Director of Public Works

The City of New Haven is seeking an accomplished and forward-thinking executive to serve as Director of Public Works. This senior leadership position oversees the people, resources, infrastructure, and essential services that keep New Haven moving every day. Reporting to the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer, the Director leads a large, diverse workforce and is responsible for the strategic and operational management of critical City functions, including streets and sidewalks, bridges, refuse and recycling, snow removal, drainage, fleet operations, and emergency response.

What We're Looking For The ideal candidate will bring strong executive leadership, sound judgment, and demonstrated success managing complex operations, budgets, personnel, and competing priorities. This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to have a direct and visible impact on the safety, reliability, and quality of the public infrastructure and services that New Haven residents, businesses, and visitors rely upon every day.

This is a senior management-level position requiring substantial management, administrative, and technical expertise to direct and oversee the daily operations of the Department of Public Works. The position is appointed by the Mayor and reports to the Chief Administrative Officer.

Work involves planning, directing, and coordinating work tasks associated with day-to-day maintenance of public rights of way, bridges (including mechanical movable bridges), citywide refuse collection and disposal, recycling, snow removal, fleet management, drainage, and other public works functions. The position is responsible for coordinating departmental emergency responses to flooding, snow, severe weather- infrastructure failure, and other emergencies that may occur at any time, and works closely with other public safety agencies and other City departments in responding to both natural and man‑made disasters.

Within established policies of the City and under the general direction of the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer, the position exercises considerable judgement and initiative in establishing departmental priorities, administering operating and capital resources, coordinating work activities, supervising personnel, overseeing departmental finances, addressing personnel and operational issues, and communicating with elected officials, other governmental agencies, contractors, and members of the public.

This role oversees all divisions within the Public Works Department, which typically includes over 100 full-time and 25 seasonal positions.

• Supervises the planning, scheduling, implementation and evaluation of departmental resources and setting of priorities; leads subordinate managers in long-range planning and problem-solving responsibilities.
• Implements and oversees improvements for roads, sidewalks, bridges, drainage systems, public rights-of-way, and other infrastructure consistent with the responsibilities of the Department of Public Works to ensure safe and reliable use by the public.
• Directs staff and other resources in implementing maintenance procedures for the care and safe use of streets, sidewalks, bridges, public spaces, drainage systems, solid waste facilities, and fleet vehicles and equipment.
• Directs, implements, and manages all snow removal operations across the City’s 230+ miles of streets and related infrastructure.
• Coordinates and directs departmental emergency response to flooding, snow and severe weather events, infrastructure failures, natural and man‑made disasters, and other emergencies affecting public safety or public infrastructure.
• Directs and implements the Citywide refuse and recycling collection program…