Assistant Commissioner

Job Description

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) protects public health and the environment by supplying clean drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. We deliver 1.1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water per day to 8.5 million New York City residents and more than 1 million people in Upstate New York, and we collect and treat an average of 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater per day.

New York City has approximately 140,000 catch basins, 114,000 hydrants, 90,000 valves, 14 gatehouses, 3 reservoirs, 68 groundwater wells, a 100-million-gallon underground storage tank and 7,000 miles each of both sanitary sewers and water mains. The responsibility of maintaining these vast networks falls under the Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations (BWSO).

The primary responsibilities of the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations are the operation, maintenance and protection of the City’s drinking water and wastewater collection (sewer) systems; the protection of adjacent waterways; and the development and protection of the Department’s Capital Water and Sewer Design Program. The Bureau also approves and inspects water and sewer connections performed by licensed plumbers and/or authorized contractors. In addition, the Bureau has overall responsibility for the approval and inspection of all public and private construction projects which could impact on the City’s water or sewer systems.

The Bureau is also responsible for the operation of the Staten Island Bluebelt. This is an ecologically sound, cost-effective natural alternative to storm sewers, which occupies approximately 15 square miles of land in the South Richmond area of Staten Island. This project preserves streams, ponds and other wetland ("bluebelt") areas, allowing them to perform their natural function of conveying, storing and filtering storm water. These areas also provide important community open spaces and a diverse wildlife habitat.

The New York City (NYC) Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking to fill a senior management position, at the Assistant Commissioner level, in the Bureau of Water & Sewer Operations. This position will fall under executive direction of the Bureau’s Deputy Commissioner, with the widest latitude for independent initiative, judgment and decision, and will perform difficult and responsible professional managerial work in the planning, organizing, and major operating functions of the Bureau’s two engineering divisions: these are the Division of Capital Program Management and the Division of Engineering Connections & Permitting.

The Assistant Commissioner of Engineering & Planning for Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations will have authority and accountability for policy and procedure making, and the execution of the following responsibilities and activities are included but not limited to:
- Directing long-term planning efforts in the management of the Bureau’s capital water and sewer design programs and the successful achievement of the Bureau’s primary mission which is providing residents of the City of New York with the highest quality potable drinking water, and a properly functioning water, sewer, and drainage system.
- Developing strategies and long-range goals to elevate service delivery in the water distribution and wastewater collection systems including reducing sewer backups as well as meeting the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS-4) requirements issued by the New York State (NYS) Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC);
- Assisting the Bureau’s Deputy Commissioner in the development of a multi-billion dollar capital budget programs and the formulation of long range capital plans for: Capital Program Management - Infrastructure (including work executed by NYC Department of Design & Construction (DDC), Structure & Facilities, Task Order Service Contracts, and Research & Development (including in-house work, work executed by Bureau of Engineering Design and Construction (BEDC) and work executed by Facilities Management & Construction (FMC);
- Creating strategies to expand the Bluebelt program to manage storm water flooding in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
- Directing the development and preparation of the agency’s Drainage and Modeling program including conducting analysis using existing tools and research on other technologies that the bureau should explore to expand its water distribution, sewer and drainage planning, operational and hydraulic analysis capabilities for use in planning and engineering studies.
- Overseeing the management of a staff of engineering professionals engaged in the review, approval, and construction of various public and private projects for sewer and drainage facilities, and water connection and usage.
- Directing the operations related to review and approval of private drainage proposals and amended drainage plans and construction of private and public water and sewer facilities through NYC’s five boroughs.
- Representing Agency and Bureau in meetings with Federal, State, and Local government agencies and private companies to provide engineering expertise and direction on special projects.

Qualifications