A public works director is responsible for all personnel within a public works department including, but not limited to day-to-day maintenance of the City’s infrastructure services such as sewer maintenance and facility operation, sanitation, street maintenance, city storm and sanitary sewer operations, and emergency response for snow and ice, flood, severe weather mitigation.

To know more about the public works director’s job, please read additional information below.

Public Works Director Job Description, Job Duties, Salary, Resume

An interested applicant should have extensive management knowledge and experience in similar government or city service positions. The applicant should also have five to seven years of civil service experience. This job position requires a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or business administration as well as background in accounting in order to successfully handle budgetary works.

Public Works Director Educational Requirements

The minimum education required to get started as a public works director can range from a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Liberal Arts, or Law to a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Public Works Director Job Duties and Responsibilities

A public works director will have a series of interviews by the city manager and other department heads. Then, he/she will be hired by the city manager; he/she is required to report to the city manager or the assistant city manager regarding his application status.

A public works director is responsible for various administrative and managerial duties. Basically, a public works director monitors and oversees the physical facilities of a local community or area. A public works director works under the supervision of the city manager. One of the essential duties of a public works director is the ability to create and plan long-term programs that will develop the growth of a community. In addition, the public works director is also reponsible for analyzing and assessing proposals of the public work staff. After evaluating the target proposals, a public works director should then present the top plans to designated department heads for consideration and then supervise and direct his staff to work on the chosen projects.

A public works director is also responsible for evaluating the projects in accordance to the given budget. Aside from that, it is the responsibility of a public works director to evaluate his/her staff based on the department’s requirement and criteria. Throughout the project, a public works director should always monitor the working progress of their staff and other employees; thus create an alternative plan if employees received a low evaluation grade from upper management. Public works director may also have an intitiative in conducting performance reviews, hiring new employees, and handling termination. Developing the protocol for hiring outside vendors is also one of the essential duties of a public works director. To proceed with the work, a public works director could create bid specifications and recommend specific vendors for the particular projects. It is the responsibility of the public works director to ensure that all works are completed successfully by contractors, vendors, and other public staff member.

A public works director generally works indoors or in offices but he/she is also required to attend public events and on-site works as requested by the upper management. A public works director often works during regular business hours unless there are special events or major issues with public services that require to extend the working hours.
A public works director also monitors the activities of various sub-departments within the public works sector. These sub-departments include:

  • Sanitation (also known as “Solid Waste,” “Trash” and “Garbage”)
  • Maintenance (also known as “Facilities”)
  • Engineering
  • Utilities
  • Code Enforcement

Public Works Director Skills

An interested public works director applicant should have:

  • Knowledge in municipal public works such as planning, design, maintenance, and construction.
  • Knowledge in municipal solid waste landfill planning, design, maintenance and construction.
  • Knowledge in principles of budget preparation and expenditure control.
  • Knowledge in applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations pertaining to public works and solid waste functions.
  • Knowledge in Principles of Effective Management Skills.
  • Ability to analyze, evaluate, and implement municipal public works and solid waste programs/projects.
  • Strong communication skills.
  • Knowledge in safe work practices.
  • Ability to plan, organize and direct the work of pubic works and landfill personnel.
  • Ability to analyze organizational and administrative problems, recommend alternative courses of action, and provide leadership to others in implementing such actions.
  • Ability to repare and create clear and comprehensive written reports.
  • Maintain strong relationships with the city officials, employees, contractors, the general public, and representatives of other agencies.
  • Experience in evaluating and training staff.

Public Works Director Salary

As of May 2013, the average annual salary of a public works director is $178,400 (for chief executives). However, the salaries for public works directors depend on the size of the city and the number of staff working under the same department.

Public works directors who have more years of experience are reported to receive higher earnings. Salaries of inexperienced employees have the average of $61K, and those with 5 to 10 years of experience have a higher media of $52K.

Public Works Director Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the line of work for top executives, including the public works directors, is expected to increase 11% from 2012-2022.

Public Works Director Resume Sample

Need some help with your government resume but don’t know where to begin? Here’s a sample resume for the position of Public Works Director.