Description

Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO - a nationally recognized leader among clean water utilities, provides wastewater conveyance and treatment services for 2.2 million people in the Denver Metro area.

Leads the day-to-day operation of the Technology and Innovation Department (TID), including supervision and management of TID managers and staff, resource management, guidance of projects and initiatives, and organization of TID staff meetings. The Director, reporting to the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), collaborates with senior leadership and oversees TID to support the CIO in executing the strategy of TID. Directs TID in successfully meeting core responsibilities including providing process and optimization support for the operations department, technical support to the engineering department, advanced data analysis, online instrumentation management, and engagement with regulators and community stakeholders.

Examples of Duties

1. Leadership and Strategy:

• Collaborate with the CIO and Senior Management Team to align technology and innovation strategies with Metro's organizational goals.
• Guide TID to ensure alignment with Metro's strategic direction and goals. Identifies resources and other needs, general challenges, priorities, technology, research, and partnership opportunities.
• Communicates long-term strategic directions that contribute to industry-leading outcomes benefiting Metro's communities and the region.

 2. Management of Innovation and Research Projects and Initiatives: 

• Lead, prioritize, and guide initiative-specific teams comprised of key staff and experts to drive innovation, technology adoption, and capital project implementation.
• Direct activities of TID to coordinate resources necessary to execute TID projects and activities that generally focus on piloting, evaluating, and/or deploying technologies, innovation, or best practices that create value for Metro Water Recovery, the environment, and/or its rate payers.
• Support the implementation of PAR projects with subject matter expertise and coordinate with other Department managers as needed to facilitate a seamless and successful execution of PAR projects. Provides oversight to ensure that coordination of TID responsibilities on PAR projects are being met by assigned TID staff. Inform CIO of opportunities and challenges with PAR projects from TID’s perspective.  
• Collaborate with Metro's legal and financial teams to ensure opportunities are legally defensible and aligned with Metro's best interests.

 3. Technical Leadership and Expertise:

• Oversee and guide participation in research projects at regional, national, and international scales that benefit Metro and the region.
• Actively participate in the development and maintenance of the so-called organization-wide phase-gate process to advance projects from planning through conceptual and preliminary design. Assist the CIO in maintaining a system or and process for capturing, and managing, prioritizing, and selecting ideas for implementation collected from Metro staff and external sources. 
• Assist the CIO in updating and administering annual TID strategic plans in alignment with Metro Water Recovery’s broader strategic vision. 
• Monitors the industry and support the CIO in forecasting gaps in subject matter expertise, technology needs, and capabilities necessary to ensure the Department evolves with the industry and stays proactive on compliance strategies with regulatory requirements and environmental protection. 

4. Stakeholder Engagement: 

• Maintain strong relationships with external partners to advance research needs, ensuring the implementation of innovative approaches. Support the CIO and DIP building and maintaining strategic partnerships with academia, peer facilities, and industry groups.  Including participation on committees, research and manual of practice projects, 3rd party partnerships and collaborations, and workshops and session presentations.
• Manages TID resources related to providing technical support to other peer facilities and industry partners to broaden and strengthen Metro Water Recovery’s industry relationships in Colorado and beyond.

5. Strategic Reporting and Collaboration: 

• Guides TID to provide effective decision support to Metro Water Recovery’s leadership for operational and business case analyses through application of in-house modeling and other decision support tools.  

• Prepares written correspondence and presentations to convey Department efforts to a range of internal and external audiences. Supports the CIO in development of materials for updates and subject matter expertise summaries to the Board of Directors. 
• Assist the CIO in tracking success metrics and key performance indicators as well as management of the annual department budgets.

6. Leadership and Team Development:

• Responsible for ensuring TID is appropriately staffed and managed. Responsible for overseeing the growth, development, and engagement of employees. Participates in the employee selection process and evaluates the performance and skill level of employees. 
• Facilitate technical expertise development for TID staff and facilitate access to resources for staff mentoring and training. 

Requirements

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
 
Knowledge of:

• General office processes and procedures
• MS Office and modeling software (e.g., project management software, wastewater process modeling software)
• Leadership principles and strategic management
• Clean water and energy management best practices
• Engineering standards and innovative technologies
• Federal, state, and local regulations in wastewater treatment and biosolids management
• Operating budget management

 
Skilled at:

• Leveraging diverse modes of communication to optimize the effective exchange of ideas and information
• Utilizing technology to seek and share resources and information
• Leading and managing research projects
• Understanding of complex data
• Team building and team management
• Active and empathic listening skills
• Managing disagreements, de-escalating conflict, and negotiating win-win solutions

 
Ability to:

• Direct, persuade and motivate others 
• Listen, seek advice, and help create productive consensus among team members of varying perspectives
• Perform effectively in a collaborative team environment
• Think and act strategically in an organizational” big picture” context
• Identify problems, craft effective solutions, act decisively and demonstrate good judgement
• Maintain emotional control under ambiguous and stressful circumstances

 
Education
Master's degree in engineering or science. Equivalency equals two years of directly related professional experience for every year of education not completed.  Six years of management or leadership experience in the wastewater industry. Registered as a Professional Engineer.