Public Works Director
Salary
Up to $145,000 annually DOQ
Job Region
South
Department/Division
Public Works
Organization
City of Hendersonville
City
Hendersonville
State
North-carolina
Job Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering, project management, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field.
- A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in public works, engineering, infrastructure management, or municipal operations.
- At least three (3) years of supervisory and administrative leadership experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Professional Engineer (PE) license or relevant master’s degree
Job Description
The City of Hendersonville, NC has a population of over 17,000 and the city workforce consists of approximately 360 employees. The City Council adopted FY 2025–2026 operating budget of $68.6 million.
Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina, the City of Hendersonville offers a high quality of life, a vibrant downtown, and a strong sense of community. Known for its scenic beauty, historic charm, and proximity to outdoor recreation, Hendersonville combines small city warmth with professional municipal services and forward-thinking leadership-thinking leadership.
The city serves a diverse residential and business community and is committed to maintaining safe, efficient, and sustainable public infrastructure. Hendersonville values responsive government, sound financial stewardship, and exceptional customer service, making it an appealing environment for experienced public service leaders.
The Position
The Public Works Director provides strategic leadership and operational direction for the City of Hendersonville’s Public Works Department. This senior leadership role is responsible for ensuring efficient service delivery, regulatory compliance, fiscal responsibility, and high-quality maintenance of City infrastructure and facilities-quality maintenance of City infrastructure and facilities.
The position serves as a key advisor to executive leadership and works collaboratively with internal departments, elected officials, contractors, and the community. The position reports to the Assistant City Manager – Public Services.
The director oversees an operating budget of $7.9 million (including a CIP of $2.5 million) and staff of 70, including 5 direct reports
Key Responsibilities
- Provide overall leadership and management of the Public Works Department, leads department-wide performance management (KPIs, dashboards, service levels)
- Strengthen asset management and capital prioritization (risk-based maintenance)
- Drive workforce planning (succession planning, recruitment, training pipelines)
- Advance interdepartmental coordination (Planning/Engineering, Finance, Water/Sewer)
- Strengthen public communication around infrastructure expectations
- Direct daily operations across all Public Works divisions to ensure safe, efficient, reliable service delivery
- Develop and implement departmental goals, policies, and long-range operational plans
- Oversee departmental budgeting, financial monitoring, purchasing, and resource allocation
- Ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and safety standards
- Represent the department before City leadership, boards, committees, and community stakeholders.
- Coordinate with other City departments and external agencies to support strategic initiatives and operational needs.
Job type
Full-Time
Degree Desired
Bachelor's
Apply By Date
March 13, 2026
Apply By Time
5:00 p.m. Eastern