Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Water Supply

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection seeks to hire an Administrative Engineer, M-7, for a position located in Kingston, NY or Grahamsville, NY. Under the executive direction of the Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, the Administrative Engineer, M-7 will serve as Deputy Commissioner for the Bureau of Water Supply, a major bureau with complex policy formulation and implementation, program planning, technical, operational and research responsibilities. This bureau has a current staff allocation of 1026 positions comprised primarily of engineers, scientists, project managers, watershed maintainers, operators, planners and laboratory personnel; a $92 million Personal Service (PS) budget, a $380 million Expense Budget; and a $500 million Capital Budget.

As Deputy Commissioner, the selected candidate will direct overall management, administration and operation of the collection, storage and delivery of all potable water supplied to New York City’s nine (9) million residents and upstate communities. The Deputy Commissioner will be responsible for overseeing all Bureau of Water Supply divisions: Drinking Water Operations, Source Water Protection Programs, Core Services, Strategic Operations and Research, and External Affairs. The Deputy Commissioner will be responsible for assuring compliance with all Federal, State and City Regulations regarding drinking water quality, reservoir releases, and environmental management. Candidate will be responsible for implementing the source water protection programs founded on the 1997 Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), and the current filtration avoidance determination issued by the New York State Department of Health, as well as the Water Supply Permit for land acquisition issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Key to the success of these programs is the development of good working relationships with watershed communities and various environmental stakeholders to ensure that the City continues to enjoy high quality drinking water while making wise source water protection investments that allow watershed communities to thrive. These programs are broad in scope and are extremely complex with citywide impact. The Deputy Commissioner will be responsible for Environmental, Health and Safety Programs and for the formulation of policy and compliance with regulations including the U.S. EPA Risk Management Program Rule and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management Standards. Candidate will be responsible for policy development and implementation of major capital projects planned for water supply structures and facilities, which have a total capital value of $4.5 billion dollars. The Deputy Commissioner will meet with and represent the Bureau and the Agency before various government agencies, Corporation Counsel, DEP legal, and oversight agencies, and serve as the City’s representative on the Delaware River Master Advisory Committee. The Deputy Commissioner will coordinate and collaborate with all other bureaus within the agency. The Deputy Commissioner will serve as the liaison with the essential community stakeholders throughout the Watershed, establishing and nurturing the mutually beneficial relationships necessary for economic development, collaboration, and communication.


Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Overall responsibility for the operation of the upstate reservoir system through the management, operation and maintenance of New York City’s 19 reservoirs, 3 controlled lakes, and numerous related water supply storage and transportation structures and facilities; regulation of the flow of all water in the upstate water system; treatment of all water collected, transported and/or stored upstate; operation of upstate wastewater treatment facilities owned and operated by New York City and the review and disposition on new requests for connections to these systems; management and protection of all upstate water supply facilities and real estate.

Responsible for overseeing Filtration Avoidance Determination negotiations, and Source Water Protection Programs. In this capacity, the Deputy Commissioner is responsible for managing and directing a managerial staff responsible for implementing the 1997 Watershed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and all subsequent agreements, and a technical staff responsible for implementation of the Watershed Rules and Regulations.

Responsible for overseeing the Bureau’s Drinking Water Operations, assuring that all Federal, State and City Regulations regarding drinking water quality are complied with. Overseeing a managerial staff responsible for water quality monitoring programs throughout the City and the upstate reservoirs; for laboratories responsible for conducting analyses of samples collected for microbiological, chemical and physical measures of water quality; and for staff responsible for responding to water quality emergencies and complaints. Responsible for studying proposed water quality legislation for water quality and for evaluating federal water quality standards as they relate to public health. Overseeing the chemical and ultraviolet treatment of all drinking water. Overseeing the management for all City-owned Water Resource Recovery Facilities upstate.

Responsible for overseeing the management of Core Services, including Environmental, Health and Safety; Management Services and Budget; and Capital Program Management. Responsible for implementation of major capital projects planned for the upstate water supply structures and facilities, with a 10-year capital value of $4.5 billion dollars. Responsible for planning for capital projects as they relate to the improvement, expansion and maintenance of New York City’s upstate water supply system Overseeing management staff responsible for in-house design and construction supervision of capital contracts, management of consultant contracts.

Direct managerial and technical staff responsible for Strategic Operations and Research for the bureau. Oversee the management of all New York City’s reservoirs, the execution of the Flexible Flow Management Plan, and coordination of all reservoir releases. Oversee the development of systems and data related to the supply and demand of New York City’s drinking water. Direct staff in charge of system modeling and utilizing the Operations Support Tool (OST). Help facilitate bureau-wide research and innovation initiatives.


The Deputy Commissioner will be required to report to several locations including Grahamsville, Kingston, Valhalla, Lefrak and Arkville, New York along with operational facilities throughout the watershed.

(This is a brief description of what you might do in this position and does not include all the duties of this position.)


Preferred Skills:

- Thorough knowledge of the design, construction and operation of a large municipal water supply system and related structures and facilities.
- Knowledge of the upstate watershed and downstate distribution system and water quality issues affecting both.
- Knowledge of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations.
- Excellent analytical, administrative, planning, coordination, writing and verbal skills.
- Driver’s license valid in the State of New York; maintained for duration of employment.
- Ability to travel throughout the 2,000+ square mile watershed, utilizing a New York City vehicle.



Work Locations:

Grahamsville
7870 State Road 42
Grahamsville, NY 12740

Kingston
71 Smith Street
Kingston, NY 12401

Valhalla
465 Columbus Avenue
Valhalla, NY 10595

Lefrak
96-05 Horace Harding Expressway
Flushing, NY 11368

Arkville
669 County Highway 38
Arkville, NY 12406

ADMINISTRATIVE ENGINEER - 10015

1. A valid New York State License as a Professional Engineer and six (6) years of full-time satisfactory experience in chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, or plan examining work, at least two (2) years of which must have been in an executive, managerial, or administrative capacity.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.