Project Manager, Water and Wastewater PUC

Job Status: Permanent Full-Time

Union: Non-Union

Number of Positions: 2

Hours of Work: 35

Location: McGeorge Building Chatham

Reason for Vacancy: Replacement (1) and New (1)

Closing Date: July 26, 2026, 11:59pm EST. Applications received after this deadline will not be accepted.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has an opening for two permanent full-time Project Manager, Water and Wastewater in the Public Utility Commission.

Job description

The Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is a local board of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and functions as the regional water and wastewater utility.

The Project Manager (water & wastewater) is responsible for managing the multidisciplinary (civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, processes) projects at the five (5) water treatment facilities and nine (9) wastewater treatment facilities, 10 elevated water tanks, nine (9) reservoirs and 57 sanitary pumping stations. This position is responsible for managing water & wastewater infrastructure projects including all aspects from scoping/planning, environmental assessments, engineering studies, design including preparing designs, drawings, and overseeing construction contracts, through to project closeout and operationalizing infrastructure. The position requires working closely with external organizations and internal departments. The Project Manager will also be responsible for preparing water and wastewater technical project documents and providing engineering support to PUC operations and compliance departments.

Essential responsibilities

• Demonstrate Chatham-Kent’s core values and competencies.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Prepare, review, and maintain regulatory approval documentation for water and wastewater facility projects to ensure compliance with Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and municipal requirements.
• Manage water and wastewater facility projects and provide technical assistance through the entire life cycle including but not limited to: planning/scoping, assessment, design, tendering, construction, contract administration, start-up, commissioning, warranty, and closeout phases.
• Oversee project construction activities and manage commissioning and operational assumption of infrastructure, including conducting, managing, and co-ordinating field inspections, overseeing consultant performance of construction site inspection and contract administration services, resolving deficiencies, reviewing payment certificates, and ensuring quality control on all assigned projects.
• Review project closeout submittals for accuracy and completion.
• Prepare and/or review procurement packages such as Request for Proposals (RFPs), contract documentation for tender packages, and evaluate proposals.
• Prepare and/or review technical reports, designs, specifications, drawings, and studies; utilizing the MECP design guidelines, Local Improvement Act, Ontario Building Code, Ontario Provincial Standards Specifications (OPSS), Ontario Provincial Standards Drawings (OPSD), PUC Watermain and Sanitary Design Manual, Safe Drinking Water Act, and other relevant municipal and provincial requirements.
• Assist in the preparation of project cost estimates, local improvements, and construction scheduling.
• Prepare design drawings in AutoCAD.
• Prepare and present project information to staff, stakeholders, and the public, including at Public Information Centers, public meetings, and seminars.
• Assist with updating the PUC Watermain and Sanitary Design Manual.
• Assist with the development of policies and by-laws relating to water and wastewater infrastructure.
• Provide engineering support in areas of water network modelling design, whether for system expansion, maintenance, or water quality purposes.
• Perform hydraulic modeling analysis of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure networks for system capacity assessments through the use of WaterGEMS.
• Maintain condition assessments and infrastructure management studies and maintain records for water and wastewater assets.
• Act as a subject matter expert and provide technical management and guidance on assigned project/tasks and deliverables, including assessing facility needs/determining requirements, and developing and informing solutions.
• Review servicing drawings for water and sanitary for new development within Chatham-Kent to confirm conformance with municipal and PUC standards.
• Review new water and sanitary service connection application requests, determine and calculate applicable connection fees and development charges, and issue permits for new service connections.
• Manage and coordinate water and sanitary sewer services extension petition process as well as conduct or assist with public meetings.
• Preparation of commission reports, and recommendations for engineering projects.
• Respond to and assist with resolving public complaints and inquiries and provide backup to reception when required.
• Participate in opportunities for leadership development through training and support of team including development and mentoring of junior technical staff.
• Lead or assist with miscellaneous projects such as building renovation, etc.

Essential qualifications

• College diploma or university degree in a Civil Engineering program.
• Four (4) to six (6) years experience in capital project design, construction, and project management of municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Experience designing and/or managing municipal water and wastewater projects, preferably in a municipal (or other government) environment.
• Experience with MECP design guidelines for water and wastewater projects.
• Familiarity with the Local Improvement Act, Ontario Building Code, Ontario Construction Act, and Ontario Provincial Standards.
• Experience using AutoCAD.

Other qualifications

• Experience in a municipal or other government setting is considered an asset.
• Experience preparing RFPs and tender packages for consultant and construction assignments is considered as asset.
• Experience with construction administration services will be considered an asset.
• Experience preparing or reviewing MECP regulatory approval documentation is considered an asset.
• Experience developing policies, procedures, standards and by-laws in the municipal field will be considered an asset.
• Experience performing hydraulic modeling analysis of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure is considered an asset.
• Experience using WaterGEMS water distribution software tool is considered an asset.
• Experience with the preparation of project estimates, local improvements, and construction scheduling of water and wastewater projects is considered an asset.
• Ability to read and interpret civil, structural, electrical, process mechanical, instrumentation drawings is considered an asset.

Certifications, memberships, licenses

• Possess, or be eligible to obtain, one of the following designations:
  • Certified Engineering Technologist (C.E.T) with Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT);
  • Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO);
  • Engineer-in-Training (EIT) with PEO.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is considered an asset.

Work environment/hours of work

• The work location will be at the PUC head office in Chatham.
• This position works mostly indoors, with occasional construction site visits.
• This position works weekday hours, with occasional evening and weekend hours.

Driver’s licence/vehicle requirements

Because of the responsibilities, this position requires the successful candidate to have a valid class G (or higher) Ontario driver’s licence; a driver’s abstract will be conducted by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. An acceptable driver’s abstract will: be an original document and current (within the previous 30 days); have no more than four (4) demerit points; have no more than two (2) convictions for the same offence; have no criminal code convictions; have no ‘non-medical or administrative’ license suspension in the preceding three (3) years.

Background check requirements

Successful candidates will be required to complete a background check prior to commencement of employment. A background check may include the following: education/certification verification and employment reference check.

Essential physical and/or safety requirements

• Walking: walking on level surface and uneven site terrain (site reviews/inspections).
• Sitting: frequent sitting in chair and/or vehicle seat.
• Standing: frequent standing indoors and outdoors.
• Climbing: occasional climbing on ladders and scaffold.
• Hands: frequent fine finger dexterity (movement), gripping, pinching, typing.

Benefits

This permanent full-time position has an annual salary of $100,043 to $113,119 and will receive benefits including: participation in the OMERS pension plan (mandatory) as well as sick and vacation entitlements. Following successful completion of a 3-month waiting period, candidates will also be entitled to a comprehensive group benefits package.

________

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is an equal opportunity employer, committed to fair and accessible employment practices that attract and retain talented employees in a workplace that is inclusive, supportive, and reflective of the diverse community we serve.

The Municipality does not use artificial intelligence or automated decision‑making tools in its recruitment or selection processes; all hiring decisions are made by people.

Should you require accommodations during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources & Organizational Development (HROD) at 519-360-1998. Applicant information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Privacy legislation and will be used strictly for the purpose of candidate selection.