Why Tumwater?
Tumwater is more than just a city, it’s a vibrant community rooted in history and filled with opportunity. Located at the southern gateway to the Seattle-Tacoma metro area, Tumwater offers the perfect blend of small-town charm and big-picture vision.

Surrounded by the natural beauty of Puget Sound, prairie landscapes, rivers, and evergreen forests, we’re just over an hour from ocean beaches, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mount Rainier. Whether you’re into hiking, kayaking, brewery-hopping, or live music, you’ll find easy access to it all.

Here in Tumwater, we’re building a future that’s highly livable, connected, and inclusive. With safe neighborhoods, excellent schools, and a deep sense of civic pride, it’s not just a great place to live, it’s a great place to grow your career.

• Lead with purpose.
• Innovate for impact.
• Make a difference every single day.

The essential functions of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Support the implementation of the department’s strategic and capital improvement plans.
• Lead the development and implementation of an asset management program to enhance system resilience, service delivery, and long-term planning.
• Manage and co-manage utility capital infrastructure, system security projects, and smart water technology initiatives, including meter deployment and customer portal integration.
• Coordinate with internal departments and external partners to align utility operations with city priorities, including climate initiatives, water conservation, and customer service improvements.
• Assist with financial planning, rate setting, budget development, and grant acquisition to support strategic initiatives.
• Develop and report on operational metrics and benchmarking to drive data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Promote compliance with environmental regulations and advance the City’s environmental stewardship and climate resilience goals.
• Collaborate with department leaders to align staffing, training, and performance management systems with organizational goals.
• Represent the department in intergovernmental relations, regional committees, and public forums, including City Council presentations.
• Foster a culture of equity, innovation, and excellence across all areas of responsibility.

• Utility Systems Expertise – Broad knowledge of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utility operations, and environmental sustainability programs.
• Strategic & Capital Planning – Ability to co-develop and implement strategic plans, capital projects, and long-term infrastructure investments.
• Asset & Performance Management – Skilled in implementing asset management systems and using metrics to drive operational excellence.
• Smart Technology Leadership – Experience leading smart water initiatives, including meter deployment and digital customer tools.
• Financial & Grant Management – Proficient in budgeting, rate setting, and securing/managing grants to support utility initiatives.
• Climate & Regulatory Alignment – Ability to integrate climate adaptation strategies and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Cross-Departmental Coordination – Strong collaboration skills to align utility operations with citywide goals and partner agencies.
• Workforce Development – Ability to development training programs and performance systems to help build a high-performing team and work with both represented and non-represented staff.
• Public & Intergovernmental Engagement – Demonstrates proficiency in organization representation for the department in council meetings, regional forums, and public settings.
• Equity & Innovation Culture – Skilled in promoting a culture of equity, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Minimum Qualifications: 

1. Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Public Administration, or a closely related field. 
2. Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in public utilities, environmental services or water resource management, and/or project management. 
3. Demonstrated experience in budget development, capital project oversight, and regulatory compliance in a utility or environmental services setting. 
4. Strong understanding of environmental regulations, sustainability practices, and utility operations. 
5. Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills. 
6. Commitment to equity, excellence, and quality customer service delivery. 

1. Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Engineering, Public Administration, or related discipline. 
2. Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent environmental certification (e.g., Certified Environmental Manager, AWWA/WEF certifications). 
3. Familiarity with GIS, SCADA, MUNIS, and utility benchmarking tools. 
4. Project Management Certification (PMP) or similar credential desirable. 
5. Certified Erosion & Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) 

Contacts: The Deputy Director has contact with citizens, personnel of all departments and divisions, the business community, neighborhood organizations, and City Councilmembers. Contacts are varied in type and intensity. The Deputy Director is occasionally involved in highly sensitive and/or emotional interactions requiring skill in gaining the trust and confidence of others. The Deputy Director has frequent contact with Department Directors and will help WRS reach consensus on City-wide policy issues and coordinate services across departments.

Supervision:
Direct supervision is provided by the WRS Director through regular consultation with performance evaluation conducted annually (at a minimum) following the 6-month probation period after hire. While not currently a supervisory role, it may evolve to include such responsibilities.

Accountability: The Deputy Director is accountable to the WRS Director for the efficient delivery of projects and programs assigned.

Working Conditions:
Positions in this class perform work predominately under normal office working conditions from an office at City Hall, with opportunities for remote work. Mobility is required for attendance at various meetings and touring public project work sites under various stages of construction. Reliable, punctual attendance is required. Some work in the evenings or weekends to attend meetings is required, although not a regular part of the Deputy Director’s schedule. The incumbent is subject to the stress of accommodating competing demands throughout the City. 

Physical requirements:
Work is often performed in an office setting. Specific physical requirements and typical working conditions for this position are on file in the Administrative Services Department.

The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
  
The City of Tumwater is committed to wellness, safety, the environment and racial equity.