Public Works Superintendent - Town of Great Barrington - Great Barrington

The Town of Great Barrington is seeking an experienced, forward-thinking leader to serve as its next Superintendent of Public Works, a member of the Town's senior management team and a key partner in turning community priorities into visible, lasting results.

The next Superintendent will join Great Barrington at an important time. The Town is advancing significant work involving roads, bridges, wastewater, municipal facilities, parks and public spaces, while also considering larger infrastructure opportunities that could shape municipal services for decades.

This is an opportunity for a leader who can think strategically, lead people well, manage complex projects, build trust across a diverse community, and bring the discipline necessary to deliver public projects within scope, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with the Town's contracts and procurement requirements.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who cares and wants to help Great Barrington move forward.

Click here to view the full job description: https://www.townofgbma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4787/DPW-Superintendent-Career-Description

DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT
•    Provide executive leadership, direction, and management of the Department, ensuring that its divisions, programs, personnel, and resources are coordinated and aligned with the Town's mission, strategic priorities, organizational values, policies, and service expectations. 
•    Develop and implement departmental goals, policies, procedures, work plans, performance standards, and service expectations and establish clear lines of responsibility, communication, and accountability. 
•    Plan, organize, direct, coordinate, and evaluate departmental operations and supervisory personnel and promote effective collaboration and sharing of personnel, equipment, expertise, and resources across divisions and programs. 
•    In collaboration with the Town Manager, provides leadership in recruitment, selection, onboarding, supervision, evaluation, professional development, discipline, and succession planning, consistent with Town policies, collective bargaining agreements, and applicable law. 
•    Develop supervisors and employees and foster a professional workplace culture characterized by safety, accountability, teamwork, respect, responsiveness, customer service, continuous improvement, and pride in public service. Administer applicable collective bargaining agreements and works with the Town Manager and appropriate Town staff regarding labor relations, grievances, staffing, and organizational matters.

OPERATIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE & ASSET MANAGEMENT
•    Direct and coordinate public works operations across all Department divisions and programs, including roads and sidewalks; bridges and culverts; drainage and stormwater systems; buildings and grounds; cemeteries; wastewater infrastructure; parks and recreational facilities; vehicle and equipment maintenance; snow and ice operations; and other assigned municipal infrastructure and services. 
•    Establish annual, seasonal, and longer-range work programs and ensures staffing, equipment, materials, contractors, and financial resources are appropriately planned and deployed. 
•    Develop and maintain preventive, scheduled, and corrective maintenance programs and a comprehensive asset-management approach for infrastructure, facilities, grounds, vehicles, equipment, and other assets under the Department's responsibility. 
•    Establish systems for identifying and documenting asset condition, maintenance history, useful life, risk, replacement needs, and lifecycle costs and develops maintenance and investment priorities based on condition, public safety, regulatory requirements, service impact, operational risk, available funding, and Town priorities. 
•    Evaluate staffing, equipment utilization, work practices, service levels, and methods of service delivery and implements improvements that strengthen safety, reliability, responsiveness, efficiency, accountability, and quality. 
•    Ensure the effective operation, maintenance, regulatory compliance, and long-range planning of specialized Department functions, including wastewater, municipal facilities, cemeteries, parks and recreational assets, and fleet operations, coordinating appropriate engineering, environmental, regulatory, and other professional services as necessary.

CAPITAL PLANNING & PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
•    Develop, maintain, and annually update a comprehensive multi-year capital improvement program for infrastructure, facilities, wastewater systems, cemeteries, parks and recreational assets, vehicles, equipment, and other assets under the Department's responsibility. 
•    Identify existing and anticipated capital needs and develop project priorities, preliminary scopes, schedules, cost estimates, and funding strategies based upon asset condition, public safety, regulatory obligations, service impact, operational risk, lifecycle cost, funding opportunities, and alignment with Town strategic and financial priorities. 
•    Coordinate departmental capital planning closely with the Town Manager and Finance Team as part of the Town's annual and long-range financial planning processes. 
Direct capital projects from identification of need through planning, engineering and design, permitting, procurement, construction, inspection, closeout, and transition to ongoing operations and maintenance and oversees engineers, architects, environmental professionals, contractors, and other consultants engaged in Department projects. 
•    Monitor projects for scope, schedule, budget, funding, quality, regulatory compliance, and contractual performance and promptly communicates material changes, risks, or emerging issues to the Town Manager.
 
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
•    Develop and administer the Department's operating and capital budgets in close collaboration with the Town Manager and Finance Team; monitor appropriations, expenditures, revenues, grants, contracts, and available balances and provides timely information regarding financial needs, risks, and anticipated changes. 
•    Leads departmental procurement planning and preparation in accordance with Massachusetts procurement requirements, Town policies, approved appropriations, and internal controls.
•    Develop or oversee scopes of work, specifications, cost estimates, bid and proposal documents, and other procurement materials, coordinating with the Town Manager and Finance Team from the earliest stages of procurement and project planning. 
•    Serve as the principal departmental administrator for public works contracts and capital projects, recognizing the Town Manager as the Town's contracting authority and owner representative. Monitor scope, schedule, budget, contractor and consultant performance, deliverables, payment applications, change orders, and contract closeout and keeps the Town Manager and Finance Team informed of project status and matters requiring authorization or action. 
•    Review departmental invoices, payment requests, proposed contract modifications, and change orders and verifies that expenditures and work are properly authorized, documented, funded, and consistent with contract requirements. Ensure that no additional work, change in scope, or contractual commitment is authorized beyond delegated authority without prior approval of the Town Manager and completion of applicable financial and procurement requirements. 
•    Maintain a thorough working knowledge of Massachusetts municipal procurement and public contracting requirements and ensures complete and accurate departmental procurement, contract, project, and financial records. 
•    Identify and develop appropriate state, federal, regional, and other outside funding opportunities and administers applicable state-aid and infrastructure programs, including Chapter 90, in coordination with the Town Manager and Finance Team.

COMMUNITY, BOARD & INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
•    Serve as the Department's principal staff liaison to the Parks & Recreation Commission, providing professional, operational, administrative, and technical support concerning Town parks, recreational facilities, athletic fields, playgrounds, trails, public grounds, maintenance needs, and capital improvements. 
•    Work collaboratively with the Parks & Recreation Commission, Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Community Preservation Committee, and other appropriate boards and departments to evaluate needs, establish priorities, plan capital improvements, estimate costs, and implement duly authorized projects and initiatives. 
•    Ensure parks and recreational assets are incorporated into departmental asset inventories, maintenance programs, condition assessments, work planning, and long-range capital planning. 
•    Establish a department-wide commitment to professional, timely, respectful, and responsive customer service and effective systems for receiving, tracking, communicating, and resolving resident and business service requests and concerns. 
•    Represent the Department before the Selectboard, Finance Committee, Parks & Recreation Commission, other Town boards and committees, and regional, state, and federal agencies as requested or appropriate and develop productive working relationships with other departments, municipalities, utilities, contractors, consultants, and governmental and community partners. 
•    Coordinate appropriate public communication concerning projects, construction impacts, road closures, snow and ice operations, service interruptions, emergencies, and other matters affecting the community and prepare reports, recommendations, presentations, and project updates as appropriate. 

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, SAFETY & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
•    Direct the Department's planning and operational response to snow and ice events, flooding, severe weather, infrastructure failures, and other emergencies affecting Town infrastructure or public works services and ensures appropriate staffing, equipment, materials, contractors, communications, and continuity plans are in place. 
•    Coordinate departmental emergency operations with the Town Manager, Police and Fire Departments, emergency management personnel, utilities, state agencies, contractors, and other partners; participate in the Town's emergency management and Incident Command structure as assigned; and is available outside normal business hours to respond to significant emergencies and operational needs. 
•    Ensure departmental operations, facilities, infrastructure, and projects comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws, permits, environmental requirements, workplace safety standards, and reporting obligations. 
•    Establishes and maintains departmental safety expectations, procedures, training, documentation, and accountability and promotes a culture in which employee and public safety are fundamental operating priorities. 
•    Maintain current knowledge of regulatory requirements affecting public works and incorporates appropriate environmental stewardship, sustainability, resilience, energy efficiency, stormwater management, and lifecycle considerations into departmental planning and decision-making. 

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
•    Perform other related duties as assigned by the Town Manager and maintains the professional knowledge and continuing education necessary to effectively perform the responsibilities of the position.