Aqua, an Essential Utilities company, employs people in a variety of roles within our eight-state footprint, ranging from field workers and customer service representatives who are on the front lines working with customers, to scientists and engineers who help ensure we're delivering reliable water and wastewater services to our communities. If you're looking for a rewarding career helping improve our environment and protect our natural resources, we encourage you to join our team!
About Essential Utilities
Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.
Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.
We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.
Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.
Role summary:
Resulting from an internal promotion, we are now looking for a Director, Water Distribution and Maintenance who will be accountable for delivering Aqua's mission through the technical, administrative, financial and customer satisfaction elements of our water distribution system across southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA). Reporting to senior operations leadership and providing leadership for a team of up to sixty colleagues, the majority of which are unionized, you will join a well-established water utility currently going through significant investment led transformation. You will be challenged to drive improvement and innovation at a strategic level in a regulated environment across people and operations consequently creating development opportunities for the broader team.
The successful candidate for this role will also play a key role in labor-management matters, for local government relations, and will be accountable for the delivery of safe, compliant reliable operations.
What you will bring:

• Evidence of driving strategic improvement in utility operations and capital improvement projects preferably gained within a water treatment and / or distribution system.
• Experience leading a team of at least 20 people preferably gained within a unionized environment.
• Experience of aggregating and utilizing data to inform strategic change across operational functions and accounting and budgetary procedures, materials management, report preparation and training for a utility system.
• Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree and/or PMP Certification preferred.
• Must have or obtain a PADEP Drinking Water, Class E (distribution and consecutive water systems) license required within 12 months.

Key Accountabilities:

• Utilize a data-led business performance management approach to directing and leading the inspection and maintenance of the distribution system which spans water mains, services, fire hydrants, regulators, automatic valves and other related appurtenances, booster stations and storage facilities.
• Deliver Company assigned metrics via the Company's Work Order system, including valve exercising objectives, fire hydrant inspections, blowoff inspections, flushing and painting tasks.
• Review work order reports and other productivity reports and evaluate for efficiency of work and attainment of goals.
• Conduct regular meetings with assigned staff for Company updates, continuous improvement ideas, and otherwise share information in line with driving high performing culture initiatives
• Assure that work management practices are utilized to properly staff jobs, forecast workload and reduce backlog.
• Annually, issue goals to management focused on safe, compliant, and improved operations (continuous improvement). Monitor progress and accomplishment of the same to ensure objective is met.

• Act as liaison with municipal and state officials. Maintain favorable relations and enhance Company image with the public.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with Aqua departments to ensure the Company mission of continuous delivery of water to customers.
• Prepare Capital and Operating Budgets (Annual budget ranges from $3M to $8M, and includes Expense and Capital related work) for the assigned Area and control the area expenditures while enforcing all Company Accounting controls.
• Ensure timely completion of projects in accordance with the budget. Track project expenditures and complete budget management administrative work to balance budget
• Oversee work of the Administrative Unit including training and testing procedures, and administrative support positions.
• Ensure compliance with all regulations and governing authorities and Company regulations pertaining to staff and public safety, environmental compliance.
• Ensure company compliance with the PA Underground Utility Line Protection Law
• Assist Aqua's Regulatory Policy Analyst in the review, update and implementation of PA PUC Management Audit recommendations
• Administer the performance evaluation program for personnel as well as establishing and implementing training programs for staff to ensure continued competency in assigned roles. Implement development programs for staff succession planning.
• Participate in the implementation of the Company's affirmative action plan to ensure that opportunities for employment and advancement, based upon qualifications, are afforded to all females and minorities and others.
• Plan, evaluate and ensure disturbed pavement in roads is done timely and to quality that prevents complaints from motorist or road owners.
• Evaluate and test new products, including the use of information technology, relating to maintenance and distribution activities and impact improvement in work processes.
• Responsible for ensuring that customer service is maintained at the highest levels, ensuring interruptions to service are kept at a minimum
• Monitor and participate in Non-Revenue Water identification including apparent and real loss work, and pressure management improvements.

Work Schedule:

• In addition to standard business work hours, Monday through Friday you will periodically need to respond to / attend after-hour emergencies and/or meetings.
• As needed in the absence of assigned personnel, provide cover on call assignments (24/7) to handle any problems that may arise.
• Be available as needed for emergencies or other non-routine situations.

Aqua, an Essential Utilities company is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Aqua is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.