Recruitment documents

The Position

Under the general direction of the Board of Directors, the Authority Manager is responsible for the water and sanitary services provided within the PCJWSA service boundary, which is roughly equivalent to the Pacific City-Woods Community Growth Boundary. This includes related financial, administrative, operational, and technical management. The Authority Manager serves as PCJWSA’s primary administrative leader and public representative. The successful candidate will be a visible, accessible, and hands-on leader who maintains open and transparent communication with the Board, employees, customers, and community. This individual will spend time with employees, and in the field, understand day-to-day operations, encourage staff input and creative problem-solving, and balance immediate operational needs with a clear vision for the Authority’s future.

To view the full job description, please see the attachment provided here.

Opportunities & Challenges

Capital Improvement Projects: The Authority has identified numerous water system improvements that will be needed over the next 20 years. Three capital priorities include:

Water System Improvement Project: The Authority has embarked on a major project that will include decommissioning an old asbestos cement water main and replacing several other undersized water mains. The design phase is underway, and construction is expected to begin in March 2027.

Additional Water Storage Capacity: The Authority currently has approximately one million gallons of water storage, but additional capacity will be needed in the future. The next Authority Manager will help evaluate needs, establish priorities, identify funding opportunities, and guide planning and implementation.

Water Distribution System Improvements: The Water Master Plan identifies numerous long-term improvements involving undersized infrastructure throughout the distribution system. The Authority Manager will help prioritize and manage these projects from planning and funding through design and construction.

Public Relations and Community Involvement: There is a continual need for the Authority to promote good public relations with its customers. The significant cost of system upgrades and other growth-related decisions can be misunderstood without clear communication, transparency, and proactive community outreach. The new Authority Manager must be adept at communicating effectively with a variety of groups, explaining complex information in an understandable manner, and building and maintaining relationships.

The Authority Manager will have an opportunity to improve PCJWSA’s visibility with customers, increase awareness of Authority operations and projects, and encourage greater public involvement. The successful candidate will also be expected to maintain a visible community presence and develop relationships with residents, businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, service clubs, community organizations, and other regional partners.

Resort Perspective: Pacific City is an attractive resort and recreation destination. The surge in population during the summer and on holidays can result in several thousand additional people needing access to water and sewer services. The demand curve for the utility can be dramatic and requires capacity and capabilities beyond what the community’s approximately 1,250 permanent residents would normally require.

Water Supply and Source Protection: The Authority has redundant water sources consisting of six wells and a major surface water source. The availability of the surface water source can be interrupted, especially during the winter months, due to turbidity spikes caused by heavy rains. Three of the wells are in tidal areas and could be affected by elevated salinity levels in the groundwater. The management of water rights and planning for future contingencies are important ongoing needs.

The Authority recently applied for a $70,000 grant to develop a Source Water Protection Plan. The plan will be developed largely by one of the Authority’s technical consultants and is expected to take approximately nine to 12 months to complete. The new Authority Manager must be able to work effectively with consultants and maintain compliance with applicable state and federal environmental rules, regulations, permits, and water-quality standards.

Succession Planning and Staff Development: The current Authority Manager is retiring after five and one-half years with the Authority and is well respected by the Board and Authority staff. Other key staff members within the organization are also approaching retirement. The Authority Manager will plan for the development of employees who have the potential to advance into positions vacated through retirement and other forms of attrition. The new manager will be expected to communicate openly, create an approachable and supportive work environment, encourage knowledge sharing, value employee expertise, and provide staff with opportunities to learn, grow, and develop creative solutions.

Demographic Split: The community is largely comprised of two groups:

Full-time residents, including retirees and people working in the local area. Many full-time residents live on fixed or modest incomes.
Seasonal residents with second homes, many of which are available as short-term vacation rentals. Many seasonal residents have more robust incomes.

This has created a divide in opinion in the “growth” versus “no growth” dialogue. The Authority Manager must understand this dynamic, communicate transparently, and be able to speak to the needs and concerns of both groups.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Education and Experience: The ideal candidate will have five (5) years of relevant experience, including management or supervisory and project management responsibilities. Experience may be in water or wastewater utilities, public works, engineering, infrastructure management, environmental services, public administration, or a related field. An engineering background and experience with both water and wastewater utilities are preferred, although candidates with strong experience in either area will be considered.

Candidates must demonstrate substantial experience managing or supporting a water and/or wastewater utility or similarly complex public infrastructure system. As a lean organization, knowledge of operator certification requirements and the ability to ensure regulatory staffing and operational coverage are essential. Experience with activated sludge or sequencing batch reactor facilities, wastewater collection systems, water distribution systems, and membrane microfiltration treatment facilities is highly desirable.

Preferred Oregon certifications include Wastewater Treatment Plant III, Wastewater Collection II, Water Distribution I, Water Treatment I, Backflow Assembly Specialist, and Backflow Assembly Tester. Preference may be given for higher certifications, and equivalent licenses eligible for Oregon reciprocity will be considered. The Authority Manager must relocate to the Oregon Coast and live within 45 minutes of the PCJWSA office. Any combination of education and progressively responsible experience that enables successful performance of the position will be considered.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of applicable state and federal environmental laws, rules, regulations, permits, and water-quality standards affecting water and wastewater utilities.
Experience working with regulatory agencies and knowledge of related legal statutes and operational requirements.
Ability to prioritize workplace safety, apply OSHA requirements, and promote a strong safety culture through accountability and safe work practices.
The ability to improve public outreach, increase customer awareness and participation, and maintain an active presence in the community.
Knowledge of water and wastewater facilities, collection and distribution systems, pumping stations, reservoirs, booster stations, surface water treatment, SCADA, operations, maintenance, and laboratory testing.
Knowledge of utility financial management, including fund accounting, budgeting, rates and revenues, investments, financial reporting, audits, capital planning, infrastructure funding, internal controls, data security, and public records requirements.
Experience managing capital projects and working with engineers, architects, contractors, legal counsel, financial advisors, and other technical consultants through planning, budgeting, design, bidding, construction, and completion.
Excellent oral, written, interpersonal, and public relations skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical information to customers and confidently make presentations to the Board, public, and community groups.
Proven management, team building, coaching, mentoring, and employee-development skills, with the ability to maintain open communication and empower staff to use their expertise and creativity to solve problems.
A practical, visible, and collaborative leadership style, with a willingness to spend time in the field, understand operational challenges firsthand, and remain accessible to employees and customers.
The ability to balance immediate operational, staffing, financial, and regulatory issues with strategic planning and the Authority’s long-term infrastructure needs.
A natural ability to build relationships and trust with the Board, employees, customers, regulatory agencies, consultants, community organizations, and regional partners.
Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly learn, Oregon budget law, public contracting requirements, public agency audits, public meetings, and information-access laws.
Computer literacy and familiarity with current software and hardware tools used for financial and operational systems.
A background in small, rural coastal communities and an understanding of coastal weather are desirable.

Compensation & Benefits

$115,000 - $150,000 DOQ
Medical, Dental, Orthodontic & Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
12 Paid Holidays & 1 Floating Holiday
Bereavement Leave
Paid Vacation & Sick Leave
457b Deferred Compensation Plan (6% employer match)

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