Capital Improvement Director

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor's Degree in Civil, Structural, or an equivalent engineering degree, and ten (10) years of professional, managerial, or administrative experience, dealing with the preparation and fiscal oversight of operating budgets or capital improvement and acquisition projects, including five (5) years of registered professional engineering management experience.

Licenses and Certificates: Valid Texas Class "C" Driver's License or equivalent from another state by time of appointment. 

Texas Professional Engineer License or equivalent transferable from another state, which must be converted to a Texas Registration within one (1) year following appointment.

General Purpose:

Under administrative direction, manage the City's capital improvement projects through the oversight and direction of the Capital Improvement (CID) Department. Provide expert advice to top management on issues concerning capital improvement programs and traffic engineering functions within the City.

Typical Duties:

Direct and manage engineering initiatives and supervise department administrative responsibilities. Involves: Direct and manage divisions within the CID Department. Supervision of divisional units and oversight of all staff. Participate in strategic planning initiatives. Set department performance measures. Develop departmental short and long-term planning priorities and identify resources to meet set goals. Review, analyze, and keep current policies, procedures, and practices, aware of proposed legislation and regulations, and make recommendations regarding the integration of processes to improve efficiency and quality of services. Arrange for guidance or action from higher-level executives on unprecedented problems or deviations from City-wide policies or practices, or from qualified engineering professionals on complex technical issues.

Work and communicate with civic groups, consultants, contractors, utility personnel, planning commissions, and other regulatory agencies to interpret services and rules. Involves: Identifying and securing technological advances. Oversee and enforce municipal ordinances on public safety, engineering standards, and code requirements. Advise the Mayor and other City officials regarding public works initiatives involving infrastructure, facilities, and transportation development. 

Direct, plan, and evaluate capital improvement programs. Involves: Initiating and directing the completion of ongoing City capital improvement programs. Review, analyze, manage, and implement complex capital projects that include engineering, facility construction, subdivision, and transportation plans. Direct project changes based upon the application of technical provisions, code requirements, design, construction time, labor, costs, and feasibility. Analyze financial and legal issues affecting public works programs, urban and regional land use, and transportation planning. Develop major capital improvement programs and facility enhancements for various agency programs (Community Development Grants, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Transportation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Transportation and State Safety programs, etc.) Monitor and coordinate additions, deletions, and modifications to project proposals and work in progress.

Analyze personnel allocation, equipment and supplies, and maintenance costs for projects. Involves: Direct, schedule, evaluate, and prepare a statistical analysis of multiple projects and program requirements, progress, and costs. Assess divisional issues and prepare related records and statistical reports. Work with user department heads to assist them in the development of their strategic planning for CID purposes. Identify program operational objectives. Formulate project request evaluation criteria. Rank merits and priorities, develop costs, and select projects within the limits of available funds. Identify and recommend alternative financing mechanisms for contemplated projects. Draft authorizations to initiate projects, release project funds according to annual and multi-year schedules, distribute forms and supporting documents, and forward approved change orders for issuance. Confer with engineering and maintenance personnel and consultants to assess conditions of facilities and operating life of equipment, propose timing of building and capital improvement projects to optimize labor and materials allocation and usage, and minimize operating costs and disruption of work of facility occupants.

Compile and analyze results, cost, and personnel statistics. Involves: Represent City interests when conferring with and presenting CIP to department heads, public officials of other cities, counties, states, federal agencies, public utilities and regional jurisdictions, business organizations, and civic groups in collaboration with personnel accountable for providing in-depth explanations of technological issues to facilitate understanding of program nature, goals, process, projects, and administrative and fiscal issues. Maintain summary CID documentation for publication. Arrange for, review, and advise on annual departmental funding requests and the administration of adopted budgets. Approve expenditures and requisitions for tools, equipment, supplies, and outside temporary services as authorized.

Prepare and manage the department's annual budget, administer and review contracts. Involves: Identifying and complying with City financial policies and procedures for controlling receipt, allocation, and expenditure of budgeted bond and grant funds. Oversee multi-million-dollar projects. Estimate project costs and identify funding. Work with governmental officials to secure funding for new and ongoing construction projects. Set technical specifications and design contract agreements, construction contract agreements, sign off on approval of plans and technical specifications, bid letting, and budget summaries. Evaluate and prepare service contracts according to City procurement policies and practices. Review grant applications. Consult with contractors regarding municipal bid proposals. Assure adherence to contract technical provisions and deadlines. Participate in the award of contracts and negotiation of contracts for engineering matters.

Supervise assigned staff. Involves: Supervise directly and through subordinate supervisors. Schedule, assign, instruct, guide, and check work. Appraise employee performance and review evaluations by subordinates. Provide for training and development; enforce personnel rules and regulations, and work behavior standards firmly and impartially. Counsel, motivate, and maintain harmony. As the appointing authority, interview applicants and recommend hiring, termination, transfers, discipline, or other employee status changes. Enforce safety rules and departmental regulations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Application of comprehensive knowledge of civil, structural, and architectural engineering principles, standards, and practices as they relate to public works or transportation infrastructures and control systems, allied federal, state, and local safety, environmental, and other pertinent codes, regulations, and mandates.

• Application of comprehensive knowledge of engineering methods and theories as they apply to the design and construction of public works, to include alternative delivery methods such as Design-Build and Construction Manager at Risk.

• Application of considerable knowledge of Municipal Code, Subdivision Ordinance, Engineering Design Standards, Building Code, and professional engineering practices and principles.

• Application of considerable knowledge of public sector accounting and budgeting principles and standards.

• Application of considerable knowledge of municipal or comparable capital projects, services, and operations.

• Application of considerable knowledge of managerial, personnel, and administrative practices and procedures.

• Application of good knowledge of automated financial management information systems.

• Ability to analyze numerous concrete and abstract factors, and exercise judgment in weighing the suitability and effects of alternatives to make decisions or solve problems on non-engineering CIP administrative matters of considerable complexity under unusual circumstances.

• Ability to coordinate or engage in consolidating, preparing, presenting, implementing, and controlling in-depth multi-department operating and capital budgets, financial and economic analyses and reports, project funding schedules, related accounts and records, and administrative policies and procedures.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships involving persuasive dealings with fellow employees, executives, consultants, contractors, elected officials, and the public, and firmly and impartially exercise supervisory authority over assigned subordinates.

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely orally and in writing to explain technical and regulatory standard practices in reports, correspondence, and discussions.

Other Job Characteristics:

• Extended work hours are required as an executive reporting to a Deputy City Manager.

• Residency within the City of El Paso city limits is required by the date of employment.

• Occasional exposure to adverse weather and heavy machinery.