Director of Maintenance & Stormwater Management

Are you energized to lead a large group of diverse staff in maintaining stormwater and transportation infrastructure? Join Fairfax County's Maintenance and Stormwater Management Team and play a vital role in safeguarding our community and the region's water quality. As a key leader in our team, you will have the opportunity to drive innovative solutions, lead strategic initiatives, and ensure the sustainability of our stormwater and infrastructure services.

Make a difference with us and be a part of a team dedicated to excellence and environmental stewardship!

We’re looking for a Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division Director with proven leadership of stormwater and transportation infrastructure management, including working towards improved flood risk reduction and water quality.

In this role, the key responsibilities would be:• Direct operations and maintenance of the county’s stormwater systems, transportation infrastructure, and other assigned public works assets, ensuring reliable service, regulatory compliance, safety, and effective program delivery.

• Take charge of the county’s snow and ice response, coordinating a 24/7 operation during winter events to keep county facilities safe and open.
• Oversee more than 130 professional, paraprofessional, and operational staff responsible for stormwater programs that ensure compliance with the Virginia Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) Permit, VA Erosion and Stormwater Management Act, VA Chesapeake Bay Act, VA Dam Safety Act, and related regulations. You’ll also provide practical, engineering-based solutions to address residents’ and business owners’ stormwater concerns and protect their property.
• Lead a data-driven, risk-based asset management program that uses modern technology to prioritize investments, extend the life of critical infrastructure, enhance safety, and ensure strong fiscal stewardship across a division of 130+ employees.
• Recruit, develop, and mentor staff at all levels, building technical depth, strengthening technological capabilities, and creating clear pathways for growth, advancement, and professional fulfillment.
• Direct and strategically manage contracts for services such as landscaping, snow removal, inspections, and engineering, while budgeting for long-term capital planning and maintenance, staffing, materials, and equipment.
• Represent the division in operational and policy matters, providing information and recommendations to county leadership and elected officials and coordinating program activities with internal departments, regulatory agencies, contractors, and other external partners.

The Ideal candidate should have the ability to:• Strategic Leadership & Accountability: Inspire and lead a large, diverse workforce; establish clear expectations; develop leaders and employees; and hold teams accountable for safety, service, regulatory, and operational results.

• Strategic Decision-Making: Use data, risk, performance measures, and organizational priorities to make sound decisions, set direction, and allocate resources effectively.
• Communication & Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate clearly and effectively with employees, senior leadership, elected officials, partner agencies, contractors, and the community, including in high-visibility situations.
• Collaboration & Relationship Building: Build trusted partnerships across departments and organizations, resolve cross-functional issues, and bring diverse stakeholders together to achieve shared objectives.
• Problem-Solving & Innovation: Anticipate operational and community challenges, develop practical solutions, and embrace modern technology and innovative approaches to improve service delivery.
• Employee Development & Change Leadership: Build organizational capacity by recruiting, mentoring, developing, and retaining employees while guiding teams through changing priorities, technology, policies, and operational demands.

The Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division is part of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), please visit us here to learn more about us.

DPWES is a diverse, nationally-accredited and award-winning public works agency with approximately 1,000 employees providing solid waste, capital facility development, wastewater, stormwater, urban forestry, and land acquisition management services for the most populous county in Virginia. Join our team to help us protect the environment and serve the people of Fairfax County by creating and preserving a sustainable community that is an ideal place to live, work, and play for everyone.

Fairfax County Government is committed to our employees, and offers comprehensive benefits, including a defined-benefit retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; paid leave; tuition reimbursement; and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Through our LiveWell Program and the County Benefits Division, we endeavor to cultivate a culture of wellbeing that empowers, educates and engages employees and retirees to make life-long choices that promote a holistic approach to their physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and financial wellness. Please review our awesome benefits:• Benefits

• Retirement

Note: DPWES stormwater positions are responsible for providing emergency response for public stormwater infrastructure needs, inclement weather including snow, ice, and flood, and other service to residents during emergencies. This position is designated as emergency service and is subject to 24-hour on-call and may be required to report to work during extreme inclement weather or other emergencies, including after-hours and weekend work during emergency incidents to fulfill emergency service duties.

In 2027, all Wastewater Collection Division assignments will be permanently located at the new Water Resources and Infrastructure building, located at 6000 Freds Oak Road, Burke, VA 22015. Position may require traveling to multiple Fairfax County sites.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for “Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to”) Graduation from a four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in the appropriate engineering field or environmental sciences; plus nine years of progressively responsible engineering or environmental experience that relates to the operation and maintenance of public work’s systems and/or facilities; three years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED: Valid driver's license.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, credit check, and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:• 15+ years of experience with stormwater management or entities subject to environmental regulation, 24/7 operations, and emergency response.

• A bachelors or masters degree in civil engineering, environmental engineering, environmental science, geology, or a related field.
• Licensure as a professional engineer in civil engineering, wastewater engineering, environmental engineering, chemical engineering, or a related field of engineering.
• Certification as Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Program Administrator for Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Management
• 10+ years of experience implementing programs to meet federal, state, or local regulations at a public works, utility, or other environmental entity subject to environmental regulation.
• Experience using a risk-based asset management program and applying modern technology to improve public service, safety, and fiscal responsibility
• 5+ years selecting, leading and managing teams to achieve business objectives, coordinating between departments, and devising metrics to measure program success.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Ability to communicate clearly with others verbally and in writing, with visual acuity sufficient to read documents, work at a computer monitor, and operate keyboard-driven equipment. Ability to hear and properly respond to typical construction alarms and verbal warnings at construction and facility sites. Ability to make direct observations of work in progress and recognize hazards such as sharp objects, warning signs, slippery surfaces, steep slopes, tripping and fall hazards, and moving heavy equipment. Ability to navigate rough, slippery, and uneven terrain at stormwater facilities, dams, and typical construction sites. Ability to operate county vehicles to various locations throughout Fairfax County to attend meetings, provide coverage, and review work performed by staff. Ability to walk, stand, bend, stoop, reach, push, pull, lift, and carry up to 50 lbs., including routine climbing of stairs and steep terrain. Physically and mentally able to use all applicable personal protective equipment in outdoor environments, including hardhat, eye protection, hearing protection, safety footwear, long pants, sleeved shirt, respirator (as required), and personal fall arrest harness. Primarily office-based with required travel among county facilities, including construction or field settings. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE: Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. [email protected] EEO/AA/TTY.

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