Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department Director

Pima Sheriff; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 146,000 - 219,000; Full time

Job summary

Pima County seeks a Director for the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department to lead an executive team, drive strategic goals, and align utility operations with regional sustainability objectives. The role manages over 400 staff, a large budget, and complex regulatory responsibilities.

The ideal candidate will have a substantial background in civil/environmental engineering or public administration, with proven leadership in major utilities and capital planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, or closely related field.
• Ten years progressively responsible experience in wastewater, utility, environmental, engineering, or public works operations, including at least five years directing major organizational functions and supervising management-level staff.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and implements strategic goals, priorities, and performance measures for the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department.
• Develops long-term infrastructure plans and directs wastewater treatment operations.
• Oversees regulatory compliance with EPA, ADEQ, DEQ and other agencies.
• Directs capital projects, maintenance of sanitary sewers and treatment plants.
• Provides executive leadership and workforce development for department personnel.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Stakeholder Engagement

Public Administration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil/Environmental/Public Administration

Ten years in wastewater/utility/public works

Job description

Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department Director page is loaded## Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department Directorlocations: Tucson, AZtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todaytime left to apply: End Date: December 5, 2026 (24 days left to apply)job requisition id: JR104828# **Job Description Summary**Department - Regional Wastewater Reclamation# **Job Description****Job Type: Unclassified****Job Classification: 1037 - Director Regional Wastewater Reclamation****Salary Grade: 21****Pay Range****Hiring Range: $146,286 - $201,115 Annually****Pay Range: $146,286 - $219,398 Annually****Range Explanation:*** Hiring Range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.* Pay Range is the entire compensation range for the position.Join us in shaping the future of Pima County as the Director of the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD). Our mission is to protect public health and safety and the environment by providing quality service, excellent environmental stewardship, and developing renewable resources. RWRD has established a reputation of excellence through providing outstanding customer service; investing in employees; continuously improving processes; and enhancing financial stability. As Director, you will lead RWRD's executive leadership team to ensure alignment of the County's public utility goals and vision with our Strategic Plan. You will guide the department's over 400 employees to achieve our vision of being an industry leader in the management and sustainability of the water reclamation cycle and other renewable resources.With an annual operations and maintenance budget of over $100 million, an annual capital budget of over $50 million, numerous regulatory compliance permits, and a strong culture towards safety, customer service, and sustainability, the department operates and maintains systems and facilities that convey, treat, and reclaim over 62 million gallons of wastewater per day. We are responsible for the design, construction, management, operation, and maintenance of nearly 3,600 miles of the region's sanitary sewer (conveyance) system, 22 pump stations, 26 odor control sites, 37 flow monitoring sites, as well as two metropolitan and six sub-regional water reclamation facilities. RWRD has won many accolades and awards for our innovation, research, and are recognized for our expertise by our peers, sister utilities, and from various professional organizations, and under your leadership we can achieve even more.At Pima County, we are committed to cultivating a workplace culture rooted in our values of being Accountable, Respectful, and Ethical (A.R.E.). We seek individuals who consistently demonstrate these values through their actions, decisions, and interactions with employees, stakeholders, and the community. Every employee plays an important role in upholding our values and fostering an environment of trust, professionalism, and excellence in public service. Together, we bring these values to life. We A.R.E. Pima County!Please click the to review the recruitment brochure.*This classification is in the unclassified service and is exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.***Essential Functions:**As defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, this classification may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. This list is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by incumbents of this class. Work assignments may vary depending on the department's need and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.* Under the administrative direction of the County Administrator or designee, establishes and implements strategic goals, priorities, and performance measures for the Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department;* Develops and implements long-term infrastructure plans, directing wastewater treatment operations for Pima County and the City of Tucson aligned with regional water resource sustainability goals;* Responsible for technical compliance, in accordance with the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Arizona Department of Health Services and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and other relevant agencies;* Directs capital improvement projects and provides for planning, construction oversight, inspection and maintenance of sanitary sewers, treatment plants and associated operations;* Directs comprehensive asset management and lifecycle planning programs for wastewater facilities, treatment plants, conveyance systems and associated infrastructure;* Advises the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator or designee on wastewater operations, investments and regulations;* Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with federal, state, regional, and local agencies; tribal governments; partner jurisdictions; business stakeholders; and community organizations;* Serves as principal spokesperson and representative for wastewater utility matters before public bodies, stakeholder groups, and regulatory agencies;* Responsible for the financial administration of the department's enterprise operations, including budget administration, financial planning, rate and fee analysis, revenue forecasting, and long-range capital finance strategies;* Provides executive leadership and workforce development for department personnel, including staffing, performance management, employee engagement, and departmental culture initiatives.**Minimum Qualifications:****Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field AND ten years of progressively responsible experience in wastewater, utility, environmental, engineering, or public works operations, INCLUDING at least five years directing major organizational functions and supervising management-level staff.****(Relevant experience and/or education from an accredited college or university may be substituted.)****Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the \"Education\" and \"Work Experience\" sections of the application. Do not substitute a resume for your application or write \"see resume\" on your application.****Preferred Qualifications: (Be specific in describing your experience in your application. Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.):*** Master's degree in Engineering, Public Administration, Business Administration, Environmental Management, or related field, and registration as a Professional Engineer (PE).* Minimum ten (10) years experience managing a private or public utility or serving in a leadership role with responsibility for a large manufacturing, industrial, or construction operation.* Minimum seven (7) years experience developing multimillion-dollar operations and overseeing maintenance budgets.* Minimum seven (7) years experience supervising technical staff, including resolving technical and operational problems and promoting a collaborative and efficient work environment.* Minimum five (5) years experience in a position with responsible charge for regulatory compliance (SDWA, CWA, AZDEQ, EPA).**Selection Procedure:****Pima County Human Resources Department reserves the right to admit to the selection process only those candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. All applications will be assessed based on an evaluation of the listed education and experience. Candidates meeting the minimum qualifications may be further evaluated/scored against any