Water Line of Business and Shared Services Deputy Director job in Seattle

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a Community Centered Utility whose mission is to foster healthy people, environment, and economy by partnering with our community to equitably manage water and waste resources for today and future generations. We deliver high quality, vital services, across four major lines of business: providing water, solid waste, drainage and wastewater services for Seattle residents and businesses. In addition, SPU provides drinking water for 1.5 million regional customers in Seattle and other municipalities. Our customers depend on us to deliver high quality, reliable, and cost-conscious utility services and to achieve the highest benefits possible for every investment we make.

SPU commits to Our City Values and Race and Social Justice as core principles that guide our work. We support and hold ourselves accountable to this commitment by eliminating barriers to access and providing employees with equitable opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

Seattle Public Utilities has an exciting opportunity for an experienced water sector leader to serve as Deputy Director for the Water Line of Business and Shared Services Branch. This is the leading position for the branch and reports directly to SPU’s General Manager. The successful candidate is someone who has demonstrated vision and a track record for delivering exceptional outcomes within a large utility with multiple lines of business. The Deputy Director ensures the work of the branch is aligned with SPU’s Strategic Business Plan, is appropriately resourced, achieves the best value for customers, and develops opportunities to enhance the capabilities and culture of the branch.

The Deputy Director collaborates as part of the utility's executive team, leads a branch with over 300 employees, and manages an annual operating budget of $59M. This position is directly accountable for setting water line of business strategy and operations of the entire water supply system which is supported by the following divisions: Watershed Management, Drinking Water Quality, Water Planning & Program Management, Water Utility Operations & System Maintenance, and Utility Operations & Maintenance under the Shared Services Branch.

SPU’s Water line of business provides retail service to Seattle and parts of the cities of Shoreline, Burien, Lake Forest Park, and parts of unincorporated King County. SPU also provides wholesale service to 19 suburban water districts and cities, and to the Cascade Water Alliance, a municipal corporation of five cities and two water and sewer districts.

Job Responsibilities

The top priorities for this position are:

1. Collaborate as an ethical, creative, and knowledgeable colleague within SPU's Executive Team, interdepartmental teams, and internal teams to achieve affordable, equitable, and effective solutions while advancing a positive, community-centered culture.
2. Build upon on existing staff capabilities while promoting continual improvement in performance of assigned functions by establishing clear goals, removing barriers to execution, and effectively measuring results.
3. Create approaches for the Water line of business that dovetail with the vision, mission, and strategic plan of the utility, establish key departmental priorities, and support a work environment that emphasizes collaboration, communication, inclusion, and trust.
4. Ensure affordability and fiscal oversight in the work and management of the Water line of business and Shared Services branch. Participate in rate setting, budgeting, and reporting processes of the line of business and the utility.
5. Work closely with both internal and external stakeholders including the Water Operating Board (comprised of the majority of SPU’s water wholesale customers) to identify stakeholder interests and agreements, emerging issues, and opportunities for innovation and for optimizing the water supply system and water services.

You’ll be successful in this role if you’re passionate about:

• Securing a One Water future for our community and fostering a One Water mindset among your colleagues.
• Planning, securing, and managing supply systems to ensure secure, safe, reliable, equitable, and efficient services are provided to all customers.
• Ensuring efficient and forward-looking maintenance and operations.
• Identifying current and future Water line of business resource needs and implementing cost-effective innovations ensuring system resiliency, in order to meet operational service levels, regulatory compliance, population growth demands, development needs, and to address risks such as of climate change, seismic activity, and cyberattacks.
• Developing an equitable and inclusive culture that reflects outstanding teamwork where leaders and staff are connected, collaborative, and effectively seek out and apply diversity of knowledge, skills, and perspectives.
• Developing and implementing strategic asset management plans for all water major asset classifications including risk assessment, asset management hierarchies, asset condition reporting, and asset renewal plans consistently with SPU methods and standards.
• Planning and defining Water LOB Capital Improvement Program (CIP) priorities, scope, and budget allocation. Establishing general scope of Water LOB projects, identifying problems, performance requirements/program, opportunity, funding availability and time frames for solutions. Collaborate seamlessly with SPU’s Project Delivery and Engineering Branch in the planning and delivery of Water CIP and its constituent projects.
• Ensuring service equity and advancing environmental justice in the utility's investments, actively ensuring that all communities and customer groups have equitable access, service delivery, and ability to use its services.
• Championing and facilitating a safe, un-biased and inclusive workplace that supports employee engagement, innovation, productivity, diversity, and development.
• Maintaining and enhancing positive relationships with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders; ensuring responsiveness to complaints and inquiries; and proactively planning initiatives, operations, and projects with SPU partners, stakeholders, employees, and customers.
• Directing and planning the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) to ensure adequate water services under a broad range of circumstances including all-hazard emergencies; natural, man-made, and technological threats; and national security emergencies.

Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Business or Public Administration, Civil Engineering, Environmental Studies, or a related field.

Experience:

• A minimum of ten (10) years' experience in water utility management in a large complex organization.
• Demonstrated commitment to environmental stewardship, public health, regulatory compliance and service equity in the planning and delivery of utility services.

Education/Experience Equivalency: Combinations of appropriate education, training, certification, and experience will be evaluated on an individual basis for comparability to the minimum education and experience requirements.

Job offers are contingent on review of criminal history as well as verification of information provided by the applicant as part of the application process.

Additional Information
The ideal candidate should possess:

• A thorough understanding of best practices applicable to water utility management.
• Demonstrated skills in leadership, organizational team building, planning, and process improvements.
• An inclusive approach to communication, outreach, and engagement that ensures our diverse community of stakeholders, employees, and customers are well informed and connected to the work of the utility.
• Effective problem analysis and resolution at both the strategic and tactical level.
• Ability to drive performance outcomes and achieve results within a highly regulated operating environment.
• Outstanding coaching and mentoring skills.
• Experience creating a culture that fosters innovation and is adaptable to change.
• Ability to share leadership, and to make sound, inclusive judgments which have positive impacts on the organization.