Director, Water and Wastewater Services

Reporting to the Commissioner of Public Works, the Director of Water and Wastewater Services is responsible for strategic direction, operational leadership, relationship management and people and cultural leadership in the delivery of water and wastewater services in Niagara region. The Director ensures that divisional services are effective, efficient, and aligned with the strategic priorities of the Region.

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in Applied Science, Engineering or other relevant area of study.
• A post graduate certificate in Business or Public Administration is an asset.
• An equivalent combination of education, experience and qualifications may be considered.

• 10+ years of senior management and leadership experience, directing the activities of a large and complex operation, preferably in the municipal sector.
• Extensive experience in strategic planning, operational leadership, relationship management and people leadership.
• Experience leading the development of strategies and tactical plans for growth and ongoing operation of water and wastewater treatment and distribution systems.
• Demonstrated financial management experience (5-10 years) and familiarity in developing and managing long range operational and capital budgets.
• Knowledge of the principles and fundamentals of environmental engineering with respect to water and wastewater treatment, design, construction and operation of municipal water supply and sanitary sewage systems.
• Knowledge of the Safe Drinking Water Act, Ontario Water Resources Act, Municipal Act, Environmental Protection Act, Occupational Health & Safety Act and water and wastewater standards (American Water Works Assoc., Canadian Standards Assoc., National Sanitation Foundation, etc.) and industry best practices.
• Knowledge of project management methodology based on PMI (or equivalent) project management techniques.
• Demonstrated record of strong people leadership, team advocacy, and staff development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; confident, articulate and professional speaking/ presentation abilities, in public and to large groups.
• Demonstrated political discretion and acuity.
• Licensed as a Professional Engineer (P. Eng) with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) or certification with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) as a Certified Engineering Technologist (C.E.T.).

• Sets the overall strategic vision for the Division, establishing goals and objectives aligned with the corporate strategic priorities.
• Communicates and reinforces the vision, goals and objectives to the Division.
• Leads strategic planning for capital infrastructure investments by combining growth and asset management works and in collaboration with local area municipal capital plans.
• Ensures appropriate planning practices for the Division, developing short and long-range strategies and action plans.
• Identifies and monitors key performance indicators to measure effectiveness of service delivery and divisional performance.
• Provides strategic leadership for controversial, complex or politically sensitive projects and provides oversight for urgent or emerging issues.
• Promotes innovative business improvement strategies and identifies opportunities for continuous improvement in the delivery of services.

• Provides leadership and direction in the interpretation and application of applicable legislation, regulations and policies.
• Provides change management leadership and direction through decision making, communication, identifying and resolving issues, managing uncertainty, and resolving differences in perception.
• Represents the Division in Council and Committee meetings and acts as a key point of contact for Local Areal Municipalities and government agencies, on policy and strategic matters related to water and waste management.
• Prepares and presents recommendations to Council on matters related to water & wastewater services, provides updates and progress reports, and flags emerging issues to Council as needed.
• Advises and represents the Commissioner (as required), including interfacing with members of Council and others, acting as a primary escalation point for urgent, complex or highly sensitive issues, determining appropriate responses and the need for further escalation.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of departmental and corporate wide strategies, structures, systems and policies, as a member of the Public Works Leadership Team.

Operational Leadership: Provides operational leadership and direction in the delivery of Regional water and wastewater services. (20% of time)

• Responsible for the daily operation of water and wastewater services.
• Responsible for maintaining operational policies and procedures that ensure the Region’s water and wastewater services meet required service levels.
• Ensures that mandatory service levels adhere to federal, provincial and municipal requirements.
• Regularly measures and evaluates operational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of federal and provincial legislation and regulations.
• Promotes continuous improvement and innovation through the use of effective technologies, systems, processes, and materials, to enhance overall customer value.
• Ensures support and delivery of critical 24/7/365 services, with a focus on customer and service delivery excellence.

• Builds internal and external relationships with a view to establishing effective networks and partnerships across the Region.
• Leads the development of partnerships, protocols and agreements with other levels of government, agencies, industry associations and interested parties, to advance the Region’s interests for water and wastewater initiatives.
• Works with interested parties to understand their interests in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of water & wastewater services.
• Participates in external and industry committees, representing the needs of the Region and advancing common goals and objectives.
• Works in collaboration with inter-Regional peers, to advance Council’s requests to provincial and federal governments.
• Builds relationships with residents, businesses, local area municipalities, consultants, contractors, vendors and politicians, to share information and prevent issues.
• Attends various technical meetings, public meetings, and local Committee and/or Council meetings on matters related to water and wastewater services.

• Fosters diversity, equity and inclusion within the Division.
• Working through their leadership team, enables results with the organization’s human capital strategy to foster employee engagement.
• Oversees employee performance, career development, and succession planning activities, ensuring open and transparent metrics and processes are developed and implemented and opportunities are created to facilitate employee growth and development.
• Ensures focus is service excellence, effective communication between leaders and employees, transparency, innovation, and data integrity and work flow integration.
• Ensures staff is connected to corporate priorities and direction and has the information and resources to make successful plans and decisions.
• Helps to break down barriers to employee success, ensuring collaboration and cooperation with other Divisions and Departments
• Ensures all people related issues, including recruitment, grievances and labour relations issues, are aligned to HR and Corporate standards and practices.
• Ensures Occupational Health & Safety policies, programs and practices are implemented, maintained and integrated into all aspects of planning and decision-making within the operating unit.
• Ensures the competency and performance of the Internal Responsibility System within their department, as outlined in the Niagara Region’s Health and Safety Policy is achieved and maintained.

• Align budgets and funding priorities to the Region’s strategic priorities and services.
• Authorize, and Administer the acquisition of goods and services for the operating unit and direct reports in accordance with the procurement policy and procedures.

• Must maintain the ability to travel in a timely manner to other offices, work locations or sites as authorized by the Corporation for business reasons.
• In accordance with the Corporate Criminal Record Check Policy, the position requires the incumbent to undergo a Criminal Records Check and submit a Canadian Police Clearance Certificate.
• May be required to support emergency operations under the incident management structure, at the direction of the Emergency Operations Centre Director.
• Regional staff strive to enable the strategic priorities of council and the organization through the completion of their work. Staff carry out their work by demonstrating the corporate values.