Director of Public Works

Prince William County, Virginia is located just over 20 miles outside of Washington, DC. The second-largest county in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Prince William County is a community with a strong, diverse economic base, where individuals and families choose to live, work and play and businesses choose to locate.
 
A 4,400 acre park system, 60 trail miles, historic charm, world-class shopping, dining, and live entertainment make Prince William County a "Community of Choice." According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Prince William County’s population is projected to grow to 520,000 by 2030.
 
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY GOVERNMENT 
Guided by the County’s Prince William 2030 Report and Comprehensive Plan, the elected Board of County Supervisors make policy decisions to establish the goals and priorities of Prince William County Government and manage land use throughout the County. The Board is also responsible for passing ordinances, determining county government priorities, and establishing revenues to support local government programs and services. The Board appoints a County Executive who serves as the chief administrative officer, overseeing the daily functions of county government and its 6,000 employees.
 
THE AGENCY 
The goal of the Prince William County Department of Public Works is to improve the well-being of the community by creating and sustaining the best environment in which to live, work, and play. Across the work of four divisions, the Department of Public Works protects and improves the county’s natural resources, adopts and enforces codes and regulations, and builds and maintains environmental infrastructure in our community:
 
The Construction and Operations Division is responsible for mosquito and forest pest management, small project construction, drainage maintenance and street name signs.

The Environmental Management Division is responsible for drainage control and improvements, watershed management, stream monitoring, and storm water pollution prevention.
 
The Neighborhood Services Division is responsible for helping residents improve their neighborhoods through cooperative efforts and education, working with property owners to ensure compliance with building and property codes, and picking up litter and illegal signs along our roadways.
 
The Solid Waste Management Division is responsible for operation of the landfill, trash disposal, recycling, composting, household hazardous waste collection, and environmental controls to safeguard the community.
 
THE POSITION:
The Director, Department of Public Works is the department’s strategic and visionary leader with responsibility across multiple functional units including decision making in the areas of strategic planning, budget development, and personnel management. The budgeted annual salary range for this position is $197,753.00 - $218,836.00.
 
Responsibilities:
Specifically, and in alignment with the requirements of the position, the Director, Department of Public Works:
 

• Provides leadership in the design, implementation, and assessment of strategies, goals, policies, objectives, and activities over a department or function; develops and oversees a department critical to the County's ongoing operation; and coordinates activities between multiple programs and divisions.
• Provides overall direction and leadership to departmental managers, which may include: assigning projects and objectives; conducting performance evaluations; developing, motivating, and training employees; and making hiring, termination and disciplinary decisions.
• Coordinate with the development industry to address permitting issues associated with Site Plan reviews, Site Inspections and bond/escrow release.
• Provides overall management and development of the operating and capital budget for a significant or high-profile County department; reviews and approves expenditures and needed; monitors and manages fee revenue collections.
• Develops and maintains internal and external relationships; participates in a variety of meetings, committees, task forces, or related groups to communicate information regarding services, programs, areas of opportunity, and other information; represents assigned area on committees and advocacy groups. Negotiates and manages contracts with external parties as necessary. 
• Monitors, reviews, edits, and approves plans for compliance with policies, procedures, and strategic objectives.
  

Qualifications 
The qualified applicant will have at least 8 years of experience related to public works. The ideal candidate will have a graduate-level degree or certification in public administration or related field and professional experience in the area of natural resources and infrastructure improvement, maintenance, development permitting process improvements and regulatory compliance.
 
The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable in the following areas:
 

• Leadership principles
• Program development and administration principles and practices at a County-wide level
• Government administration principles and practices
• Advanced principles and practices in assigned area of responsibility
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, regulations, codes, and/or statutes; Budgeting principles
• Strategic planning principles

Policy and procedure development practices, the ideal candidate will be skilled in the following areas:
 

• Providing leadership to lower-level staff
• Delegating and prioritizing work
• Setting goals
• Developing and implementing strategies
• Directing, monitoring, and evaluating policies and procedures
• Planning, coordinating, and implementing County-wide components and activities
• Developing and administering budgets
• Interpreting and applying applicable laws, rules, and regulations
• Analyzing projects, programs, and processes for areas of improvement
• Using a computer and related software applications
• Communication with a range of groups and stakeholders, including subordinates, coworkers, supervisor, and the general public. 

TO APPLY: 
Prince William County is partnering with the executive search firm POLIHIRE to identify our next Director of Public Works. If you are interested in this opportunity, please visit POLIHIRE's website at https://polihire.com/searches to submit a cover letter outlining your qualifications and your resume.