Assistant Director of Public Works

Mackenzie Eason & Associates • Little Rock, AR

21h • $101,944 - $156,993

About The Position

Assistant Director of Public Works (Engineering / Operations)
City of Little Rock, Arkansas
Mackenzie Eason & Associates has been retained by the City of Little Rock to assist in the recruitment of an Assistant Director of Public Works. This position represents a critical leadership opportunity within one of Arkansas’ largest and most complex municipal Public Works organizations. The role is open following the promotion of the prior Assistant Director and reflects the City’s continued investment in strong operational leadership, infrastructure stewardship, and long-term service reliability.

Reporting directly to the Director of Public Works, the Assistant Director serves as a key second-in-command, helping guide a diverse, multi-disciplinary department responsible for the core infrastructure and daily services that support Little Rock’s residents, businesses, and neighborhoods. With direct involvement in operational oversight, capital planning, budget development, and organizational leadership, this position plays a central role in translating the City’s strategic priorities into effective, on-the-ground execution.

The Assistant Director of Public Works position offers a rare and compelling opportunity for a seasoned public works or municipal engineering leader to operate at a senior executive level within a full-service city. The Department of Public Works touches nearly every aspect of daily life in Little Rock, from streets, drainage, and traffic systems to solid waste, recycling, facilities maintenance, sustainability initiatives, and internal service delivery.

The Department manages a combined 2026 budget of approximately $56.7 million, spanning multiple funds and operational units, and oversees several hundred employees across field operations, engineering, and administrative functions. The Assistant Director works in close partnership with the Director to ensure operational continuity, fiscal discipline, regulatory compliance, and service excellence across this broad portfolio.
While divisional oversight assignments may evolve over time, the City intentionally rotates Assistant Director responsibilities to ensure comprehensive exposure to all Public Works functions and to build enterprise-wide leadership capacity. This structure provides an exceptional professional development platform for leaders seeking breadth, complexity, and long-term executive growth within municipal infrastructure management.

Over the next several years, the Assistant Director will help lead the Department through a number of significant initiatives, including:
Oversight of the 2026 Bond Program, with major investments in streets, drainage, and resurfacing.
Implementation of new garbage routing software to improve service efficiency and data-driven decision-making.
Development and formalization of a department-wide safety and training program.
Support for restructuring Building Services toward an internal service fund model.
Advancing strategies to address aging infrastructure, rising costs, and expectations to “do more with less.”
Building and sustaining productive relationships with a new employee union.
This role is well-suited for a technically grounded leader who also excels at organizational leadership, cross-departmental collaboration, and public-sector governance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license required; Arkansas registration required within one year if licensed in another state.
• At least four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in civil engineering or public works operations or managerial-level experience directing public works programs and services.
• At least two (2) years of experience supervising professional and management-level employees.
• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, capital planning, contract administration, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong written, verbal, and public presentation skills.
• Valid Arkansas Class D Driver’s License (or ability to obtain).
• Residency within the City of Little Rock within ninety (90) days of employment, as required.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Providing executive leadership for complex Public Works operations and capital programs.
• Assisting with the development, monitoring, and administration of multi-fund departmental budgets.
• Evaluating service delivery methods and implementing process improvements to enhance efficiency, safety, and performance.
• Supporting contract administration, consultant coordination, and construction oversight for Public Works projects.
• Serving as a liaison to other City departments, regional agencies, state and federal partners, and community stakeholders.
• Representing the Department before the City Manager, Mayor, Board of Directors, boards and commissions, and the public.
• Leading departmental initiatives related to employee engagement, safety culture, and professional development.
• Assuming full departmental leadership responsibilities in the Director’s absence, as assigned.

Benefits

• The salary range for this position is approximately $101,944 – $156,993, depending on qualifications and experience.
• The City of Little Rock offers a comprehensive benefits package, including retirement, health benefits, and paid leave.
• In addition, the City supports ongoing professional development and will cover costs associated with professional engineering license renewals and membership dues for relevant professional organizations (e.g., ASCE, APWA).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees