rockford, illinois city engineer usa is pleased to announce the recruitment and selection process...
TRANSCRIPT
GovHr USA is pleased to announce the
recruitment and selection process for City
Engineer for the City of Rockford, Illinois.
This brochure provides background information
on the City of Rockford, the Department of
Engineering, as well as the requirements and
expected qualifications for the position.
Candidates interested in applying for the
position should submit their résumé and cover
letter, along with contact information for three
professional references by November 30,
2017 to GovHRUSA.com/current-positions/
recruitments.
GovHRUSA, LLC 630 Dundee Road, Suite 130 Northbrook, Illinois 60062 847-380-3243 Formal Applications should be submitted to: www.govhrusa.com/current-positions/recruitment
Heidi Voorhees, President
Executive Recruitment for
ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS CITY ENGINEER
Rockford, Illinois
PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Rockford, IL (150,000) The city of Rockford is seeking an
experienced, progressive, professional engineer to serve as its next City Engineer. The third largest city in the
state, Rockford is located in north central Illinois, 60 miles
northwest of Chicago near the Illinois/Wisconsin state line.
Rockford operates under
a Mayor/Alderman form
of government with a full-
time City Administrator.
The City Engineer reports to the Director of Public
Works and directs a
division of 26 employees
which includes four
professional engineers,
project managers, an
Engineering Operations
Manager and other
technical staff. Please note the following about
this opportunity:
• The City Engineer is responsible for all capital
construction with oversight over infrastructure projects
including streets and highways, bridges, storm sewer and water utility improvements. This includes
collaboration with relevant federal, state and local
agencies and knowledge of funding mechanisms for
these capital projects.
• The City Engineer is a key member of the City’s
development team, working closely with the Director and other senior staff members on development
proposals as they impact the City’s current and future
infrastructure. The City has a number of exciting
economic development projects planned and
underway.
• As the lead professional engineer for the City of
Rockford, the City Engineer will make presentations
before the City Council and at various neighborhood
and other public meetings as needed.
Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in civil
engineering and also possess a professional engineer’s
license with the State of IL, or if licensed in another state,
have the ability to acquire a State of IL license within one
(1) year of hire. Candidates must have 8 years increasingly responsible civil engineering experience, preferably at the
local government level, of which 3 years in a supervisory/
managerial capacity. Any satisfactory equivalent
combination of experience and training may be substituted
for the required experience. The successful candidate will
be a highly collaborative, experienced executive with a
proven track record in CIP budgeting, administration and
creative problem-solving. Candidates must possess the
ability to work closely with elected and appointed officials
as well as with other department heads on any issues
impacting the City’s infrastructure. The starting salary range is $92,000 - $112,000 DOQ. Residency within
Winnebago County or within 15 miles of the Rockford
Public Safety building within
one year is required. Apply
by November 30 to Heidi
Voorhees, President, GovHRUSA
at www.govhrusa.com/
current-positions/recruitment Electronic submission required.
Tel: 847-380-3243. Additional
information available at
GovHRUSA.com.
COMMUNITY
BACKGROUND
Rockford was settled
between 1834 and 1835
midway between Chicago and Galena (a mining
boomtown at the time). The New Englanders who came to
this region settled on both banks of a shallow, rocky stretch of the Rock River where there was a natural ford.
Early settlers called it “Forest City” because of the river
valley’s verdant woods.
Rockford is now the third largest City in Illinois. It’s
strategic location, just 60 miles northwest of Chicago and
adjacent to the Wisconsin border, make it a hub for
business, recreation and cultural activities. Notable in
earlier years for its heavy machinery and tool manufacturing, Rockford at one time was the second
leading center of furniture manufacturing in the nation. In
recent years, Rockford has significantly diversified its
economy with the aerospace industry gaining dominance.
Woodward and UTC Aerospace Systems both are located
in the region with Woodward investing $200 million into a
manufacturing campus in nearby Loves Park, a suburb of
Rockford. The healthcare industry is also strong in Rockford, with several hospitals located in the community
including OSF St. Anthony Medical Center and
SwedishAmerican Hospital which recently partnered with
Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in opening a $39
million Regional Cancer Center.
Cultural and recreational opportunities abound in Rockford
which is known as the City of Gardens. With 10,000+
acres of parks and forest preserves, there’s plenty of outdoor fun in and around Rockford. Anderson Japanese
City Engineer
Gardens is considered one of the top two Japanese
gardens in the Western World; the other one's in Portland,
Oregon. Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens at Sinnissippi
Gardens, a linear park on the Rock River, brings the
tropics to the Midwest. Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden has many rare and unusual trees and shrubs.
You can bike, hike, roller-blade, swim, boat, sail, picnic,
camp, fish, bird-watch, ride horses, play miniature golf.
The Rockford Area has 25 miles of interconnecting trails
and a dozen golf courses. Enjoy the 35-acre Magic
Waters Waterpark and the two huge Mercyhealth
Sportscore One and Two. Rockford is also home to a
world-class water ski team, the Ski Broncs who provide free weekly shows during the summer. Other options are a
river excursion boat and/or car and motorcycle races at
Rockford Speedway and Blackhawk Farms Raceway.
Today, Rockford is a vital, multicultural community of
people with roots in Africa, Asia, Europe and the
Americas. Rockford’s landmarks, restaurants and shops
reflect the city’s rich ethnic heritage.
ROCKFORD AT A GLANCE
Population: 150,000
County: Winnebago
Square Miles: 65
Median Household Income: $40,720
Median Home Value: $87,200
Public Library: 500,000 books plus thousands of ebooks and other educational/informational materials Racial make-up: White: 55%; Hispanic: 19%; and Black 19%
THE MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION
The City of Rockford is governed by a Mayor/Aldermen form of government. The City Council consists of 14 city
council members elected by ward for four-year terms. The
Mayor appoints a City Administrator who works closely
with the Mayor, Council and senior staff to carry out the
policies adopted by the elected officials. The City of
Rockford provides comprehensive municipal services
which include: full-time police and fire protection including
emergency medical and ambulance services, public works, community and economic development; human
services, finance, legal and information technology.
THE PUBLIC WORKS
DEPARTMENT
The Public Works Department has been and continues to
be integral to the ongoing success of the City of Rockford.
The department has three divisions including Engineering,
Street and Water. The department has 140 full-time em-
ployees.
The following are some key infrastructure facts:
Arterial and Collector Streets: 229 miles
Local Roads and Streets: 538 miles
Alleys: 1,121
Bridges and Box Culverts: 130
Street Signs: 31,727
Multi-use paths: 87 miles
Traffic Signals: 123
Sidewalks: 793 miles
The Engineering Division
The Engineering division is a highly professional team
comprised of 26 employees including 4 other professional
engineers including a P.E. focused on water, one focused on traffic and one serving as the CIP Manager. There are
also project managers and engineering technicians as well
as an Engineering Operations Manager who oversees
permitting, development issues and special events.
Together the team coordinates infrastructure maintenance
and construction including the development,
implementation and ongoing oversight of the City’s Capital
Improvement Program.
Rockford, Illinois
The City has a well developed Capital Improvement Plan
that encourages pedestrian/bicycle ways, the relocation of
overhead utility lines and other investment in City corridors
that improves the overall quality of life in the City. The CIP
is funded by MFT funds (approximately $5 million annually) state/federal grants and other general fund
revenue sources.
The City Engineer
The City Engineer is expected to be a highly collaborative
leader with a strong background in infrastructure
maintenance, capital planning and construction. The City Engineer is a key member of the senior management
team participating in discussions regarding current and
future economic development issues and all matters
pertaining to the City’s infrastructure. The City Engineer
reports to the Director of Public Works and interacts with
the Director, the City Administrator, and the Mayor and
City Council on issues involving the City’s infrastructure.
The City’s next City Engineer can expect to be involved in some exciting, transformational projects for the City of
Rockford – the following are just a few:
Barber-Colman Village Redevelopment Agreement:
This is a City partnership with Rock Valley College and
Winnebago County to construct a machine tool training
facility on a 22 acres site.
West State Street Phase II: This is in the property acquisition phase and is a City/Illinois Department of
Transportation (IDOT) project scheduled for 2019-2020
construction. The total project cost is approximately $10.3
million and is an IDOT led project.
North Main Street: This $33 million project will be led by
IDOT and involves a four lane complete reconstruction of
the Auburn Street to Riverside Blvd. corridor of North Main
Street into a modern State highway.
Mercyhealth Hospital: Mercyhealth is planning the
construction of a $505 million hospital off Riverside Blvd.
The City is working closely to shepherd $10 million in
IDOT funds for road construction related to the hospital
development.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATION
CRITERIA Candidates must be experienced executives with a civil
engineering degree, a P.E. designation and a strong
background in the planning, construction and maintenance
of municipal infrastructure. Experience in municipal
engineering/public works or a field closely related to
municipal public works is very important. The ideal
candidate will be a creative, team-oriented professional
who can effectively work in partnership with the Director of
Public Works, City Administrator, Mayor and elected officials on key issues facing the City of Rockford.
The following factors of education, experience, and
leadership and management skills have been identified as
ideal attributes for the City Engineer to possess in order to
function effectively in the position.
Education and Experience
Successful candidates:
• Must have a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and
a professional engineering license either in Illinois or
with the ability to obtain an Illinois license. Ideally,
candidates will have 8 years increasingly responsible experience in civil engineering leadership positions
ideally at the local government level. Any satisfactory
equivalent combination of experience and training
which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities
required by the position may be substituted for the
required experience.
• Must be highly collaborative with the ability to form
effective partnerships with other city departments,
other units of government and state, federal and
regional agencies critical to the success of Rockford’s
initiatives.
• Must be able to lead the highly professional
Engineering Division, working effectively with the
department’s staff; be able to serve as a professional
resource and team leader for the division ensuring the
deadlines and City goals are met.
City Engineer
• Must have state of the art professional knowledge of
infrastructure construction, maintenance and planning practices with the ability to translate this knowledge
into layperson’s terms.
• Must be strong decision makers with the ability to take
in professional information, synthesize it, evaluate it
and make a decision that reflects sound professional
judgment.
• Must be comfortable making presentations to the City
Council, neighborhood groups and other stakeholders,
conveying technical information in an understandable
manner and being open to suggestions regarding pos-
sible changes to plans.
• Must have demonstrated experience in infrastructure
issues, understanding the multiple layers of funding
for capital projects and the ability to effectively utilize
the City’s funding sources.
• Must have well developed administrative skills with
experience in budgeting, human resources manage-
ment, and capital planning. An appreciation for and
understanding of information technology and how it
can improve division and City initiatives is important.
• Must have a strong commitment to excellence in
customer service with a desire to always pursue improvements in this area.
Management Style and Personal
Traits
Successful candidates should:
• Possess complete integrity and exemplify professional
and personal characteristics of impeccable behavior
which meet the highest ethical standards.
• Be an excellent communicator and a good listener; be
someone who honestly and openly seeks and enjoys
the input of others whether they are citizens, staff, or
elected officials.
• Be effective in public presentations to the media,
community organizations, citizen groups and other
gatherings with the ability to convey a message in a
genuine, transparent manner.
• Be approachable, patient, and accessible to the
elected officials, employees and public; be sincerely
empathetic with the ability to understand citizens’
perspectives.
• Possess strong leadership skills, understanding when
it is critical to exercise leadership and when to be
flexible and adaptable to new ideas.
• Be a strong administrator who is self-confident and
has the courage of her or his convictions to present
carefully thought-out policy-related alternatives and recommendations.
• Be comfortable delegating broadly and providing wide
latitude to professional staff where appropriate, while
being personally knowledgeable of the status of
department activities and projects and holding staff accountable for results; be able to challenge staff to
be creative and innovative in addressing public works
issues.
• Believe in and practice participatory team
management; be a consensus builder; have faith in department supervisors and encourage and foster a
collaborative decision-making environment.
• Be a proactive manager, anticipating trends, providing
the City with information, analyses, alternatives and
insights on municipal operations and community issues.
• Be a welcoming, consensus-building leader who
genuinely enjoys working collaboratively with all
members of the community.