Utilities Manager @ City of Charlotte

Date Opened: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 12:00 AM

Close Date: Wednesday, June 04, 2025 12:00 AMDepartment: Charlotte Water DepartmentSalary: $114,225.74 - $142,782.18 Commensurate with Experience

SUMMARY

Charlotte’s local government, with more than 7,000 employees and a $2.39 billion budget, works hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone – a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn, and play.

Charlotte Water is an enterprise department of the City of Charlotte and one of the largest public water and sewer service providers in the southeast with 300,000 customer accounts and over 1000 employees. Our service area includes the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mint Hill, Matthews, and Pineville. Charlotte Water’s FY 23 budget is $535M and a five-year capital program of $2.5 billion. We enjoy the highest credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies as a result of sound financial planning and management and strong support from our City Council. We value competent, skilled candidates with a customer service focus to work in a team environment.

SALARY: Negotiable

JOB SUMMARY:

This position provides leadership, strategic direction, planning, and management oversight of the assigned utility area within Charlotte Water. Work involves overall compliance; leading development of annual water and sewer rates; managing assigned workforce; responsible for the daily operation of all field service delivery activities; including the meter reading system ; ensuring metering equipment is maintained and working appropriately; ensuring customer billing is timely and accurate; establishing goals for divisional staff; developing organizational structure; providing leadership and technical direction; overseeing and reviewing team member assignments and projects; and making sure assigned area has sufficient resources to perform. This position serves as a member of the leadership team and oversees and manages assigned operations and staff.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Supervises and coordinates work activities of assigned staff; assigns work, monitors status of work, and inspects completed work; participates and provides input in staffing decisions relative to hiring, firing, discipline, and promotional opportunities; evaluates performance; mentors staff; and aids with career development.
Manages the daily operation of all field service delivery, meter reading and maintenance activities.
Assures metering and billing accuracy.
Oversees daily operation of the backflow program.
Develops, executes, tracks, and reports on Customer Service plans to ensure achievement of assigned strategic priorities and projects.
Serves as a member of the Charlotte Water Leadership Team participating in the overall management of the department.
Partners with the Charlotte Water leadership team on department-wide strategic, operational, budgetary, and policy issues.
Provides strategic direction, leadership development, resource needs, budget oversight and procurement for assigned area.
Establishes the overall maintenance philosophy for the division; ensures maintenance staff is meeting the needs and is responsive to the needs of the various customers.
Maintains water quality within water distribution.
Makes sure that maintenance needs, activities, and functions are aligned with the City’s and the Department’s core values, strategic plan and direction.
Tracks and addresses deficiencies to minimize negative impact to assigned area.

Monitors performance levels, assets, and metrics applicable to assigned area;

Communicates with both internal and external customers.
Provides input into the establishment of capital investment priorities.
Plans for optimal use of staff and material resources of the division.
Coordinates and develops the annual budget submission for the division.
Coordinates with multiple City departments regarding storm water projects, street paving projects, community improvement projects, and other topics as needed.
Works collaboratively with other city departments, regional partners, and regulatory partners on programs, projects, city goals, regulatory issues, stakeholder processes and initiatives
Assures metering and billing accuracy
Meets regulatory and safety requirements in operational areas.
Coordinates with City Finance on debt issuances, refinancing, and refunding.
Provides water quality oversight of the whole system and maintains adequate pressure and flow.
Develops organizational structure and creates an inclusive, respectful culture to support all facilities in the department.
Monitors progress and provides feedback related to goals.
Negotiates contracts and agreements related to assigned area of responsibility.
Assists the utility in responding to increasingly complex technical standards and regulations.
Reviews current processes and practices; identifies areas for improvement. Monitors, reviews, and discusses project efforts
Represents Charlotte Water in work with elected officials, other City leaders and staff, state and federal regulators, regional partners, consultants, and contractors.
Coordinates with internal and external service providers to assure support services and other needs are met to establish and sustain efficient, effective operations.
Performs other related job duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or a related field; master’s degree

preferred.

Ten (10) years of related work experience in utility operations and management preferably managing water/sewer maintenance, operations, and/or engineering including one (1) year of supervisory experience.
Or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work/industry/military/job specific experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the essential job duties.

Licenses, Certifications or Registrations:

North Carolina Professional Engineering registration and/or higher level is desired.
Meter Technician Certificate and Backflow Certification is desired.
Certification in one or more fields of water/wastewater operations (i.e., Water or Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, Maintenance Technology, Distribution/Collection System) is desired.
Requires a valid driver’s license.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of water/sewer system management, operation, maintenance, and engineering principles and practices.
Ability to negotiate and resolve sensitive, significant, and controversial issues.
Ability to exercise independent judgment and initiative.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work is light work and requires applying 10 pounds of force frequently exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: balancing, climbing, manual dexterity, handling, perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, distinguishing among sounds, mental acuity, reaching, speaking, standing, stooping, expressing ideas by spoken word, shouting above noises, visual acuity in data/color/observations/equipment/inspections, and walking.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

This job description is not intended to be and should not be construed as an inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to accurately reflect the position activities and requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties and assign other duties at any time. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where we have workstations available. Our office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected].

The City of Charlotte is committed to making the job application process accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modification will be provided. To make a request, please email [email protected], call 704-962-6168, or visit us in person at700 4th St., Charlotte, NC 28202.

BENEEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.

Clickhereto learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.

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