Executive Director of Engineering and Infrastructure

Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County•Athens, GA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

This position provides executive-level engineering leadership and administrative oversight for the Unified Government’s development review, infrastructure and public works portfolio. The position serves as the County Engineer and directly supervises the Directors of Building and Code Enforcement, Public Utilities, Transportation and Public Works, and Capital Projects. It also serves as the primary technical authority of the Manager’s Office for matters within that portfolio. Duties include directing and coordinating the day-to-day operations of the supervised departments, developing and maintaining a comprehensive Capital Improvement Program, driving strategic improvements to the plans review process, providing technical engineering expertise to resolve complex infrastructure and development challenges, and enhancing interdepartmental coordination. The position is a senior member of the Manager’s Office leadership team and requires accomplished engineering credentials, project management experience, and the interpersonal skills to build effective working relationships across disciplines, departments, and the community.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a closely related discipline.
A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional engineering experience in public infrastructure, utilities, transportation, or capital project delivery.
A minimum of five (5) years of supervisory or management experience.
Must possess and maintain a valid Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Georgia PE licensure is required at time of appointment, or the ability to obtain Georgia licensure by reciprocity within six (6) months of hire.
Must possess a valid driver’s license.
Thorough knowledge of civil engineering principles and practice as applied to public infrastructure—including transportation, water/wastewater utilities, stormwater, and capital construction.
Thorough knowledge of capital improvement program development, project financing, and public-sector budget processes.
Thorough knowledge of local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and standards applicable to public works, utilities, and land development, including GDOT requirements, EPD regulations, and applicable Georgia statutes.
Thorough knowledge of executive-level management principles, including supervision of senior professional staff, organizational development, and strategic planning.
Thorough knowledge of grant administration and intergovernmental funding mechanisms applicable to public infrastructure.
Ability to lead and direct senior department directors; set clear expectations, evaluate performance, and hold staff accountable while developing their professional capacity.
Ability to exercise sound independent judgment on complex technical and administrative matters.
Ability to make recommendations that balance engineering rigor with practical, community-oriented outcomes.
Ability to deal constructively with conflict to develop practical solutions that balance technical requirements with the needs of diverse stakeholders.
Ability to communicate effectively with technical staff, elected officials, community members, developers, and regulatory agencies.
Ability to translate complex engineering concepts into terms accessible to non-technical audiences.
Ability to review and promote ACCGov engineering standards, specifications, and technical positions when questioned by outside engineers, consultants, developers, or contractors.
Ability to evaluate competing technical arguments on their merits and articulate a clear, well-reasoned basis for ACCGov's position.
Ability to build effective working relationships across organizational boundaries.
Ability to bridge professional and cultural differences between engineering, planning, finance, and administrative functions.
Ability to think creatively and strategically about infrastructure challenges.
Ability to identify solutions that are technically sound, fiscally responsible, and organizationally achievable.
Ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives concurrently.
Ability to maintain focus on strategic outcomes while remaining responsive to operational needs.
Ability to prepare and present clear, accurate reports, agenda items, and technical analyses for the Manager, Deputy Manager, elected officials, and the public.
Skill in facilitating cross-functional problem solving among departments with competing priorities or differing professional perspectives.
Skill in evaluating complex development and land use applications for impacts on traffic, utility distribution and collection systems, and public infrastructure capacity.
Skill in negotiating and administering professional services contracts, construction contracts, and intergovernmental agreements related to infrastructure programs.
Skill in evaluating engineering designs, plans, specifications, and construction documents for technical accuracy, code compliance, and alignment with ACCGov standards.
Skill in applying project and program management methodologies to track cost, schedule, and scope across a multi-project capital portfolio.
Final candidates must successfully pass the pre-employment process that includes a thorough background investigation, educational history, driving history, criminal history, and credit history.

Nice To Haves

Experience in two or more of the following areas is preferred: water/wastewater utilities engineering and operations; transportation and public works; community development, capital improvement program development and management.

Responsibilities

Directing and coordinating the day-to-day operations of the supervised departments.
Developing and maintaining a comprehensive Capital Improvement Program for the organization.
Driving strategic improvements to the plans review process.
Providing technical engineering expertise to resolve complex infrastructure and development challenges.
Enhancing interdepartmental coordination across functions that intersect with the infrastructure portfolio.
Supervising an assigned group of department directors including Building and Code Enforcement, Public Utilities, Transportation and Public Works, and Capital Projects.
Providing guidance on staffing decisions, policy development, budget execution, and operational priorities across all departments.
Reviewing and approving updates to engineering standards, development regulations, and departmental policies proposed by supervised departments.
Serving as the final technical authority on matters requiring engineering judgment.
Evaluating departmental performance against established goals and service delivery benchmarks.
Identifying and addressing organizational gaps that affect the efficiency or quality of infrastructure services.
Evaluating departmental capacity and making recommendations on whether specific projects or services should be delivered in-house or through professional services contracts.
Negotiating scope, schedule, and cost for contracted work and overseeing contract administration.
Serving as a technical resource for complex or non-routine engineering challenges that exceed departmental staff capacity.
Providing mentoring and coaching to department directors and engineers across the organization.
Supporting professional development and succession planning across the infrastructure departments.
Coordinating with the Deputy Manager on matters that require escalation beyond the scope of departmental resolution.
Incorporating departmentally-identified projects into the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Ensuring alignment between the CIP and operating budget priorities.
Monitoring CIP implementation progress, tracking project milestones, budget performance, and delivery timelines.
Providing regular reporting on CIP progress to the Deputy Manager and Manager.
Ensuring that updates of transportation, utility, and other infrastructure-related master plans are reflected in CIP priorities and capital investment decisions.
Identifying grant opportunities and supporting the development of grant applications for capital projects.
Coordinating with relevant state and federal agencies on funding, permitting, and regulatory matters.
Advising the Manager’s Office on capital financing strategy, infrastructure investment priorities, and long-range infrastructure planning.
Leading a cross-organizational effort to assess and improve the Unified Government’s plans review process.
Establishing and maintaining engineering standards and criteria that govern the plans review process.
Ensuring stormwater management requirements are consistently applied across the development review and plans review process.
Serving as the strategic-level point of contact for plans review policy.
Serving as ACCGov's senior technical authority in disputes or disagreements with outside engineers, consultants, developers, or contractors regarding engineering standards, specifications, or technical requirements.
Engaging the development community and other external stakeholders on engineering standards and review processes.
Exercising cross-organizational authority to improve coordination among departments whose work intersects with the infrastructure portfolio.
Identifying and resolving coordination failures that affect project delivery, service quality, or regulatory compliance.
Partnering with departments outside the direct supervisory portfolio to align infrastructure programs with broader organizational goals.
Representing the Manager’s Office on high-stakes or complex matters involving elected officials, appointed boards, state and federal agencies, and the public as they relate to the infrastructure portfolio.
Supporting the Manager and Deputy Manager in strategic planning, policy development, and organizational initiatives as they relate to public infrastructure, engineering, and capital investment.