Deputy Director / T&ES Environmental Services - City of Alexandria : Job Details

Deputy Director / T&ES Environmental ServicesOverviewThe Deputy Director of Environmental Services will lead a diverse team of professionals focusing on the City's stormwater and sanitary sewer programs as well as environmental quality priorities. This position should prioritize providing excellent service to City residents and businesses, creatively and responsively resolving community public infrastructure and quality of life concerns. This individual must combine a strategic, high-level perspective with strong management and administrative skills.Reporting to the Director of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES), the Deputy Director is a senior executive on the City's leadership team who will bring a collaborative, team-oriented, and problem-solving presence. The position's responsibilities will include providing leadership, management, and strategic direction to the City's stormwater, flood, sanitary/sewer functions within the environmental infrastructure branch. The Environmental Services Team encompasses sanitary/sewer infrastructure, stormwater management, and environmental quality.The Deputy Director should have experience managing horizontal infrastructure operations and maintenance, possess strong fiscal and business acumen, and demonstrate excellent communication and customer-orientation skills. The candidate should also have extensive experience working with people, creatively solving problems, and facilitating the city's transition into collective bargaining. Additionally, the selected candidate should be a public servant and an excellent public speaker capable of connecting with staff and representing the City to elected officials, commissions, and community groups.The Deputy Director/T&ES for Environmental Services performs specialized, highly responsible managerial, administrative, supervisory, and technical work in the development, implementation, management, and enforcement of environmental programs within the City and its service area and in the preparation, submission, processing, acquisition, and management of environmental permits for City projects. The employee in this position provides technical, scientific, legal and regulatory advice and assistance to the Director, City Manager, City Council, Planning Commission, other departments City, and the general public. The incumbent serves as City liaison and principal point of contact with State and Federal government agencies for environment-related projects and programs.

The Opportunity – Examples of Work

Sanitary Infrastructure:implements the City's Sanitary Sewer Master Plan and is responsible for planning level engineering related to sanitary sewer capital projects throughout the City.

Stormwater Management:helps protect water quality in the City. The program has three focus areas: Stormwater Quality, Flooding and Drainage Issues, and Public Infrastructure Maintenance.

Environmental Quality:administers the City's air, water, and noise improvement programs, which help preserve and protect the environment and public health and welfare.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the City's 10-year Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvement Program.
• Ensures that the City stays in compliance with state and federal environmental regulations and permits. Prepares, submits and manages the processing of applications for permits for City projects and programs from environmental regulatory agencies and ensures adequate resources and programs are established to comply with various state and federal environmental laws and regulations. Current examples include permits and programs covering the City's Combined Sewer system (CSO) and the City's municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4), which each have separate permits issued under the Clean Water Act by VA Dept of Environmental Quality. As a result of these permits and conditions, the City is required to have two separate programs administered by the Environmental Services branch. These regulatory issues have serious legal and fiscal implications for the City;
• Coordinates Environmental Programs as relevant to the Eco-City Alexandria Programs. Conducts and coordinates public relations activities to promote environmental protection and conservation programs, including Eco-City Alexandria, Environmental Action Plan 2040, Flood Action Alexandria, signage programs, pollution prevention, storm drain markers, brochures, newsletters, reports, and presentations. Attend and make presentations to civic associations and other group meetings to discuss, promote, and educate the public on environmental issues;
• Oversees the development or redevelopment of contaminated properties, both City projects as well as private developments as required by the Administrative Procedures for Contaminated Land and as required under the City's Zoning Ordinance. Duties involve reviewing highly technical reports and plans involving Site Characterization, Human and Ecological Risk Assessments, Remediation, and Corrective Action Plans and Health and Safety Plans for contaminated sites;
• Serves as the lead technical expert for numerous environmental areas such as air pollution, water quality, exposure to toxic and hazardous materials, noise, and contaminated land. Supervises and coordinates the activities of professional personnel of the Environmental Services branch and outside consultants, gathering information and data, analyzing data, preparing plans, studies and reports of all levels of complexity including those which are highly scientific and technical in nature for the Director, Environmental Policy Commission, Planning Commission, City Council, City Manager, City Attorney, and the general public. Responds to hazardous material spills and releases as needed. Responds to media inquiries concerning various environmental issues;
• Prepares docket items, reports, and/or analyses for the Director of T&ES, City Manager, City Council, and recommends strategies and policy options on studies, proposals, and other reports. Regularly attend City Council meetings. Prepares and oversees the budget for both the operating budget and for Capital Improvement Budget projects;
• Lead the sustainability, development, management, and control of the environmental infrastructure budget; and

• Performing related work as required.

About the DepartmentT&ES is a community partner in shaping a livable, green, and prospering Alexandria. We plan, build, manage, and maintain transportation systems and environmental infrastructure that provide people and businesses with mobility and utilities. We help keep Alexandria moving and growing sustainably. We are a vibrant, diverse department that plays a major role in how the City operates day-to-day as well as how it will look in the future. With approximately 300 employees, including civil and environmental engineers, equipment operators, transit planners, laborers, construction inspectors, and financial analysts, we are an interdisciplinary and committed workforce. We are also an APWA-accredited public works agency with award-winning environmental and planning programs, such as Eco-City Alexandria.

In order to be eligible for this position, an applicant must possess a four (4) year College Degree in a technical field related to Environmental/Civil/Water Resources engineering is absolutely a minimum requirement for this job; and four-five years of supervisory experience in managing technical or professional staff. Five years of progressively-professional experience in environmental engineering and/or natural resources field. Ability to grasp technical and scientific literature relating to environmental and health issues. Experience of working in a field related to water resources, and air pollution required. Candidate should have excellent communication skills both verbal and written; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

The ideal candidate will possess an advanced degree in one of the areas that helps the person to better appreciate the need and scope of technical services required when dealing with other areas. More than five years of supervisory experience in managing technical or professional staff and seven years of professional experience in environmental engineering and/or natural resources field. Experience with regulating agencies and experience as a regulator with decision-making authority is preferred, as the ability to weigh competing interests and use sound judgment is key to this position.

The Ideal Candidate will also:

• Be adept at vendor management, including issuing RFPs, selecting contractors, and ensuring work standards are met;
• Incorporate best practices from localities engaged in collective bargaining;
• Bring an entrepreneurial approach to local government;
• Be politically savvy to appropriately address complex issues in a public setting;
• Promote a customer-oriented approach towards meeting client needs;
• Work collaboratively cross-departmentally and with other community organizations;
• Build trust and demonstrate transparency, strong work ethic, and integrity.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of public works administration; ability to plan, organize, and direct large-scale activities of a number of professional, technical, and other supervisory personnel; ability to actively and effectively plan, organize, and direct large-scale activities of a number of professional, technical and other supervisory assistants working in public works programs; ability to provide direction to division heads in planning and administering diversified activities; ability to exercise good professional judgment; ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing with a wide variety of people within and outside of the City government.

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