Director of Water and Sewer

Statement of Duties

The Director of Water and Sewer is in charge of both the Water and Sewer Department and Enterprise Funds. The Director is responsible for the quality of the City’s drinking water, ensuring it meets all guidelines and mandates of the MWRA, DEP, EPA, and other governmental agencies. The position is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the City’s sewer, drainage and combined collection, conveyance and discharge systems, including compliance with MWRA, DEP, EPA, and other governmental agency permit requirements. In addition to infrastructure, the position is ultimately responsible for delivering the annual Department budget to the City Council, as well as oversight of all municipal water and wastewater operations and management, including department purchases, staff safety and training , and reliable customer service. The Director supervises employees directly or through subordinate Operations Managers and Foremen in the performance of their duties.

This position is subject to 24-hour call.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Ensures public health and safety through the responsible provision of potable water and adequate fire protection and through the proper discharge of sewerage.
• Serves as liaison between, and primary contact for, State and Federal regulatory agencies and the Water and Sewer Department.
• Secures all available funds/grants/loans to ensure compliance with all State, Federal, and local mandates and standards of operation of a local water/sewer system.
• Supervises the construction, operation, metering, and billing of approximately 15,000 customer accounts.
• Oversees the lead sampling program as mandated by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA).
• Oversees the lead service replacement program as mandated by DEP.
• Formulates written policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and ability to meet volatile conditions in the office and in the field.
• Determines annual budgetary needs based on departmental goals and objectives and formulates revenue rates necessary to meet these needs.
• Works as part of a team with the Mayor’s office, focused on proficient operation and maintenance of water and sewer systems.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree, ideally in Engineering, Science, Business Administration, or directly related field, and ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in the maintenance and repair of water distribution system and wastewater collection systems, four years of which were in a supervisory or management role ; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions.

Special Requirements:

• Massachusetts Drinking Water License Grade 3 “In Full” (Grade 4 preferred);
• Wastewater Collections Certificate Grade 4 is preferred but not required

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Excellent technical knowledge water and sewer infrastructure and treatment systems and best practices for aging urban environments.

Ability: Ability to work well independently and with teams; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to exercise reasonable care and judgement consistent with the required level of experience and training; ability to deal appropriately with City employees, City officials and members of the general public.

Skill: Excellent organizational skills; demonstrated skill in the operation, monitoring, controlling, evaluation, and troubleshooting of water distribution and sewer collection system; excellent data processing skill in the use of personal computers and office software including word processing, data base and spreadsheet applications; consistent responsive and respectful customer service and managerial skills.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours to attend evening meetings or for coordinated response to emergency situations.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills
Little or no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as books, office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone system, computer and/or most other office equipment, typing and/or word processing, filing, and sorting.

Visual Skills 
Visual demands include constantly reading documents for general understanding and for analytical purposes and routinely reviewing maps and blueprints with a need for color vision.

Hours: Full-Time (this position is subject to 24-hour call)
Salary:  Starting at $130,000 annually, plus benefits
Union: Non-Union
FLSA: Exempt
Date Posted:  March 10th, 2025

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The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or [email protected].

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union.
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.