ROW Maintenance Manager

City of Boca Raton; Miami Gardens (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Boca Raton is seeking a Right of Way Maintenance Manager to oversee maintenance and beautification of the City's ROW corridors. You will supervise staff, manage budgets and contracts, and ensure compliance with MOT guidelines while coordinating with utility providers and contractors.

Leadership in public works operations is essential, with responsibility for multi-year CIP projects and performance reporting. A strong background in landscape management and city standards is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field is required.
• Minimum 5–10 years in public works operations or related landscape/ROW management.
• Experience supervising staff and managing contracts preferred.

Responsibilities

• Plan, direct, and coordinate daily ROW maintenance activities including medians, landscaping, irrigation, and cleanup.
• Oversee budgets, contracts, and capital improvement projects for ROW beautification and safety.
• Ensure compliance with MOT guidelines and coordinate with utility providers and contractors.
• Prepare reports and maintain records of divisional workflows and performance metrics.
• Collaborate with other City divisions to synchronize field activities and access control.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Public works

Budgeting

Contract management

Safety compliance

Landscape maintenance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration / Landscape Management / Horticulture / Urban Planning / Civil Engineering

Tools

GIS

Work order systems

Job description

Build Your Future with the City of Boca Raton!

At the City of Boca Raton, a career in public service is more than a job — it’s your chance to make a meaningful impact in a vibrant and sustainable coastal community. Driven by our core values of Fairness, Integrity, Respect, Service, and Trust, we are committed to fostering a workplace where employees feel appreciated, inspired, and supported.

Why Boca Raton?

As the second largest city in Palm Beach County, the City of Boca Raton offers robust benefits to their employees:

• Health Insurance Benefits: No-cost employee Medical, Dental & Vision plans
• Generous Paid Time Off: 12 paid holidays + vacation, sick, and 3 floating holidays
• Continuous Service Benefit: Paid out annually after 5 years of service
• Work-Life Balance: Flexible work schedule
• Retirement Plans: Two pension/retirement options to choose from

Whether you're starting out or looking to take your public service career to the next level, the City of Boca Raton offers the tools, resources, and culture to help you succeed.

General Statement of Job:

The Right of Way Maintenance Manager is responsible for the planning, coordination, and oversight of all maintenance, beautification, and operational activities within the City's public rights-of-way. This position serves as the City's primary steward of right-of-way corridors, ensuring these spaces are safe, well-maintained, compliant with the engineering design standard manual, visually consistent, and aligned with the level of service standards for a World Class City. This position functions as the central point of coordination for activities conducted within or affecting the right-of-way by City divisions, utility providers, and outside contractors.

Supervisory responsibilities include technical and administrative direction over the personnel engaged in the maintenance and care of medians, roadside landscapes, irrigation systems, and rights-of-way corridors. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Operations and Business Manager.

• Plans, organizes, and directs the daily activities of staff, equipment operators, maintenance workers, and contracted personnel engaged in public right-of-way care
• Oversee the repair, maintenance, and cosmetic enhancement of all landscaped medians, roadside plantings, turf, trees, ground covers, pressure cleaning, and hardscape elements
• Monitors and coordinates right-of-way irrigation operations, including routine inspections, system efficiency management, and repair scheduling
• Directs litter control, sidewalk/curb pressure washing, and debris removal along major thoroughfares. Coordinates with the Sanitation division on illegal dumping and manages joint efforts with Code Enforcement
• Ensures strict adherence to Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) guidelines across all field operations to protect crews and the traveling public
• Provides overall direction and approval for multi-year maintenance and beautification contracts, setting program priorities and budget parameters for execution by the Right of Way Program Administrator
• Engages with the Right of Way Program Administrator on contractor performance, program direction, and significant contract issues requiring escalation.
• Prepares and approves the annual operating budget for ROW maintenance activities, incorporating input from division leadership; tracks division revenues and expenditures and compiles financial reports for the Operations and Business Manager.
• Develops, implements, and monitors Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects targeting right-of-way beautification and structural improvements
• Collaborate with the Streets and Stormwater Operations Manager to synchronize complementary field activities; interfaces with Traffic Engineering and Sanitation on access control, lane closures, and storm debris routing
• Serves as the primary municipal point of contact for ROW access, reviewing encroachment permits, utility installations, and outside contractor requests to guarantee restoration meets City expectations
• Coordinates complex corridor activities with federal, state (e.g., FDOT), regional, and local utility providers operating inside the City's footprint
• Investigates and resolves citizen complaints and inquiries regarding right-of-way conditions; implements timely corrective actions and documents resolutions.
• Prepares and maintains accurate, professional records, operational metrics, and correspondence reflecting divisional workflows; recommends updates to operational policy and code ordinances as needed
• Performs other duties as required to maintain the effective operation of the City's rights-of-way

Related Tasks

• Mentors and develops division leadership, including succession planning for supervisory and management positions
• Coordinates division-wide emergency response and storm recovery operations, including mutual aid requests and post-storm damage assessments
• Reviews and approves division-level policies, standard operating procedures, and safety protocols
• Performs other related duties as needed

Knowledge of:

• Knowledge of the methods, practices, and equipment used in the maintenance and care of landscaped rights-of-way, including turf management, ornamental plantings, trees, and irrigation systems.
• Knowledge of occupational hazards and safety precautions associated with right-of-way maintenance operations and related equipment.
• Knowledge of applicable public works maintenance practices and standards mandated by federal, state, and local government regulations, including Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) requirements
• Knowledge of contract management principles and practices applicable to public sector procurement and vendor oversight.
• Knowledge of budget preparation, forecasting, and administration of financial accounting systems.
• Knowledge of GIS applications and work order management systems.

Skilled in:

• Skill in managing contractor performance, interpreting service level agreements (SLAs), and resolving complex technical or financial disputes with vendors and utility companies firmly and tactfully
• Skill in reading, interpreting, and analyzing civil engineering construction plans, utility layouts, plat maps, right-of-way surveys, and landscape design documents
• Skill in projecting labor costs, estimating materials, and managing complex work schedules across multiple concurrent in-house crew projects and contractor work orders
• Skill in identifying infrastructure deficiencies, landscaping diseases, irrigation failures, and right-of-way restoration defects during field inspections
• Skill in leveraging productivity software to track operational metrics, calculate level of service (LOS) data, and monitor divisional performance indicators

Ability to:

• Ability to plan, direct, and coordinate the activities of multiple occupational groups engaged in concurrent and diverse work activities within the rights-of-way.
• Ability to effectively supervise, train, and evaluate assigned employees and enforce regulations, policies, and safety practices with firmness, tact, and impartiality.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, including preparation of detailed technical and administrative reports.
• Ability to manage public interaction and respond to citizen complaints with professionalism and thoroughness.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, contractors, utility providers, City officials, and the public.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes weekdays, weekends, and evenings as needed.
• Ability to work outdoors in various weather conditions, including extreme heat.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Landscape Management, Horticulture, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, or a closely related field
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible state or local government experience in public works operations, right-of-way maintenance, or commercial landscape management
• Five (5) years of experience directly supervising and supporting direct reports at the professional, technical, or managerial level
• Possess and maintain a valid State of Florida Class "E" Driver's License with no more than six (6) points in a three (3) year period

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field may substitute for two (2) years of the non-supervisory experience requirement
• Possession of a Florida Certified Landscape Professional (FCLP) designation, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist credential, or a designation from the International Right of Way Association (IRWA)

Additional experience is accepted as a minimum requirement in lieu of the postsecondary degree on the following basis: additional four (4) years in lieu of the bachelor’s degree, and additional two (2) years in lieu of an associate degree.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possession of an Intermediate or Advanced Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Certification, or the ability to obtain it within ninety (90) days of appointment.

POST OFFER PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

Final offer and employment are contingent upon successful completion of the following post-offer, pre-employment screening items:

• Background Screening
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check
• Drug Screening
• Physical Examination
• Employment Verification