergency communications, document review, computer use, driving, inspection of equipment and work, color differentiation, and observation of surroundings.
• Use of required personal protective equipment and compliance with medical clearance, fit testing, and safety procedures may be required for particular locations or tasks.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work is performed in offices, public meetings, treatment and pumping facilities, warehouses, vehicles, construction sites, rights‑of‑way, and outdoor locations throughout the service area.
• The employee may be exposed to weather extremes, noise, vibration, dust, traffic, construction hazards, chemicals, biological hazards, wet or slippery surfaces, and moving equipment. Exposure is managed through engineering controls, safe work practices, training, and personal protective equipment.
• General hours are Monday through Friday, with extended hours, evenings, weekends, holidays, public meetings, travel, and emergency or on‑call response required based on operational needs.
• The position regularly interacts with employees, customers, elected officials, regulators, contractors, consultants, funding agencies, community organizations, media representatives, and the public and may encounter urgent, sensitive, or controversial issues.