The posting
Job Description
Join the City of Chattanooga Team
Chattanooga, a vibrant and growing community of over 190,000 residents within a metropolitan area of nearly 600,000 is known as the "Scenic City" for a reason. Nestled along the Tennessee River and surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, we are a hub of outdoor adventure and innovation. Home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College, our city blends a rich industrial history with a tech-forward future—famously powered by the nation’s first community-wide "Gig" fiber-optic network. The City of Chattanooga was also recently designated as a "National Park City,” the first of its kind in the United States.
Our Organization
As a City, we are powered by a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,600 employees committed to excellence in public service and making Chattanooga the best community in the country. Our team ensures our city thrives through a wide range of municipal services, including:
- Public Safety: Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments.
- Infrastructure & Utilities: Public Works, Waste Resources, and specialized Stormwater management.
- Quality of Life: Award-winning Parks and Outdoors and Community Development systems and the Chattanooga Public Library.
- Transportation: The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) and citywide transit and pedestrian friendly initiatives.
- Innovation: Leading-edge smart-city programs with a commitment to cutting edge workforce development policies to ensure all our residents can get ahead.
Why Choose Chattanooga?
The City of Chattanooga’s workforce is the heartbeat of our community. We don't just offer jobs; we offer careers with purpose: making Chattanooga the best city in America. We are committed to being the premier employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee by providing:
- Competitive Compensation: Robust pay scales that reflect our commitment to our staff.
- Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off and flexible scheduling where possible.
- Exceptional Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits and wellness programs designed for you and your family that deliver savings to you beyond your paycheck, featuring a centralized health clinic and pharmacy for all City employees. .
- Growth: A focus on professional development and upward mobility within the organization.
- The Great Outdoors: Your Backyard Playground: Chattanooga isn't just near nature, it's immersed in it. As one of the most biodiverse cities in North America, the "Scenic City" offers an ecological richness that few places on earth can claim. Whether you are an
- adrenaline junkie or a weekend wanderer, world-class adventure is always less than an hour away.
- Vertical Adventures: Scale legendary sandstone cliffs in what is widely considered the premier rock climbing hub of the Southeast.
- Water & Rapids: From the high-octane whitewater kayaking of the Ocoee River to world-class bass fishing and peaceful paddling on the Tennessee River.
- Trails for Miles: Explore a massive network of mountain biking and hiking trails that wind through lush ridges, hidden waterfalls, and deep river gorges.
In Chattanooga, "work-life balance" means you can finish your shift and be at a trailhead or on the water before the sun sets.
Our mission is to work together to build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable city for all Chattanoogans. To do that, it takes a team of skilled and passionate individuals. So, if you’d like to call Chattanooga home – or maybe you already do! – and want to further your career through meaningful work that makes a true impact where you live, we’d love to talk to you.
____________________________________________________________________________
Salary: $119,588 - $150,597 per year
Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. (EST) *Hours may vary due to work assignments or projects.*
Work Location: 455 Moccasin Bend Rd (Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant)
FLSA Status: This is an an appointed position.
Department: Wastewater - Administration
Note: This is an appointed position ***
SERIES LEVEL:
The Deputy Administrator, Wastewater is the first level of a two-level executive management series in Wastewater.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)
Supervises lower level department staff to include prioritizing and assigning work; setting and monitoring performance standards; conducting performance evaluations; ensuring staff is trained; ensuring that employees follow policies and procedures; maintaining a healthy and safe working environment and making hiring, termination and disciplinary recommendations.
Provides oversight and directs the implementation of all Wastewater Department operations and activities which includes planning, coordinating, administering and evaluating programs, projects, strategic planning, processes, procedures, systems, standards and/or service offerings; ensuring compliance with federal, state and local laws, regulations, codes and/or standards; coordinating activities between multiple service areas and working to integrate and coordinate service areas.
Manages the preparation and execution of the department's operational and capital budgets; authorizes expenditures; monitors expenditures and makes required budget adjustments and approves a variety of payments, including contractual payments.
Establishes project guidelines for divisions and ensures compliance with established deadlines.
Oversees departmental compliance with applicable ordinances, codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies and procedures. Reviews and approves departmental personnel actions.
Formulates and implements training initiatives and programs using internal and external resources for maintaining and improving employee skill sets across all personnel groups to enhance employee development, improve work performance and customer service outcomes.
Develops, implements and evaluates sustainability strategies, plans, programs, cost effectiveness and technical feasibility; ensures compliance with policies, standards, regulations and laws.
Researches, evaluates and identifies sustainability practices, partnerships; and reviews regulator, technical or market issues related to sustainability; and makes appropriate recommendations to management. Performs special tasks and coordinates the completion of special projects as assigned by the Mayor's Office or the Administrator of Wastewater.
Monitors the timely, appropriate and adequate response to citizen inquiries and complaints by Wastewater personnel.
Collaborates with internal departments, applicable Boards and Commissions, task forces, advisory groups, the general public, external agencies, contractors, attorneys and/or other interested parties to coordinate activities, review work, exchange information and resolve problems.
Prepares, reviews, interprets and analyzes a variety of complex and multi-faceted departmental information, data, contracts, plans, work requests, maps, technical publications, manuals, reference materials, forms, schedules, calendars, surveys and reports; evaluates information to determine compliance with standards, detect or assess problems and recommends the best solutions based on findings.
Cultivates and maintains constructive and cooperative working relationships with community groups and other stakeholders; finds the best way to communicate information; explains and interprets the costs and benefits of various Wastewater activities, projects or plans to the affected community groups, stakeholders, media and the public at large.
Responds to requests for information and assistance from employees, outside agencies, the general public and/or other interested parties.
Serves as the Administrator in his/her absence.
Must meet regular attendance requirements.
Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers and citizens.
Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
Performs other duties as assigned.
DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DUTIES (if any):
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience in roles of growing scope, responsibility, and demonstrable results in the engineering, business administration, public administration, or a related field, including 6 years at the management level; or any combination of equivalent experience and education.
or
Advanced degree in engineering, business administration, public administration, or a related field may be substituted on a year-for-year basis up to two years of the required 10 years of experience as described above;
LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS:
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Knowledge of managerial and leadership principles and practices; public administration principles and practices; Wastewater engineering principles and practices; property management principles and practices; public relations principles; budgeting principles; contract development, administration and management principles; strategic planning principles; sustainability principles; environmental and natural resources management; conservation; sustainability economics; ecological economics; social organization; alternative fuels; renewal energy; green building; human consumption management; research methods; environmental planning principles; financial management principles; program development and administration principles and practices; procurement principles and practices; project management principles and practices; construction principles and practices; negotiation principles; mathematical concepts; customer service principles and practices; applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances, codes, rules, regulations, policies and/or procedures; policy and procedure development practices.
Skill in monitoring and evaluating the work of subordinate staff; prioritizing and assigning work; setting and monitoring performance standards; analyzing issues and problems related to operations, services, and management information to direct the development of project plans, develop complex programs, present and obtain consensus on recommendations, processes, goals, and solutions; directing the completion of projects; performing mathematical calculations; in using spreadsheet, word processing and database software to review, analyze, and compile data and reports; implementing public relations; preparing and analyzing reports; reading, comprehending, and reviewing financial information; making program decisions based on financial considerations; adapting to rapidly changing administrative and operational requirements; interpreting and applying applicable laws, ordinances, codes, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; analyzing problems, identifying alternative solutions, projecting consequences of proposed actions, and making recommendations in support of organizational goals; conducting negotiations; handling multiple tasks simultaneously; directing the development and management of; collaborating with external agencies; and, communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with subordinate employees, coworkers, supervisor, community groups, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Positions in this class typically require reaching, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Safety Sensitive: N Department of Transportation - CDL: N Child Sensitive: N
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check
The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
KJS 09.10.2026
