Public Utilities Director

The Position

Reporting directly to the City Manager, the Public Utilities Director manages all phases of the City’s public water operations, including supply, treatment, distribution, infrastructure maintenance, regulatory compliance, and capital improvement projects. The Director supervises all Department employees, including the currently vacant Water Department Supervisor position, and is responsible for ensuring safe, efficient, reliable, and compliant potable water service. The Director establishes priorities and improvement plans; manages budgets, contracts, projects, and contractors; reviews technical plans and specifications; participates in planning and design of water system improvements; works with residents, businesses, developers, and regulatory agencies; and provides technical reports and recommendations to the City Manager and elected officials.

This is a working director role, and the successful candidate may be required to actively participate in fieldwork, treatment plant operations, emergency responses, and snow removal during water system emergencies and periods of reduced staffing. The incoming Public Utilities Director will perform duties and responsibilities as Operator in Responsible Charge (ORC) for the City. The Director must therefore obtain and maintain the certification required for ORC designation throughout their tenure in this position. This is an opportunity to help shape a newly structured Public Utilities Department while preparing Central City’s water system for future growth. The next Director will have meaningful influence over infrastructure planning, regulatory compliance, employee development, and capital priorities in a small organization where technical expertise, collaboration, and visible leadership can have an immediate and lasting impact.

Opportunities & Priorities

Prepare the Water System for Growth: Central City anticipates significant development over the coming years, including the potential for a large casino development and new residential growth. The Director will help evaluate treatment plant capacity and functionality, aging systems and infrastructure, and future capital needs to ensure the water system is prepared for increased demand.

Guide Organizational and Workforce Growth: The City is moving from a historically limited and financially restrictive environment toward one anticipating greater growth, investment, and expansion of City personnel. The Public Utilities Department itself is also expected to grow from two positions to five. The next Director will help build a cohesive, transparent, and supportive team while training, coaching, and mentoring employees and strengthening succession planning and organizational resiliency.

Maintain Regulatory and Operational Readiness: The Director will be responsible for safe and compliant water operations and for maintaining the knowledge and certifications required to serve as the City’s ORC. Continued attention to water treatment and distribution regulations, water quality, safety, aging infrastructure, operational reliability, and long-term system planning will be essential.

Strengthen Communication and Partnerships: The Director will need to be visible and available and maintain excellent communication with the City Manager and Council members as directed, City colleagues and support staff, and Public Utilities employees. The next Director will also have an opportunity to strengthen relationships with state and county agencies, neighboring communities, regulatory organizations, contractors, consultants, and other regional partners.

The Ideal Candidate

Central City is seeking an experienced water utility professional with strong knowledge of civil and environmental engineering principles related to water systems; treatment and distribution operations; infrastructure maintenance and repair; and applicable equipment, technologies, and computer systems. The ideal candidate will understand Colorado Regulation 100, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations under Regulation 11, backflow and cross-connection control, Lead and Copper Rule requirements, and other laws and standards governing municipal water operations.

The successful candidate will also bring experience in project management, strategic planning, budgeting, financial and capital management, RFP and contract processes, grant writing and administration, and water utility safety practices. This person should be proactive, accountable, capable of identifying problems and developing viable solutions, and skilled at building a healthy, productive, team-oriented culture. Experience training, coaching, and mentoring employees will be especially valuable as the Department expands and strengthens succession planning.

The Director must have strong written and verbal communication skills and be able to prepare technical reports, plans, memoranda, correspondence, personnel documentation, and recommendations and communicate effectively with employees, the City Manager, elected officials, regulators, residents, businesses, contractors, consultants, and regional partners.

Education & Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, public administration, business administration, or a related field is required, along with a minimum of five (5) years of experience in water system operations, maintenance, or infrastructure management within a municipal or public utilities environment and a minimum of three (3) years of supervisory experience. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.
• Candidates must possess or obtain withing six (6) months of employment, a Colorado Class A Water Treatment Operator certification and Colorado Class 3 Water Distribution Operator certification and must keep both certifications current. Registration as a Professional Engineer in Colorado, and a Class A certification are preferred.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Comprehensive knowledge of municipal water treatment and distribution systems, infrastructure maintenance, and capital planning.
• Thorough understanding of applicable water quality laws, regulations, and compliance requirements, including Colorado Regulations 100 and 11 and the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
• Strong project, budget, financial, contract, procurement, and grant administration skills.
• Skill interpreting technical plans, specifications, regulatory requirements, and operational data, translating them into practical recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop employees while strengthening teamwork and succession planning.
• Ability to establish priorities, anticipate problems, exercise sound professional judgment, and develop viable solutions.
• Ability to build effective working relationships across departments and with contractors, consultants, regulatory agencies, neighboring jurisdictions, residents, and businesses.

Compensation & Benefits

• $130,316 - $175,928 DOQ
• 100% City-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees and dependents.
• City-paid long-term disability and life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Approximately 120 hours of vacation and 96 hours of sick leave annually, with increased vacation accrual to 156 hours annually after five (5) years.
• City match of up to 5% for employee contributions on both a 401(a) Governmental Money Purchase Plan and a 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan, for a combined City match of up to 10%.
• 15 paid holidays annually, including one personal holiday.
• City-paid job training and certification renewal costs.
• Most positions operate on a four-day, 10-hour schedule, subject to staffing levels during required on-call, emergency, snow, and special-event coverage.
• Reasonable relocation assistance available.