Director of Public Works

Director of Public Works

Salary

$215,000.00 - $240,000.00 Annually

Location

City Hall -111 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD 20850, MD

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

202600094

Department

Department of Public Works

Division

Management and Support

Opening Date

09/03/2026

Closing Date

10/9/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits

Job Summary

View the Director of Public Works recruitment brochure for additional information: City of Rockville MD Public Works Director Recruitment Brochure

The City of Rockville is recruiting for a highly-collaborative, strategic leader committed to accountability, service excellence, and community stewardship to serves as the Director of Public Works.

The successful candidate will bring proven experience overseeing essential public works operations and delivering high-quality, innovative, and timely services that support the City's infrastructure and growth. They excel in managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment and in empowering diverse teams while fostering a culture of accountability, fairness, safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on meeting community needs and expectations.

The successful candidate has broad public works expertise, including solid waste, water and wastewater systems, and multi-divisional operations such as streets, drainage, and facilities. They also possess a solid foundation in infrastructure and asset management-covering lifecycle planning, condition assessment, and maintenance prioritization-along with a thorough understanding of applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

A trusted and effective communicator, the ideal candidate builds strong relationships across the organization and within the community. They demonstrate integrity, sound judgment, and clear communication through reports, presentations, and public engagement. Financial acumen is essential, including experience managing budgets, allocating resources, and using performance data for inclusive and informed decision-making.

Adaptable and forward-thinking, this individual embraces change to improve organizational effectiveness. They are skilled in strategic planning, operational execution, and process improvement, and make confident decisions with limited oversight. Above all, they bring genuine passion for public service and a commitment to achieving measurable results that enhance the quality of life for the community.

Essential Job Functions

Core Duties & Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and direction for the planning, design, engineering, surveying, inspection, construction, scheduling, repair, and maintenance of all capital improvements and core Public Works operations, including streets, fleet services, water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection, storm and sanitary sewer systems, refuse collection and disposal, street lighting, and traffic management.
• Leads the development, execution, and evaluation of Public Works initiatives and citywide programs, ensuring alignment with municipal priorities and long-term infrastructure goals.
• Provides strategic oversight and direction for the recruitment, training, coaching, and performance management of a diverse workforce of supervisors, engineers, inspectors, technicians, and maintenance personnel. Provides leadership to all departmental activities through a structured management team and fosters a culture of accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborates with departmental leaders and staff to define project objectives, assess facility and infrastructure needs, evaluate program effectiveness, and establish standards for maintenance and service delivery. Strengthens cross-functional collaboration by coordinating major initiatives and operational activities with other City departments, external agencies, regional partners, and community committees.
• Leads the preparation of the departmental budget in partnership with subordinate managers; oversees financial stewardship, accounting practices, and compliance with fiscal policies.
• Develops and presents reports, policies, procedures, and documentation that support transparency, operational excellence, and informed decision-making across Public Works programs.
• Evaluates employee performance through direct observation and consultation with supervisors; ensures staffing plans meet operational requirements; champions professional development by encouraging participation in training, workshops, and skill-building opportunities.
• Initiates, plans, manages, and monitors citywide and neighborhood-level Public Works programs, including leaf collection, solid waste and recycling operations, snow removal, waterline flushing, and other essential services.
• Coordinates efforts with City, County, and State departments, civic associations, and community partners.
• Serves as a key advisor to the City Manager, and various Boards and Commissions on Public Works matters.
• Represents the department at community meetings, civic groups, business associations, and public events, including occasional evening and weekend engagements.
• Conducts comprehensive assessments of the City's Public Works needs and recommends strategic solutions that enhance infrastructure integrity and service delivery.

Qualifications

Education:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in civil engineering or a related field of study.

A master's degree in civil engineering or a closely related field is preferred but not required.

Experience: Seven (07) years of progressively responsible work in municipal public works with at least four (04) years of experience that has included management and supervision of professional, technical, and support staff.

Certification:

Possession of a valid Certificate of Registration as a professional civil engineer with the Maryland Board of Professional Engineers.

Must possess or be able to obtain a driver's license valid in the State of Maryland.

Compensation and Benefits

Anticipated hiring salary range for this position is $215,000-$240,000. The City offers a competitive benefits package which includes health, dental, and vision insurance, group life and long-term disability insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, paid vacation and sick leave, and participation in the Rockville Employees Retirement System.

Application and Selection Process

Interested individuals should submit a resume, cover letter and three (03) professional references. This position will close on October 9, 2026, 11:59pm.

Confidential Inquiries

Please contact Susan Seling, Director of Human Resources, at sseling@rockvillemd.gov or 240.314.8472 with any questions.

The City of Rockville is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity at all levels of its workforce (EOE).

Summary of Employee Benefits

The City of Rockville offers a wide range of health and wellness benefits to full-time, regular employees. Part-time, regular employees working more than 20 hours per week may be eligible for benefits on a pro-rated basis. Benefits are not available to temporary employees.

HEALTH BENEFITS Medical Insurance Participation is available in one of several types of health plans. The city contributes toward each plan. Participation is optional. Employees may elect to participate in plans offered through Aetna or Kaiser Permanente. Benefit coverage is available beginning on date of hire.

Dental Insurance Employees may enroll in the Citys dental program offered through Guardian Dental. The city contributes a portion of the cost of each employees dental coverage. If dental coverage is waived, the Citys contribution is reallocated toward the employees health plan cost. Start date of coverage is the first of the month following date of hire. Vision The city offers a vision plan with VSP. The city contributes a portion of the cost of each employees vision coverage. Start date of coverage is the first of the month following date of hire.

GROUP LIFE INSURANCE

The City provides life insurance equal to one and one-half times an employees base salary. There is no cost to the employee for this benefit. Employees have the option of purchasing additional supplemental life insurance coverage for self, spouse and dependent child(ren). RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN Participation in the City of Rockville's retirement plan is mandatory. There are two parts to the retirement plan: 1) the Pension Plan and 2) the Thrift Plan. The City of Rockville Pension Plan (all employees) is a defined benefit plan that provides the participant with a specific monthly benefit at retirement. Monthly benefits are calculated based on a participant's salary and length of credited service. Employees are fully vested in the pension plan after 10 years of credited service and are always 100% vested in the amounts they contribute. The City of Rockville Thrift Plan (administrative and union employees only) is a defined contribution plan subject to the IRS code 401(a). Employees make pre-tax contributions and investment decisions. No specific amount of money is guaranteed at retirement. The benefits available are based on the amount contributed and are also affected by income, expenses, gains and losses. Deferred Compensation/457(b) Plan - The 457(b) plan, administered by Lincoln Financial, is an optional retirement plan. Contributions to this plan are made entirely by the employee. Both pre-tax and post-tax (Roth) options are available.

LEGAL RESOURCES

Through Legal Resources, participating employees and their eligible family members can get free advice, consultation, and courtroom representation for common legal services.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The City provides free, confidential counseling, assessment, and referral services to help employees deal with personal matters. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is also available for family members who are eligible health insurance plan dependents.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY PROGRAM

The Citys Income Protection Plan provides long-term disability benefits for both on and off the job injuries or illnesses. Coverage for off the job injuries or illnesses is provided after one year of employment with the city.