Public Works Director/County Engineer

About

Under administrative direction, manages and directs the activities of the Public Works Department, including the functions of engineering, parks, equipment maintenance, construction, maintenance of highways, and solid waste. This position works in conjunction with various personnel to develop annual and long range plans as well as operating and capital budgets. Serves as the principal communicator for the Cottonwood County Public Works Department. The position is the Engineer of Record for Cottonwood County.

Responsibilities

Supervision and Staff Management

• Directs and supervises the activities and functions of the Public Works Department and its support staff. This includes but is not limited to hiring, transfer, suspension, layoff, recall, promotion, discharge, assignment and reward;
• Manages employee concerns; directs work assignments, and counsels/disciplines employees, when necessary;
• Provides on-going departmental employee training and development; ensures self and staff is obtaining appropriate continuing education;
• Directs activities of workers engaged in public works; trains staff in proper methods; informs on new policies; reviews work to ensure consistency;
• Prepares and approves evaluations of employees in the Public Works Department as scheduled.

Departmental Operations

• Responsible for overall road infrastructure maintenance and development for the County; manages County construction projects within timelines and budget priorities; directs the design of construction projects; approves construction plans; prepares and submits annual report to County Board; prepares and approves funding applications; directs right-of-way acquisitions and dispositions;
• Prepares and administers the annual operating budgets for engineering, maintenance, parks, and solid waste management programs; meets and confers with various local political officials as well as state and federal representatives to ensure activity and program coordination; pursues and obtains additional funding for County projects dealing with safety and enhancements.
• Directs, plans, and approves bridge and highway maintenance and inspection; prepares and plans construction programming; prepares and approves permit applications;
• Implements County Board policy, documenting and reporting results and alternatives; prepares recommendations to the County Board for policy and long term planning decisions; provides assistance to the Board in all divisions as assigned;
• Provides direction to the various administrative functions of divisions; directs and approves contract administration; prepares, plans, and manages the department budget; monitors compliance with union contracts and personnel policies; provides input on the union contracts.
• Receives, reviews and prepares reports including; time sheets; personnel evaluations, permit applications, construction plans/programs, annual reports, contract proposals, construction design manuals, work orders, bid estimates, accident reports, ordinances and statutes, budgets, maintenance and structural reports.

Public Communication

• Oversees, investigates and addresses complaints, requests or inquiries from the general public pertaining to the departmental services or programs;
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with professionals in the public works and civil engineering fields; confers and exchanges information with such individuals as appropriate.
• Plans and directs development and communication of information designed to keep community informed of projects and services of the department;
• Coordinates information provided to the public, other governmental agencies and interested parties as appropriate; ensures information is accurate and complete; complies with appropriate laws, rules and regulations; makes presentations before various regional and local boards, commissions, civic and community groups to promote regional public works and infrastructure improvements.
• Coordinates with appropriate agencies, public and elected officials to meet the needs of the County as directed.

Performance Standards

• Exercises teamwork with other county employees and management in carrying out the shared mission of serving the public;
• Follows workplace safety rules and notifies management of observed risks in a timely manner;
• Maintains the confidentiality of data that is protected by law.

Knowledge, Ability and Skills

• Knowledge of professional principles, practices, and procedures of civil engineering and project management;
• Federal, state, and local regulations and laws regarding the design, construction, and maintenance of highway, public drainage and other public works systems;
• Effective supervisory and leadership capabilities;
• Skills to utilize mathematical formulas; add and subtract; multiply and divide totals; determine percentages; perform complex calculations involving variables, formulas, square roots, and polynomials; perform statistical calculations which include frequency distributions, reliability, and validity of tests and interpret same, as may be appropriate;
• Ability to efficiently utilize time and resources available to complete tasks and meet strict deadlines and budgets; ability to multitask between diverse duties;
• Ability to manage workload assignments to direct staff and cooperate with third party partners to meet goals;
• Ability to read a variety of professional, technical and administrative documentation, directions, regulations, instructions, methods and procedures;
• Skills to produce reports with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech;
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills; ability to effectively communicate with people to convey or exchange professional information; ability to interact with people (i.e. staff, general public, and elected officials) beyond giving and/or receiving instructions; ability to effectively communicate with the public in an approachable, professional manner; ability to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including engineering and accounting terminology.
• Ability to handle unpredictable situations in public dealings in a manner which represents Cottonwood County and the Public Works Department in a positive fashion.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a minimum five years of experience, including two years of supervisory experience in civil engineering or an equivalent combination of qualifying education and experience.
• Professional engineering registration as a civil engineer in the State of Minnesota is required.
• Possession of a valid State of Minnesota driver’s license is required.

Additional Requirements

• May be required to perform a full range of motion with lifting and/or carrying supplies, materials, equipment and/or items weighing up to 30 pounds.
• Vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Exposure to extreme weather conditions.
• Exposure to moving vehicles and machinery.
• Potential exposure to infectious diseases and hazardous chemicals.
• Potential exposure to electrical shock, explosive, radiation and vibration.
• May be subject to a high noise level work environment.