Assistant Director of Public Works - Little Rock - Mackenzie Eason & Associates

Description

Assistant Director of Public Works (Engineering / Operations)

City of Little Rock, Arkansas

Mackenzie Eason & Associates has been retained by the City of Little Rock to assist in the recruitment of an Assistant Director of Public Works. This position represents a critical leadership opportunity within one of Arkansas' largest and most complex municipal Public Works organizations. The role is open following the promotion of the prior Assistant Director and reflects the City's continued investment in strong operational leadership, infrastructure stewardship, and long-term service reliability.

Reporting directly to the Director of Public Works, the Assistant Director serves as a key second-in-command, helping guide a diverse, multi-disciplinary department responsible for the core infrastructure and daily services that support Little Rock's residents, businesses, and neighborhoods. With direct involvement in operational oversight, capital planning, budget development, and organizational leadership, this position plays a central role in translating the City's strategic priorities into effective, on-the-ground execution.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Assistant Director of Public Works position offers a rare and compelling opportunity for a seasoned public works or municipal engineering leader to operate at a senior executive level within a full-service city. The Department of Public Works touches nearly every aspect of daily life in Little Rock, from streets, drainage, and traffic systems to solid waste, recycling, facilities maintenance, sustainability initiatives, and internal service delivery.

The Department manages a combined 2026 budget of approximately $56.7 million, spanning multiple funds and operational units, and oversees several hundred employees across field operations, engineering, and administrative functions. The Assistant Director works in close partnership with the Director to ensure operational continuity, fiscal discipline, regulatory compliance, and service excellence across this broad portfolio.

While divisional oversight assignments may evolve over time, the City intentionally rotates Assistant Director responsibilities to ensure comprehensive exposure to all Public Works functions and to build enterprise-wide leadership capacity. This structure provides an exceptional professional development platform for leaders seeking breadth, complexity, and long-term executive growth within municipal infrastructure management.

Over the next several years, the Assistant Director will help lead the Department through a number of significant initiatives, including:

• Oversight of the 2026 Bond Program, with major investments in streets, drainage, and resurfacing.

• Implementation of new garbage routing software to improve service efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

• Development and formalization of a department-wide safety and training program.

• Support for restructuring Building Services toward an internal service fund model.

• Advancing strategies to address aging infrastructure, rising costs, and expectations to "do more with less."

• Building and sustaining productive relationships with a new employee union.

This role is well-suited for a technically grounded leader who also excels at organizational leadership, cross-departmental collaboration, and public-sector governance.

ABOUT THE CITY & DEPARTMENT

The City of Little Rock, Arkansas' capital and largest city, serves as the state's political, economic, and cultural center. With a diverse population and a regional footprint that continues to grow, Little Rock relies on a highly capable Public Works Department to maintain safe, efficient, and resilient infrastructure systems that support quality of life and economic vitality.

The Public Works Department is a multi-functional organization responsible for engineering, operations, maintenance, and regulatory compliance across a wide range of municipal services. The Department's leadership structure includes the Director and two Assistant Directors, supported by division managers overseeing Civil Engineering, Operations, Solid Waste, Traffic Engineering, Building Services, Sustainability, Safety and Training, Parking Enforcement, and related support services.

The Department's culture emphasizes public service, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Leaders are expected to balance technical rigor with approachability, and strategic thinking with hands-on operational awareness.

THE POSITION — WHAT YOU WILL DO

The Assistant Director of Public Works assists the Director in planning, directing, and managing the Department's activities, programs, and services. Acting as a senior executive leader, the Assistant Director provides strategic oversight of assigned divisions, supports department-wide policy development, and ensures that operational and capital initiatives align with the City's long-range goals.

Key aspects of the role include:

• Providing executive leadership for complex Public Works operations and capital programs.

• Assisting with the development, monitoring, and administration of multi-fund departmental budgets.

• Evaluating service delivery methods and implementing process improvements to enhance efficiency, safety, and performance.

• Supporting contract administration, consultant coordination, and construction oversight for Public Works projects.

• Serving as a liaison to other City departments, regional agencies, state and federal partners, and community stakeholders.

• Representing the Department before the City Manager, Mayor, Board of Directors, boards and commissions, and the public.

• Leading departmental initiatives related to employee engagement, safety culture, and professional development.

• Assuming full departmental leadership responsibilities in the Director's absence, as assigned.

This role requires the ability to operate comfortably at both the strategic and tactical levels, reviewing plans and financial analyses one moment, and addressing public concerns, policy questions, or organizational challenges the next.

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

The City seeks a confident, experienced public works leader who combines technical credibility with organizational leadership, financial acumen, and strong communication skills. The ideal candidate will bring a background in civil engineering or public works operations, along with demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams in a municipal environment.

This individual will be adaptable and self-aware, capable of navigating change while maintaining operational stability. They will be collaborative by nature, comfortable working across departments, and skilled at building trust with staff, elected officials, labor representatives, and the broader community.

Successful candidates will be motivated by public service, committed to continuous improvement, and energized by the opportunity to help shape the future of a complex urban infrastructure system.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.

• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license required; Arkansas registration required within one year if licensed in another state.

• At least four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in civil engineering or public works operations or managerial-level experience directing public works programs and services.

• At least two (2) years of experience supervising professional and management-level employees.

• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, capital planning, contract administration, and regulatory compliance.

• Strong written, verbal, and public presentation skills.

• Valid Arkansas Class D Driver's License (or ability to obtain).

• Residency within the City of Little Rock within ninety (90) days of employment, as required.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is approximately $101,944 – $156,993, depending on qualifications and experience. The City of Little Rock offers a comprehensive benefits package, including retirement, health benefits, and paid leave.

In addition, the City supports ongoing professional development and will cover costs associated with professional engineering license renewals and membership dues for relevant professional organizations (e.g., ASCE, APWA).

ABOUT THE SEARCH

This recruitment is being conducted by Mackenzie Eason & Associates on behalf of the City of Little Rock. The City has established a structured interview process that may include panel interviews and a presentation or case-study component.

Confidential inquiries and expressions of interest should be directed to:

Mackenzie Eason & Associates

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