Public Works Director

Salary: $116,484.00 - $174,726.00 Annually
Location : 450 E. Horton Street, Zebulon, NC
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 00167
Department: Public Works
Opening Date: 10/30/2026
Closing Date: 11/30/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Description

The Town is seeking a Public Works Director who understands that technical competence is the foundation, but executive leadership is the expectation. The successful candidate will demonstrate enterprise leadership, sound judgment, integrity, emotional intelligence, financial stewardship, political awareness, and the ability to lead change. The Director must build trust through active listening, fair and transparent decisions, constructive conflict resolution, appropriate accountability, and reliable follow-through. The ideal candidate will be visible and approachable, able to work effectively with every member of the management team and committed to a workplace in which employees are heard and treated consistently. The Director will unify divisions around a clear service vision, develop supervisors, support frontline employees, and communicate confidently with the Town Manager, Board of Commissioners, and community.
Detailed Work Activities

As a key member of the executive leadership team, the Public Works Director drives the strategic operations, personnel management, and service standards of the department while mentoring supervisors to foster clear communication, mutual accountability, and high professional standards. This leadership role oversees the comprehensive maintenance and development of town infrastructure-including roadways, sidewalks, rights-of-way, stormwater systems, solid waste operations, and municipal fleets-while spearheading long-range capital planning, asset management, and preventive maintenance programs. The Director manages all fiscal responsibilities, from operating and capital budget administration to grant tracking and project procurement, ensuring full compliance with environmental, safety, and regulatory mandates. Furthermore, this position acts as a vital liaison across town departments, regional partners, and elected officials, leveraging data-driven tracking systems, GIS technology, and strategic workforce development to deliver exceptional public service to the Town of Zebulon.
Qualifications

Minimum qualifications include: Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Public Administration, Construction Management, or a closely related field. At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in public works, infrastructure management, construction, or related municipal operations that includes at least five years of supervisory or management experience. Experience managing operating and capital budgets, construction and maintenance projects, staff leadership, procurement, and safety and regulatory compliance. Demonstrated ability to collaborate with senior leaders, elected officials, department directors, contractors, public agencies, employees, and community members. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Preferred qualifications include: Master's degree in Public Administration, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field. Experience as a Public Works Director, Assistant Director, division manager, or comparable senior public works leader. Experience in North Carolina municipal public works operations and applicable procurement and environmental requirements. Experience serving a rapidly growing community and improving infrastructure systems and service delivery. APWA professional certification or another relevant public works, engineering, or management credential. Demonstrated success building employee trust, developing management teams, modernizing work-order or asset management practices, managing stormwater and capital projects, and improving departmental performance.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Serve as the Town's senior public works leader and an active member of the executive leadership team.
• Plan, organize, direct, and evaluate departmental operations, personnel, service standards, and work programs.
• Lead and coach managers and supervisors; promote employee voice, professional conduct, clear communication, and consistent accountability.
• Build productive working relationships across the full management team.
• Direct the planning, operation, and maintenance of streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, stormwater systems, solid waste and yard waste services, fleet, equipment, and assigned facilities.
• Develop asset management and preventive maintenance programs, condition assessments, fleet replacement schedules, and multi-year infrastructure plans.
• Prepare and administer the department's operating and capital budgets; monitor expenditures, project costs, grants, and financial performance.
• Oversee project scopes, technical specifications, bidding, procurement, construction coordination, contracts, change orders, and project closeout in partnership with Finance and other departments.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, environmental, stormwater, solid waste, purchasing, personnel, and records requirements; maintain emergency response readiness.
• Coordinate infrastructure planning and capital priorities with development activity, other Town departments, utilities, regional partners, and contractors.
• Improve work-order tracking, GIS and operational data, reporting, productivity measures, and communication of service priorities.
• Represent the Department before the Town Manager, Board of Commissioners, employees, residents, and community partners; provide practical and timely recommendations.
• Develop employee capabilities, succession plans, professional development, and a respectful culture of teamwork across divisions.

The Town of Zebulon is dedicated to providing unique benefits that meet the needs of our employees and their families. We offer the following benefits to all full-time permanent employees:

Please note that the following is only a summary of Town employee benefits and policies. For further details and additional information, please refer to the Town of Zebulon Personnel Administration Policy handbook or see Human Resources. This document does not constitute a guarantee of benefits.

1. Annual Leave:Vacation accrues as follows:

Vacation is accrued on the 2nd Payroll of each month. Employees hired on or before the 15th of the month accrue annual leave during that month. Employees hired after the 15th do not accrue annual leave for the month in which they are hired. Employees are not permitted to use their vacation time during their probationary period except when approved by the Town Manager. Employees are permitted to accumulate vacation time with no maximum throughout the year. However, all accumulated vacation time over 240 hours at the end of the calendar year will be transferred to your sick leave.

1. Sick Leave: All employees earn eight hours of sick leave each month. There is no maximum accumulation of sick leave. Any employee hired on or before the 15th of the month accrues sick leave during that month. Employees hired after the 15th do not accrue sick leave for the month in which they are hired.

1. Petty Leave: Each employee earns 14 hours of petty leave per year (1.17 hours per month). Petty leave may be taken by employees with the approval of their supervisor. Any amount after two hours will not be approved as petty leave. Petty leave lapses at the calendar year end.

1. Holidays: The Town follows the basic holidays that the State of NC follows, except we add the employees birthday as a holiday. Each employee receives 13 holidays per year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Birthday, Good Friday, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving (2 days), Christmas (3 days), and Employee's Birthday.

1. Maternity/Paternity Leave: Maternity/Paternity leave is composed of approved paid and unpaid time away from work for pregnancy or placing of a child related reasons. A combination of compensatory time, sick, vacation, and leave without pay may be used during this time if the necessary requirements are met.

1. Bereavement Leave: Bereavement leave may be used to attend the funeral for a death in the employee's immediate family, but may not exceed three days for any one occurrence.

1. Civil Leave: An employee called for jury duty or as a court witness for the federal or state governments or subdivision thereof shall receive leave with pay for such duty during the required absence without charge to accumulated vacation or sick leave. Any court fees paid to the employee are allowed to be retained by the employee. While on civil leave, benefits and leave shall accrue as though on regular duty. Employees required to be in court for their own case, defendant or plaintiff, must use compensatory, petty or vacation leave.

1. Military Leave: Any employee who is a member of an Armed Forces Reserve Organization or the National Guard will be granted ten workdays per year for military training. This leave is not charged to annual leave; however, any salary payment that the employee receives from the military shall be deducted from the employee's regular salary paid by the Town.

1. FMLA Leave: Any employee eligible under the Family and Medical Leave Act is eligible for 12-weeks of leave. FMLA leave will run concurrently with all workers compensation leave, short term disability, maternity and any other leave that qualifies. The employee is required to notify their supervisor and Human Resources of the need to be out on leave and must also provide Human Resources with the necessary documentation.

1. Social Security Deductions: Employees are covered under FICA (Federal Medicare and Social Security program). The FICA deduction is taken each pay period. The Town of Zebulon matches and contributes this amount to the Social Security Administration.

1. Workers' Compensations Salary Supplement: All full-time employees are covered by worker' compensation. Employees with a job-related injury are paid 66 percent of their salary from the Town via an independent workers' compensation insurance carrier. The employee may elect to use accumulated compensatory time, vacation or sick leave to augment workers' compensation pay.

1. Credit Union: Employees may join the North Carolina Local Government Employees' Federal Credit Union. For information contact the Credit Union at 919/269-5477 or refer to the NCLGFCU packet.

1. Health Insurance: The Town provides health insurance coverage for all full-time employees. Insurance coverage becomes effective 30 days after hire date. Spouse, dependent, or family coverage is also available. Employees are responsible for paying additional premiums for any dependent coverage. See your health care package for further details.

1. Dental Insurance: Dental insurance is provided for Town employees at no cost to the employee. Insurance coverage becomes effective 30 days after hire date. Spouse, dependent, and family coverage is also available. Employees are responsible for paying additional premiums for any dependent coverage. See your dental care package for further details.
2. Vision Insurance: Vision insurance is provided for Town employees at no cost to the employee. Insurance coverage becomes effective 30 days after hire date. Employee has the opportunity to purchase vision insurance for their family members.

Note: As part of the Town's cafeteria plan you may choose to not be carried under the Town health insurance plan, provided you can show proof of some other type of group health coverage. You also may opt out of the dental insurance plan. If you choose not to be carried under the plan, you may receive a portion of the premiums that would be paid if you selected to be covered under the Town's plan. Any opt out pay is determined by the Board of Commissioners.

1. Supplemental Insurance: Various supplemental insurance policies, including accident, cancer, and hospitalization insurance, are available through Colonial Life at the cost of the employee. See your Colonial Life packet for further details.

1. Disability Insurance: Full-time employees have short-term disability insurance provided by the Town of Zebulon. Disability Insurance pays an employee 66 percent of their weekly salary when supported by medical documentation of disability and department head verification of known disability. The employee may elect to use accumulated compensatory time, vacation or sick leave to augment disability pay. Disability insurance begins paying on the sixth workday of any disability and/or after all accrued vacation, compensation time and sick time is exhausted. Maximum duration of short-term disability leave is 26 weeks. The Town does not offer long-term disability.

1. Long Term Disability Insurance: Long Term Disability Insurance is available to employees at their own expense. This insurance is through Hartford Insurance.

1. Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D): The Town pays for employee individual term life insurance and AD&D at one time their annual salary. Insurance coverage becomes effective 30 days after hire date. Employees also have the opportunity to purchase additional life insurance for them self or their family members through Hartford Insurance. Employee is responsible for paying all premiums for family and additional coverage.

1. Flexible Spending Accounts: Employees have the opportunity (after six months of employment) to have amounts deducted from their pay pre-tax and placed in a flexible spending account. Please speak to the Finance Department staff if you have questions or are interested in participating in this program.

1. Death Benefit: An employee with one year of service time in the NC Local Governmental Employees Retirement System is covered by a death benefit paid to his or her beneficiary. It is equal to the employee highest 12-month salary not to exceed $150,000.

1. Retirement System/Deductions: All full-time employees are members of the S