Director of Public Utilities (Director III) - Open Until Filled

Director Of Public Utility Services

The City of Portland is seeking a transformational leader to serve as its first Director of Public Utility Services, a newly created executive role jointly overseeing the Water and Environmental Services bureaus. This role is the cornerstone of Portland's One Water visionunifying drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater services under a single leader for the first time in the city's history.

This position is part of a broader structural transformation under Portland's new councilmayoradministrator form of government.

The Mayor acts as the city's chief executive, directing policy and budget, while the City Administrator manages day-to-day operations. Bureaus are now organized into four strategic service areas led by Deputy City Administrators. The Director reports directly to the Deputy City Administrator (DCA) for Public Works, who is responsible for setting integrated strategies, aligning citywide priorities, and overseeing performance across all Public Works bureaus.

With a combined workforce of over 1,200 employees and an annual budget exceeding $1 billion, the Director is the senior executive responsible for service delivery, operations, regulatory compliance, financial stewardship, One Water strategy implementation, and cultural transformation across two historically independent utility bureaus. This is a high-visibility leadership role that will reshape Portland's infrastructure futurecentered on equity, climate resilience, and affordabilityand will work closely with the DCA to realize the City's strategic goals.

This executive-level position will lead the strategic integration of the Portland Water Bureau and Bureau of Environmental Services (BES). The Director is accountable for delivering high-quality utility services to over 650,000 Portlanders while aligning efforts with the City's climate action, racial equity, and economic justice goals.

Key responsibilities include capital investment planning, utility finance oversight, regulatory compliance, labor-management collaboration, transparent community engagement, and coordination with the Portland Utility Board. The Director will execute strategic direction established by the Deputy City Administrator under Portland's new service area model, ensuring alignment across bureaus, service areas, and partner agencies.

WHAT YOU'LL LEAD :

• Strategic integration of leadership functions across the Water Bureau and BES
• A high-performing executive team delivering core utility services to over 650,000 residents.
• Cross-cutting policy aligned with Portland's climate action, racial equity, and justice goals.
• Major capital programs, including water filtration, sewer modernization, and green infrastructure
• A cultural shift rooted in transparency, frontline empowerment, and operational excellence
• Constructive labor-management partnerships that foster a positive, safe workplace
• Transparent public engagement that centers the voices of historically underserved communities
• Utility infrastructure alignment with broader city initiatives
• Risk mitigation, emergency preparedness, and climate-adaptive utility planning
• Execution of strategic priorities from the DCA for Public Works
• Collaboration with the Portland Utility Board for equitable, community-informed decision-making

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE DIRECTOR OF PORTLAND PUBLIC UTILITIES :

You are an experienced public utility or infrastructure executive with a proven record of leading large, complex organizations through transformational change. You thrive in politically nuanced, high-accountability environments, and you move comfortably between conversations with regulators, engineers, frontline workers, elected officials, and community organizers.

You believe that transparent governance and public trust are foundational to effective utility management. You bring strong communication skills, political savvy, and a deep understanding of the value of culturally responsive community engagement, inclusive labor relations, and frontline empowerment.

You understand the importance of advisory oversight and are committed to building strong, respectful relationships with bodies like the Portland Utility Board. You don't shy away from legacy challengesyou meet them with vision, clarity, and courage.

We invite you to join an informational Zoom session for prospective candidates on August 25, 2025, from 12 : 00 1 : 00 PM PST.

This session will provide an overview of the Director of Portland Public Utilities position and Portland's One Water vision, with time for participant questions.

To learn more about the City of Portland, visit : https : / / www.portland.gov

Have a question? Contact Information : Dreshawn Vance, Motus VP of Executive Search dreshawn@motusrecruiting.com

To Qualify

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position :

The Recruitment Process

STEP 1 : Apply online HERE Required Application Materials :

Optional Application Materials :

Application Tips :

Additional Information

We invite you to join an informational Zoom session for prospective candidates on August 25, 2025, from 12 : 00 1 : 00 PM PST. This session will provide an overview of the Director of Portland Public Utilities position and Portland's One Water vision, with time for participant questions.

Join us on Zoom. Click here for additional information regarding the following :

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

A Career with the City of Portland offers many Employee Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to :