Overview:

Kitsap County is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as our next Public Works Director. This premier opportunity arises from the retirement of our current director, who has continued our department's tradition of remarkable stability - with only two directors serving over the past three decades. This legacy of long-term, dedicated leadership has fostered a department culture of professional growth, institutional knowledge, and enduring community relationships.

This is a unique chance to lead a vital department in one of the Pacific Northwest's most beautiful regions – located on the western shore of Puget Sound across from the main Seattle metroplex, and east of the mighty Olympic Peninsula.

We seek a strategic and innovative leader passionate about infrastructure and community service, who leads with a people-centered approach. Our ideal candidate embraces new technologies and creative approaches while maintaining service excellence. We value someone who can foster a culture of continuous improvement and openness to emerging solutions to address our growing community's needs.

Reporting to the County Administrator and under the policy direction of the Board of County Commissioners, the Director leads a dedicated team responsible for county roads, stormwater systems, solid waste facilities, sewer utilities, facilities maintenance, and capital facility development. Beyond departmental leadership, we need a collaborative partner who can work effectively across all County departments to create unified service delivery in an organization that values continuity, innovation, and lasting community impact.

Our Ideal Leader:

Our ideal candidate is a servant leader with technical expertise, exceptional people skills and communication skills, who manages operations safely and efficiently, thinks strategically, and excels at building cohesive teams. They demonstrate unwavering integrity, approachability, decisiveness, transparency, and a genuine commitment to public service, and proven leadership capabilities.

Candidate Credentials: 

Demonstrated expertise in public works operations and management, including:
Emergency response coordination
Capital project management
Infrastructure development
Government financial and budget management 
Proven leadership abilities, including:
Managing large and diverse, multi-functional teams 
Building and cultivating effective workforce teams
Demonstrating innovation and receptiveness to new ideas
Facilitating cross-departmental collaboration within government structures 
Experience working in public sector, specifically in City or County government, is highly desired. 
Master's degree in a related field or Professional Engineer License is desired.

Other position related information:

This position will remain open until filled. The first review of applications will start on June 16, 2025. After the initial review, the first round of interviews will be scheduled, and applications will continue to be reviewed weekly.

Who May Apply: This position is open to the general public. Applications will be screened for qualifications and completion of all the required materials and forms. The most competitive applicants may be contacted for further steps in the selection process, which may include testing for office and computer skills.

This position is classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
This position is non-represented and covered under the Kitsap County Personnel Manual.
This position is classified as "at will.” Incumbent's continued employment is at the discretion of the County Administrator.
Kitsap County is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Office.
Work hours for this position are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Kitsap County

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PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR