Deputy Public Works Director in Oak Ridge, Tennessee at City of Oak Ridge TN

Position Summary
This position assists the Director of Public Works to manage the various public works divisions including streets, general maintenance, environmental compliance, water and wastewater, facilities, engineering, and fleet maintenance operations. This role is integral to ensuring the effective operation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement of City infrastructure and services.Essential Functions

• Assists the director in planning, organizing, and directing the operations and maintenance of the Streets, General Maintenance, Environmental Compliance, Water and Wastewater, Facilities, Engineering and Fleet divisions. Direct reports will be the Street and Fleet Maintenance Manager and Facilities Manager to include all crews and staff employed within those divisions of Public Works.
• Helps director in the identification and implementation of methods for improving and expanding operations of the department and for improving departmental productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Hires, assigns, directs, supervises, evaluates and disciplines personnel.
• Assists the director in preparing departmental budget, including capital planning, and managing expenditures within approved budgets primarily to include State Street Aid, Equipment Replacement Fund, Facilities Maintenance, Streets and Fleet, and the Public Works Division of the General Fund.
• Assists the director in performing strategic and long-range planning activities for the department.
• Researches and prepares reports as directed.
• Functions as the Director of Public Works during an absence of the director for an extended period of time.
• Directs the work of and manages the crews of assigned areas. Provides training and instructions and ongoing training needs. Assigns tasks, reviews work and prepares performance evaluations. Recommends employee transfers and promotions.
• Provides leadership and management to all assigned staff. Directs staff on difficult projects.
• Ensures appropriate training for operators on all assigned equipment and maintains required documentation.
• Analyzes and evaluates existing objectives, goals, standards, priorities, policy and procedures.
• Oversee the planning and execution of street and transportation projects, ensuring alignment with city goals. Ensure transportation projects comply with local, state, and federal regulations as well as work with TPO and Local Programs on grant applications for the City of Oak Ridge.
• Oversee the planning and execution of facilities projects, to include construction, remodeling, renovation, operations, and maintenance for the various buildings and facilities located in the City of Oak Ridge. This will include the management of contracts for mowing and grounds maintenance, pest control, cleaning, alarm and security, fire inspections, as well as solid waste and recycling.
• Prepares requests for purchase of services, materials and supplies and solicits quotes from suppliers, contractors, architects and surveyors within the Oak Ridge purchasing guidelines and state rules and regulations.
• Helps develop and prepare bids, contracts, and related reports specific to division operations. Assists in the development and evaluation of requests for proposal and bid documents as well as selection of contracted services and equipment purchases.
• Provides service to customers by answering questions, providing information, making referrals and assuring appropriate follow-through and/or resolution.
• Responds to and calls out after hours on-call crews for emergency requests.
• Coordinates security access with the DOE including employee and contractor badging to provide access to City assets.
• Represent the City in meetings with TDOT for transportation projects to include coordination and planning, project approvals, inspections, and project management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of and ability to effectively utilize the principles of strategic and long- and short-range planning.
• Knowledge of management and supervisory practices & principles.
• Skill in analyzing complex administrative information and issues, defining problems and evaluating alternatives and recommending methods, procedures and techniques for resolution of issues.
• Ability to research and analyze detailed information and make appropriate recommendations.
• Ability to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate projects and programs.
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor when dealing with the public.
• Ability to develop department goals and objectives.
• Ability to take control of situations, dictating subordinate activities in a responsible manner.
• Ability to instruct and train in methods and procedures.
• Ability to make final employment recommendations.
• Ability to prepare performance evaluations and make recommendations regarding unsatisfactory employees.
• Ability to assign work, add or delete; plan work, establish priorities.
• Ability to approve time off.
• Ability to maintain staff personnel records.
• Ability to perform detailed work accurately and independently in compliance with stringent time limits with minimal direction and supervision.
• Ability to prioritize duties to accomplish a high volume of work product while adapting to constant changes in priority.
• Knowledge of City policies, procedures and practices.
• Knowledge of local government organization and its departmental operating requirements.
• Considerable knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.
• Ability to analyze and prepare organizational and functional reports from research data.
• General knowledge of standard office procedures, practices, equipment, and office assistance techniques.

Required Education, Experience, Licensing, and Certifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Public Administration, Organizational Management or a closely related field with eight (8) years’ work experience in public work administration preferred or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Eight (8) years of directly related, progressively responsible administrative and supervisory experience.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Tennessee preferred.
• Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection certification preferred.

To qualify for the first review of candidates, please submit an application by 5:00 p.m. (EST), October 30, 2026, with a resume, cover letter, and contact information for five work-related references.

Exempt : YesType : FT EmployeeDepartment : Public Works DepartmentLocation : Public WorksJob Description: https://www.oakridgetn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4897/Deputy-Public-Works-Director-26