Assistant Director of Core Services (Department of Solid Waste Management)
City of Durham, Department of Solid Waste Management
Application
Details
Posted: 14-Jan-25
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Type: Full Time
Salary: $111,780.00 - $145,309.00
Years of Experience:
11+
Preferred Education:
4 Year Degree
Internal Number: 25-05256
Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.
Located in the Research Triangle Park region, Durham is the fourth-most populous city in North Carolina, with a population of 296,186. The City of Durham Department of Solid Waste Management (SWM) invites qualified candidates to submit their application for the position of Assistant Director of Core Services, a senior leadership role within SWM with responsibilities for overseeing and managing the daily operations of all solid waste services, facilities, and programs within the department. The City of Durham SWM identifies its “core services” as: curbside collection services for municipal solid waste, recycling, yard waste, bulky items, and food waste (pilot project); delivery and repair of city-issued curbside carts; and management of the city’s waste disposal and recycling center (WD & RC), including a convenience center, transfer station, yard waste processing site, and aerated static pile composting operation. The department is also dedicated to developing and growing programs and services to reduce and reuse, as well as recycle materials from the waste stream, with a focus on environmental sustainability.
This position plays a critical role in ensuring efficient and effective services delivery, operational excellence, and strategic growth management as the city continues to grow and expand. The Assistant Director of Core Services will champion efforts in data management and route optimization and implement new projects and initiatives to enhance the department’s performance. The position is one of two Assistant Director positions in SWM and works closely with the Assistant Director of Finance and Administration and the department director.
Duties/Responsibilities
Operational & Departmental Leadership: Oversee the day-to-day operations of 100+ employees responsible for collection, processing, and management of waste, recyclables, and yard waste. Work with Assistant Director or Administration and Finance to ensure fiscal stewardship and manage the department’s operational budget, staffing, and resources to optimize service efficiency for all core services and programs.
Data Management & Reporting: Create, track, analyze, and report all operations data related to service delivery, performance metrics, and project outcomes. Present data-driven insights to inform decisions and improve operational efficiency.
Route Rebalancing & Optimization: Lead internal teams in the implementation of periodic route rebalancing efforts to optimize collection routes in response to service demand and geographic growth within the city.
Strategic Growth Management: Develop and implement strategies to accommodate the City’s rapid growth, ensuring that solid waste services can effectively expand and scale up as needed. Analyze current operational capacities and recommend improvements to support long-term growth based on best practices, trends, and emerging technologies.
Project Management: Manage and implement new projects or initiatives related to solid waste operations, ensuring alignment with departmental goals and objectives. Oversee project timelines, resource allocation, and successful execution from concept through completion.
Compliance & Safety: Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local policies and regulations related to solid waste management, environmental sustainability, and workplace safety. Implement and monitor safety programs to ensure the well-being of staff and the community.
Team Leadership: Supervise, mentor, and provide direction to division managers and supervisors. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, professional development, and high performance within the operations team.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with other City departments, external stakeholders, and community partners to enhance service delivery and maintain strong relationships. Serve as a key liaison to the City’s Communications department to ensure accurate, timely dissemination of information to the public, and/or external agencies; serves on internal and external committees; represents the department at meetings, proceedings, and conferences; provides consultation in areas of expertise; and responds to high-visibility and complex issues.
Skills/Abilities
Decision making and implementation based on best practices, trends, and emerging technologies.
Critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis.
Conflict resolution and negotiation strategies.
Effective written and oral presentation skills.
Project management.
Contract administration.
Customer service.
Communicates clearly, both orally and in writing, creating and delivering reports and presentations.
Buddgeting and fiscal management.
Strategic planning.
Minimum Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor’s degree in public administration, Environmental Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
At least nine (9) years of progressively responsible related experience in solid waste management.
Professional experience in a leadership or management role.
This position is critical to emergency operations and will report to work in spite of or because of an emergency or disaster event.
Additional Preferred Skills
Master's degree.
Strong understanding of solid waste operations, route optimization, and data management.
Demonstrated experience managing facilities and operational projects.
Proven ability to analyze operational data and make data-driven recommendations and decisions.
Excellent project management skills, with experience implementing large-scale initiatives.
Knowledge of regulatory compliance and safety standards in waste management.
Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to effectively manage teams and collaborate across departments.
Experience with municipal solid waste management in a growing urban environment.
Knowledge of route rebalancing software and systems.
Familiarity with sustainability and environment impact reduction strategies in waste management.
Supervising and evaluating staff performance to include training, mentoring, coaching and overseeing staff development.
Proven ability to manage projects and programs from initiation to completion.
Knowledge and awareness of industry standards trends, solutions and best practices.
Managing budgets and allocations of resources to achieve strategic objectives.
Exercising political judgment, tact and diplomacy
Interpreting and applying laws, codes, regulations, standards and policies.
Experience with waste diversion/circular economy strategies, programs and or/services.
Possess or obtain Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) certification within one year of employment.
About City of Durham, Department of Solid Waste Management
Located in the Research Triangle Park region, Durham is the fourth-most populous city in North Carolina, with a population of 296,186. The City of Durham Department of Solid Waste Management (SWM) invites qualified candidates to submit their application for the position of Assistant Director of Core Services, a senior leadership role within SWM with responsibilities for overseeing and managing the daily operations of all solid waste services, facilities, and programs within the department.