Director of Utilities

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting directly to the CAO, the Director of Utilities will be responsible for the overall operation of 1538974 Alberta Ltd., commonly known as Chestermere Utilities Inc. The Director of Utilities is accountable for the work of the Utility Operations and Utility Engineering teams and ensures the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of contracts and activities. This includes but is not limited to municipal water, wastewater, and storm water servicing, as well as solid waste and recycling operations. The Director provides day-to-day oversight of all operations and contract portfolios related to these services so that a high level of customer service is maintained. The team is responsible for planning and execution of all capital projects related to utility services.

The Director provides leadership, coordination, collaboration, and direction to the teams to ensure that services are provided to staff, residents, and stakeholders in a timely, accurate, effective, and efficient manner. This position requires strategic planning and budgeting for the division and as it relates to all other departments within the city.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• As a key member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), oversees and provides executive management, supervision, leadership, and consultation to direct reports within the City of Chestermere, ensuring that staff are given appropriate latitude for creativity within the bounds of accountability, e.g., recruitment, selection, compensation and retention, staff scheduling, performance management, evaluation and development, mentoring, and coaching.

• Ensure staff are informed and able to provide strategic insight      into the City’s governance and operations and provide direction in the adaptation and      alignment of CAO directives to City business and operational realities.

• Participates in Council meetings as needed as one of the senior City representatives.

• Ensures City sustainability and growth strategies are understood and communicated, accepted   and embraced by Council, residents, businesses and surrounding municipalities.

• Leads and participates in sensitive negotiations, contracts and intergovernmental agreements with service providers and partners.

• Responsible for corporate leadership in developing corporate strategy. Expected to maintain strong collaboration and communication with the other Directors, and other senior leaders in the organization, to ensure coordinated delivery of services.

• Represents the vision by modelling the desired values, behaviors, confidentiality and professional consideration that contributes to a safe, ethical work environment and healthy team functioning, often in the role of a champion of change.

• Develops the annual Utility budget in collaboration with Finance by developing priority-based budgets both within the assigned functional area, and by providing strategic analyses and budget recommendations for delivery of the corporate budget.

• Builds a cohesive team; mentors, trains and encourages staff; provides opportunities so team members know of and value each other’s expertise and skills; responsible for staff’s performance management and professional development; collaborates across departments.

• Manages the enhancement and implementation of City policies and procedures.

• Networks facilitate partnerships with local, regional, provincial and federal subject matter experts and service providers, e.g., peers in other municipalities, contractors, interest groups.

• Appropriate and responsible use of confidential information; maintains confidentiality and security of all information related to the city.

• Ensures a safe and healthy work environment for staff, visitors, the community and stakeholders, e.g., participates in workplace safety initiatives, participates in formal and informal worksite safety and environment inspections and audits, ensures compliance with the City’s Health and Safety Management System, reports and assists in the analysis of near misses or incidents.

• Administer Regulatory Approvals and Licenses issued to the Municipality with respect to water, wastewater, and storm water to ensure compliance with applicable legislation.
• Compile and submit the required annual reports to the applicable regulatory agencies.

• Participates as a member of the Chestermere Emergency Response team in preparing and enabling the community to respond in the event of a local or regional disaster.

Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent of this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and activities required of this position.

EXPECTED SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Strategic, analytical and creative thinking skills; ability to solve problems, make decisions, negotiate and deal effectively with people in difficult situations.
• Business acumen, including budget management skills, grant or contract management skills; ability to make effective decisions that are well-informed and reflect input gathered from stakeholders.
• Strong experience working in a Municipal environment of comparable size.
• Proven executive leadership and management capability including supporting staff in all aspects of continuous improvement, creating safe spaces, coaching, mentoring, performance management and development.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and data management.
• Strong work ethic and highly motivated; ability to work in fast paced environment and      respond to action requests in a timely manner.
• Strong experience in conflict resolution, negotiations and problem solving
• Demonstrate high standards of ethics, integrity, respect, accountability and upholding    the public interest.
• Proficiency working in Microsoft Office Programs including Word, Excel, and Outlook as well as operational databases and software platforms.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND/OR EQUIVALENT WORK EXPERIENCE

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree in engineering (or related field) along with a minimum of ten (10) years in-depth experience working in utility services in a leadership role.  Equivalent combination of training and experience may be considered.
• Criminal Record Check.
• Class 5 drivers licence.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Normal office conditions; long periods of sitting, reading, and concentration.
• Travel throughout the city may be required

#LI-DNI