Director of Engineering

Position Overview

The Rapidan Service Authority (RSA) is seeking a highly qualified Professional Engineer to serve as Director of Engineering.

Reporting directly to the General Manager, the Director of Engineering will serve as the chief technical authority for RSA. This role is designed for a strategic professional who wants to move beyond transactional project management to establish the lasting engineering policies, design standards, and operational frameworks that will define the region’s utility infrastructure for decades to come.

This position offers the autonomy to build. The incoming Director will be empowered to:

• Shape the Team: Provide direct leadership, structure, and professional development to a dedicated technical team, including the Capital Projects Manager, GIS/CMMS Manager, GIS/CMMS Technician, and engineering interns.
• Define the Standards: Establish and formalize RSA-specific engineering policies, technical specifications, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure long-term operational resilience and consistency across Madison and Orange counties.
• Direct Regional Infrastructure: Oversee the technical strategy and execution of a robust Capital Improvement Program (CIP), utilizing consulting engineering firms as design and project management partners while maintaining strict internal owner oversight.

Core Responsibilities

• Departmental Leadership: Manage and evaluate the engineering division's personnel, optimizing workflows and fostering a culture of technical excellence and accountability.
• Technical Policy & Governance: Author and enforce Authority-wide construction and material specifications to ensure all new infrastructure additions achieve maximum service life and reliability.
• Engineering Review & Compliance: Provide executive-level engineering review of site plans, facility designs, hydrologic models, and specifications to ensure strict compliance with VDH, DEQ, and local regulations.
• Oversight of External Teams: Serve as the primary technical liaison to external engineering consultants, ensuring their deliverables strictly align with RSA’s long-term operational interests, budgetary constraints, and master plans.
• Capital Improvement Execution: Collaborate with the General Manager to prioritize, schedule, and execute CIP projects, providing the RSA Board of Members with objective, data-backed technical risk assessments.

Professional Qualifications

• Licensure: Valid Professional Engineer (PE) license is required. Must possess or be able to obtain Virginia licensure via comity within six months of hire.
• Experience: A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in civil, environmental, or utilities engineering, with at least 5 years in a significant management or supervisory capacity.
• Expertise: Comprehensive knowledge of water distribution, wastewater collection, and treatment facility operations.
• Systems Mindset: Proven track record of developing and implementing engineering workflows, asset management programs, and internal technical policies.

Benefits

RSA participates in the Virginia Retirement System and offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, vision, dental, and life insurance, generous leave time, and all Commonwealth of Virginia Holidays.

Pay: $105,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person