Director of Public Works

Director of Public Works

Salary

$172,556.19 - $249,655.76 Annually

Location

City Hall Building, 7th floor, Norfolk, VA

Job Type

Unclassified

Job Number

14175

Department

Public Works

Division

Directors Office

Opening Date

06/18/2026

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

Norfolk, Virginia is Americas most authentic and urban waterfront city. Home to the worlds largest Naval station and the business, arts, and cultural center of Coastal Virginia. Norfolk has been rated a top place to live, work, place and raise a family by numerous publications.

The City of Norfolk is seeking a dynamic and innovative professional to lead, plan and direct the activities of the Department of Public Works.

The Director of Public Works is a key member of the City Managers Executive Management team overseeing all functions involved in the design, construction, and maintenance of the citys infrastructure, transportation, surveys, storm water, waste management, and towing and recovery. Public Works has a FY27 operating budget of $82 million and manages many of the general capital improvement projects totaling over $83.5 million in FY26. The team consists of more than 350 employees which work together to accomplish their mission to build, maintain, and operate the physical facilities that support and enhance the lives of Norfolks citizens, businesses, and visitors.

The services provided by the department are distributed over a network of 2,200 miles of curbs and gutters, 1,000 miles of sidewalks and 29 bridge structures. Organized into eight field divisions (Streets & Bridges, Transportation, Right of Way, Design, Surveys, Waste Management, Towing and Stormwater) and three special revenue areas, Environmental Stormwater, Towing and Recovery Services and Waste Management.

This position is unclassified and serves at the will of the City Manager.

Essential Functions

Essential functions include but are not limited to:

• Provides supervisory oversight by providing leadership, meeting with employees, performing personnel evaluations, addressing and resolving personnel issues and problems, representing employees in city-wide discussions, and leading efforts on hiring, training and development.
• Coordinates project activities with agencies outside of the city and interfaces with civic leagues and business groups.
• Provides functional management by submitting, executing and managing budgets, managing design and construction projects, managing decisions and policy decisions regarding departmental operations, and developing policies and procedure.
• Serves as a member of city-wide committees and special assignments.

Education/Experience

Requires graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field.

Masters Degree or equivalent combination of training and experience required.

Seven (7) years of experience managing and directing staff and programs of a major, multi-faceted local government public works agency is required.

The ideal candidate will possess a valid certification as a Professional Engineer (PE), a firm understanding of advanced principles and practices of Civil Engineering including CIP management, transportation planning, traffic engineering and traffic operations, and the ability to manage and prioritize a high volume of projects simultaneously while staying abreast of the new trends.

Additional Information & Requirements

• Valid Drivers License.
• $5,000 sign-on bonus.

This position is open until filled.

Please click the link below for additional information.

https://www.norfolk.gov/DocumentCenter/View/112830/Director-of-Public-Works-Job-Opportunity

• Regular full-time and permanent part-time employees may receive paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, employer paid pension plan, basic life insurance, voluntary participation in medical and dental, Section 457 deferred compensation, long-term disability, optional life insurance for self, spouse and children, medical and dependent care reimbursement plans, access to membership in credit union and employer provided parking.

• Special project/grant employees are generally eligible for the same benefits of regular full-time employees; however, retirement, life insurance and participation in health plans vary depending upon funding and authorization.

• Temporary/seasonal and part-time employees are generally only eligible for employer provided parking and access to membership in credit union.

• Retirement

If you are hired October 5, 2010, or after to a position with City of Norfolk Retirement System benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

If you are hired January 1, 2022, or after to a position with Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

• The Tuition Assistance Program is established to encourage employees toward continued self-development and education. Permanent full-time and permanent part-time classified, unclassified permanent, full-time special projects, and constitutional employees who have completed six months continuous service will be eligible to apply. The applicant's school of enrollment must be an accredited institution.

NOTE:

The benefits described above are broad generalizations. The specific benefits that an employee may be eligible for are governed by City regulations, as applicable to job type.

Non-City

Positions listed with a job type designation of "Non-City" are not subject to the benefits descriptions above. Refer to the content of the job posting for information regarding these positions.

01

The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for specific experience being sought. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. Do not answer "see resume" or "see application" as these are not valid answers. Please note that if you are invited to be interviewed by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification.

• I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.

02

Please indicate your highest level of education completed.

• Associates Degree
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree or Higher
• No Advanced Degree

03

How many years of experience do you have managing and directing staff and programs of a major, multifaceted local government public works agency?

• Less than 3 years of experience
• 3 - 5 years of experience
• 5 - 7 years of experience
• 7 - 10 years of experience
• 10 or more years of experience

04

How many years of experience do you have working in local government, state government, or federal government as a professional engineer?

• Less than 3 years of experience
• 3 - 5 years of experience
• 5 or more years of experience

05

Are you a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Virginia?

• Yes
• No
• No, Im registered in another state

06

Please indicate which operations within Public Works you have experience managing (select all that apply):

• Bridges
• Design
• Operations
• Streets
• Storm Water
• Traffic Engineering & Traffic Operations
• Surveys
• Towing & Recovery
• Transportation
• Waste Management

07

Briefly describe your management experience in Public Works or a related field.

08

Briefly describe your experience in writing policy and procedures for Public Works.

09

Describe your experience and role in preparing budgets and capital improvement plans for a city, county, public service district, or similar unit of local government. Please be specific.

10

Do you currently reside in the City of Norfolk?

• Yes
• No

11

Please indicate your veteran status. (A copy of your long form DD-214 may be required)

• I am not a Veteran
• I am a Veteran
• I am a Disabled Veteran

Required Question

Employer City of Norfolk