Public Works Deputy Director

Polk County, Oregon; Dallas (OR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Polk County is seeking a Deputy Director of Public Works to assist the Director with strategic planning, administration, and operational oversight of the County's infrastructure. This senior leadership role ensures delivery of essential services—road maintenance, bridge engineering, fleet management, and the mechanical shop—while ensuring compliance with Oregon statutes and federal regulations.

The position requires a four-year degree in engineering, public administration, or related field, plus

Qualifications

• Graduation from a four-year college with a major in engineering, public administration or related field, plus five years of progressively responsible supervisory experience including a minimum of two years of general administration.
• Must obtain a valid Oregon driver's license within 60 days of employment.
• Possession of a Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Director in strategic planning, administration and operational oversight of the County’s infrastructure.
• Ensure delivery of essential services including road maintenance, bridge engineering, fleet management and the mechanical shop.
• Maintain compliance with Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) and federal regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Supervisory experience

Public administration

Engineering background

Oregon driver license

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/public administration or related field

Job description

ABOUT THE JOB

The Deputy Director of Public Works is a high-level leadership role responsible for assisting the Director in the strategic planning, administration, and operational oversight of the County’s infrastructure. This position ensures the delivery of essential services — including road maintenance, bridge engineering, fleet management, and mechanical shop —while maintaining compliance with Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) and federal regulations.

WORK SCHEDULE

Monday through Friday 8am-5pm

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Graduation from a four-year college with a major in engineering, public administration or related field, plus five years of progressively responsible supervisory experience including a minimum of two years of general administration; or any equivalent combination of experience and training. Must obtain a valid Oregon driver's license within 60 days of employment. Possession of a Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred.

Polk County, the Organization:

Polk County takes pride in knowing that our employees are what makes the County a great place to work. We have a strong desire for each employee to feel respected; connected to the department they work for as well as other County departments and the community at large; and know that they are critical to County business. We understand that work may be necessary, but not what should define each individual. We all have diverse personalities and interests away from the job, and at Polk County we encourage our employees to be connected to something bigger than work.

Benefits:

Polk County offers generous employee benefits including, but not limited to:

• 11 paid holidays per year
• 8 hours of vacation earned monthly with increases every 5 years
• 8 hours of sick leave earned monthly
• 4-5 Personal Leave Days earned each fiscal year (Depends on position; prorated depending on date of hire)
• PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) - 100% employer funded contributions
• Full health benefits for the employee and qualified family members with the employee paying only 10% of the premium
• Basic life Insurance - employer paid
• Optional benefits such as additional life insurance, short term disability, deferred compensation savings program and flexible spending accounts for unreimbursed medical and dependent care expenses
• Qualifying employer for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program

Our Community:

Polk County is located in the Willamette Valley just an hour from the Pacific Coast to the west and an hour from Portland to the north. The population is approximately 87,000 and the area spans about 744 square miles, with two thirds of the western part of the county being forest. National protected areas include the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Siuslaw National Forest.

The County is part of the agricultural richness the Willamette Valley has to offer. In recent decades, the valley has also become a major wine producer, with Polk County being one of the best in the area. The valley is often known as the “Oregon Wine Country.” Polk County has over 25 wineries alone.

Polk County also houses the beautiful liberal arts college, Western Oregon University (WOU), and is only 30 miles from Oregon State University. WOU was an inaugural winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award. This award recognizes universities and colleges that have demonstrated the highest level of commitment and action towards fostering a campus community that celebrates all the many facets of diversity. WOU is one of the most diverse universities in Oregon and has a higher percentage of Latino students in the Oregon University system.

Please refer to the Class Specification for the full job description and minimum experience, education and training requirements for this position.