Public Works Superintendent

The Superintendent of Public Works provides leadership, management, administration, and strategic direction for the Department of Public Works (DPW), ensuring safe, reliable, responsive, and financially sustainable services consistent with the Town’s mission, priorities, policies, and community needs. The Superintendent oversees operations, personnel, infrastructure, capital projects, budgets, procurement, contracts, emergency response, and regulatory compliance. As a member of the Town’s senior management team, the Superintendent translates organizational priorities into clear goals, service standards, work plans, and measurable results while promoting professionalism, accountability, collaboration, safety, customer service, and continuous improvement.

Reports to the Town Manager and exercises substantial independent judgment within established policies and delegated authority. Keeps the Town Manager informed of significant operational, personnel, financial, capital, regulatory, contractual, and community matters. Directly and indirectly supervises DPW personnel and the Administration, Highway, Buildings & Grounds, Cemeteries, and Wastewater divisions. Provides leadership and administrative coordination for Parks & Recreation and Vehicle Maintenance programs.

The following illustrates principal duties; related responsibilities may be assigned.

• Lead, organize, coordinate, and evaluate departmental operations, supervisors, personnel, resources, and service delivery in alignment with Town goals.
• Establish departmental policies, procedures, annual work plans, performance measures, service expectations, and clear lines of responsibility and accountability.
• In collaboration with the Town Manager, oversee recruitment, hiring, onboarding, supervision, evaluations, training, professional development, discipline, and succession planning consistent with Town policies, collective bargaining agreements, and law.

• Direct services and maintenance involving roads, sidewalks, bridges, culverts, drainage, stormwater, municipal buildings and grounds, cemeteries, wastewater systems, parks, recreation facilities, fleet and equipment, snow and ice, and other assigned assets.
• Prepare annual, seasonal, and long-range operating plans and coordinate staffing, equipment, materials, contractors, and funding.
• Establish preventive, scheduled, and corrective maintenance programs and maintain reliable asset inventories and records of condition, maintenance, useful life, risks, and replacement needs.
• Prioritize repairs, service improvements, and investment based on public safety, asset condition, regulatory requirements, lifecycle costs, service impacts, risk, available resources, and Town priorities.
• Develop and annually update a multi-year capital improvement program covering infrastructure, facilities, wastewater, parks, cemeteries, vehicles, equipment, and other departmental assets.
• Coordinate capital planning with the Town Manager and Finance Team through annual budget development and long-range financial planning.
• Direct authorized projects from initial assessment through design, permitting, procurement, construction, inspection, closeout, and transition to maintenance. Oversee engineers, architects, consultants, and contractors.

• Develop and administer operating and capital budgets with the Town Manager and Finance Team. Monitor appropriations, spending, revenues, grants, contracts, and balances; provide timely forecasts and notice of financial risks.
• Lead departmental procurement planning and preparation in compliance with Massachusetts…