Assistant Public Utilities Director

ABOUT THE ROLE This is a full-time, exempt executive position in the Admin Division of the Public Utilities Department in Athens, GA. Reporting to the Public Utilities Director, the role involves performing administrative, managerial, and technical functions to assist in directing the overall operations of the department. This includes planning, coordinating, budgeting, and managing staff across various utility divisions. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Supervise and evaluate assigned staff, handle employee concerns, direct work assignments, and complete performance appraisals. - Assist the Director in managing daily operations and preparing long- and short-range departmental plans. - Plan work and set priorities for multiple divisions, including water distribution, wastewater collection, meter management, customer service, and billing. - Develop short- and long-term capital budget programs for water and wastewater infrastructure. - Plan and manage capital improvement and new construction projects. - Manage annual evaluation rates for water billing, maintain records, collect data, and prepare reports for capital financing. - Coordinate the flow monitoring program and serve on various committees and task forces. - Determine practices for water billing and collection, manage fiscal risk, and oversee hardware/software vendors and automated metering infrastructure. - Perform public relations functions and respond to information requests from officials, staff, and the public. - Perform the functions of the Public Utilities Director in the Director's absence. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor's degree in relevant engineering, public administration, business administration, management, or a related discipline. - Ten years of experience involving water/wastewater planning, design, finance, customer service, or operations and maintenance of a similar sized system, including five years in a leadership role. - Four years of supervisory experience. - Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience providing the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Must possess a valid driver's license and abide by the county's safe driving policy. - Preferred qualifications include a Master's Degree, engineering/operations/planning/financial/accounting certification or registration, Engineer in Training status, or Certification as a Professional Engineer. - Work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, subject to call back as needed. May be required to work on religious holidays. - Regular and predictable attendance is required. - Physical requirements are at the sedentary work level, requiring the ability to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, along with walking, standing, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, lifting, and repetitive motions. SELECTION PROCESS First review of applications begins on August 24, 2026. HOW TO APPLY Not explicitly detailed in the text. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for the application or interview process may contact Leah Jagatic, HR Coordinator, Human Resources, at 762-400-6370 or leah.jagatic@accgov.com. EMPLOYMENT DETAILS - Job Type: Full Time - Department: Public Utilities - Division: Admin - Location: Public Utilities - 124 East Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA - Job Number: 2026-03887 - Pay Grade: 129 - FLSA Status: Exempt - Executive - Classification: Regular Non-Merit; Serves at the discretion of the Public Utilities Director - Opening Date: 07/31/2026 - Closing Date: Continuous - Employer: Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County