The NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) mission is to protect public health and the environment by supplying the highest-quality drinking water; treating and recovering valuable resources from wastewater to protect New York City’s waterways; minimizing exposure to air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution; and constructing dependable infrastructure to foster a more resilient New York City for generations to come. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with more than 5,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system's 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City. DEP annually collects $3.8B in revenues, primarily through customer billing. These funds support DEP’s operations and its $31B Ten-Year Capital Construction Plan.
DEP is seeking a dynamic, visionary executive with experience in the water and wastewater sector to serve as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Reporting directly to the DEP Commissioner, the senior executive of the Agency, the Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for the daily operational performance of the water and wastewater utility function of DEP, including overseeing the key operating bureaus as well as capital construction. The COO is primarily responsible for managing the Agency’s day-to-day water and wastewater utility functions in an efficient, safe, and compliant manner. The COO’s area of responsibility spans approximately 4,800 employees and an annual operating budget of approximately $1.6 billion.
The COO will provide leadership, direction and oversight to eight of DEP's divisions, each of which is led by a Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Water Supply, Bureau of Water & Sewer Operations, Bureau of Wastewater Treatment, Bureau of Engineering Design & Construction, Bureau of Police & Security, Bureau of Sustainability, Bureau of Coastal Resilience, and the Office of Environmental Health & Safety. The COO will also oversee fleet operations and the Agency’s emergency operations. The COO will advise DEP Commissioner on all matters related to the operational management of the utility, including serving as incident commander during extreme conditions and emergency events.
In this capacity, the COO supports the integration of coastal resilience planning and infrastructure delivery with DEP’s core water, wastewater, and stormwater operations. The COO works closely with the DEP Commissioner, the Chief of Staff, the Chief Financial Officer, and the General Counsel to ensure policy and operational alignment and to deliver cross-agency initiatives. The COO will also be responsible for leading change management efforts and fostering a culture of innovation, using data-driven decision-making to drive performance improvements and process efficiencies.
The COO will provide briefings to staff at the Mayor’s Office and the City Council and will represent the Agency at meetings with community officials and the public, some of which occur during evenings and weekends.
EXECUTIVE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER - 95202
Minimum Qualifications
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college with major course work in engineering, business administration, public administration, public policy, or a closely related field, or its equivalent, is required; a Master's degree is highly desirable.
At least 10 years of experience in a senior leadership role in the water and/or wastewater industry, or a combination of 10 years’ experience in other public-serving infrastructure or process-management operations, with a proven track record of successful change management initiatives, strategic planning, performance measurement, and continuous quality improvement.
Preferred Skills
The ideal candidate has a track record of demonstrated leadership, proven accomplishments, and superior performance in a public agency, public or private utility, or a closely related organization with an emphasis on water and/or wastewater management, including operations, maintenance, and capital projects delivery. The ideal candidate will possess: - Understanding of the core operational functions of the water and wastewater utility, including dam safety, water and wastewater conveyance, laboratory operations, permit compliance, water and wastewater treatment, asset management, environmental planning, employee safety, and capital construction - Experience supervising both office and field staff, including demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with labor in union environment, a commitment to staff development, and strong interpersonal skills - Experience leading a diversely staffed organization, consistent with executive direction and agency principles and values - Familiarity with the applicable laws, regulations, legal mandates, guidelines, and standards affecting public agencies, particularly relating to water and wastewater - Experience navigating the social, political, and environmental issues influencing and affecting the organizational climate, including employees and the surrounding community - Tools to balance conflicting objectives and policies diplomatically identify, negotiate, and administer effective resolutions and - Strong written and oral communication skills, including comfort with speaking on the record to the press, senior government officials, advocacy groups and community members. Finally, the selected candidate will be a confident leader and manager with strong interpersonal and staff relationships skills. Candidate must also be flexible to adapt to the changing workforce environment and engage staff in developing skills and attributes for future leadership roles.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
Additional Information
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
, $135,392.00 – $285,413.00
