Engineering Director

The Engineering Director plays a pivotal leadership role at the Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA), responsible for overseeing and directing capital investments in the Authority’s water, wastewater, and stormwater systems, including treatment facilities and distribution infrastructure. This position is critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability, reliability, and efficiency of CCWA’s utility services. Over the coming years, CCWA anticipates investing more than $300 million in infrastructure improvements, including significant upgrades to aging pipelines, water reclamation facilities, stormwater systems, and other essential assets.

As a senior member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Engineering Director reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and collaborates closely with all departments within the Authority. The Director provides expert guidance and strategic input to ensure that infrastructure investments are both technically sound and financially prudent—delivering maximum value to ratepayers while safeguarding environmental compliance and operational excellence. A central focus of this role is to lead the Program Management and Engineering Department, hiring and managing a skilled internal team as well as external consultants and contractors to deliver high-quality projects on time and within budget.

The Director is tasked with the planning, design, and construction of all capital projects and must ensure that policies, procedures, and project delivery systems are optimized for performance, transparency, and efficiency. CCWA’s success depends on a forward-thinking and deliberate engineering approach, and the Director must embody those values through data-driven decision-making, risk management, and an unwavering commitment to public service.

In addition to project execution, the Engineering Director plays a key role in the development and management of the Authority’s annual capital improvement budget, aligning departmental priorities with organizational goals. The Director is expected to clearly articulate complex engineering and technical issues in ways that support informed decision-making by senior leaders and the CCWA Board of Directors.

Externally, the Engineering Director serves as a key representative of CCWA, engaging with community members, business owners, regulatory agencies, municipal partners, and other stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative communicator with the ability to build trust, provide insight, and advocate for infrastructure strategies that balance technical feasibility, financial stewardship, and community benefit.

This is an opportunity for an experienced engineering leader to shape the future of a vital public utility—supporting Clayton County’s continued growth while delivering sustainable, cost-effective water infrastructure solutions for decades to come.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering or a related field; ten (10) years of related work experience in planning, designing, and constructing water, sewer, and stormwater systems including lead or supervisory experience.; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job
  
• Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all CCWA or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position
  
• A strong understanding of local, state, and federal regulations related to engineering and environmental compliance
• Demonstrated ability to procure, manage, and oversee engineering consultants—including contract negotiation, scope development, and performance evaluation
• Capability to develop and implement strategic plans, budgets, and policies
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines and diverse stakeholder demands
• Experience with data-driven decision-making, asset management, and technology integration? 
  

• Valid Georgia driver’s license. 
• Professional Engineer (PE) 

Preferred Education: 

• ?Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering or related field 

Application Process

For more information on this position, including supplementary documents and resources, visit the recruitment webpage at: https://sumterlocalgovconsulting.com/executive-search-services/

The first review of resumes will take place on July 31, 2025.

Please refrain from communicating with the staff or appointed officials with the Clayton County Water Authority. Please direct inquiries to Sumter Consulting.

Please contact the Executive Recruiter with any questions or concerns: