Operations Superintendent chez City of Sumner, WA

About the Department

2026 Hiring Range:  $4,480.77 - $5,295.81 biweekly, DOQ. 

This position is a full-time, Fair Labor Standards Act overtime exempt position. This position is designated as a Safety Sensitive Position. Attendance at evening meetings or other off-duty events is anticipated. Hybrid and alternative work schedules may be available. This position requires additional availability and extended workdays outside of regular business hours to respond to urgent/emergent situations, including but not limited to floods, fires, natural disasters, and snow events. The incumbent in this position is not a Civil Service employee and the position is not eligible for representation by a union.
 
General Purpose
The Operations Superintendent oversees the daily operations, maintenance, staffing, and administration of public infrastructure and municipal services. This position ensures that roads, traffic signals, the city fleet, facilities, parks, cemetery, and equipment are maintained efficiently and in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.

Key responsibilities include supervising personnel, managing budgets, coordinating projects, overseeing the use of and operating asset management and workorder tracking software, and working closely with other government agencies, contractors, and the public to ensure the smooth operation of essential services. This role requires strong leadership, analytical skills, technical knowledge, and problem-solving skills to effectively manage resources and address infrastructure needs.

This position works with considerable independence under the direction of the Assistant Public Operations Director and is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the division personnel. Strong leadership, analytical skills, and the ability to troubleshoot complex operational issues are essential for success in this role.


The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate for the Operations Superintendent role is an experienced and forward-thinking public works leader who excels in supervising diverse teams and driving high-quality municipal operations. They bring a proven track record of supervising staff in a public works environment, demonstrating confidence in leading employees of varying skill levels, resolving complex operational challenges, and fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement. This candidate embraces innovation and recognizes the value of modern tools, technologies, and asset management systems in improving service delivery. They are comfortable learning, implementing, and championing new technologies—particularly in work-order tracking, data-driven decision-making, and maintenance planning—to ensure the City’s infrastructure is maintained efficiently and transparently. Their progressive mindset helps them anticipate emerging industry trends, adapt to regulatory changes, and guide staff through evolving expectations and best practices. They communicate clearly and respectfully, collaborate effectively across departments and agencies, and confidently represent the City in public settings. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker who can balance long-term planning with day-to-day operational demands, while maintaining poise during emergencies and high-pressure situations. Above all, they are committed to exceptional service, professional integrity, and supporting the City of Sumner’s mission through proactive leadership and modern operational excellence.

About Sumner:
The City of Sumner’s vision is to set the standard of excellence for a progressive small city. In working to achieve that vision, Sumner prioritizes and celebrates diverse perspectives, life experiences and differences. The City actively seeks and encourages people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics to apply and all come together with a goal of continuing to learn and improve to better serve the residents, businesses and visitors of our community.  Sumner remains a traditional city of just over 11,000 residents with agricultural roots, known for decades as the Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World. At the same time, its compact, walkable layout aligns perfectly with progressive planning trends, as its classic Main Street becomes repurposed for boutiques, independent restaurants and daily services such as legal offices, financial advisors and doctors. While Sumner retains historic neighborhoods of Craftsman houses and an active high school right on Main Street, it also offers over 16,000 manufacturing and distribution jobs for companies such as REI, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Amazon.com, and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. With a downtown Sound Transit station with buses and trains, it is well connected to the Puget Sound region while striving to be a full-service city with the largest YMCA facility in the state of Washington as well as a link trail system that will connect the Foothills and Interurban trails.  Like the community, the city government is large enough to be professional but small enough to be creative. The City has won a variety of awards from the Governor's Smart Planning Award to recognition at the International Association of Chiefs of Police for its groundbreaking police work on victims' assistance. With a strong mayor format, the City has just over 120 employees who operate a cemetery, wastewater treatment facility, accredited police department, animal shelter, parks, full service public works and administration.

Position Duties

The job duties and responsibilities in this job description in no way imply that these are the only duties to be performed. Employees occupying the position will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by a supervisor. While requirements may be representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and abilities to perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty with advanced proficiency.
 
Examples of general duties include:

• Oversees the day-to-day maintenance programs, projects, and operations of assigned areas; reviews and evaluates daily activities and work assignments with Field Supervisors and the Assistant Director.
• Works in close coordination with the Utilities Superintendent to ensure seamless collaboration on shared projects, resource allocation, and cross-division responses that support the overall goals of the Public Operations Department.
• Provides expertise in resolving operational and maintenance issues and directs the response to and recovery of service during emergencies and planned and unplanned operational stoppages.
• Efficiently monitors and administers appropriate safety protocols of the supervised divisions.
• Ensures all work complies with appropriate federal, state, and local agency permitting.
• Assists with preparation of emergency response procedures.
• Monitors and controls budget expenditures.
• Assists with preparation of the annual budget including staffing, materials, and equipment needs.
• Performs cost analysis, implements division budgets, determines equipment specifications, purchases equipment and supplies, negotiates and administers service contracts, monitors and maintains inventory, and prepares and submits periodic budget updates.
• Uses asset management tools to develop, implement, and maintain appropriate maintenance standards for supervised divisions; creates service requests, work orders, and periodic and annual work plans that can be used to prioritize work, justifies additional resources, communicates plan to staff, and tracks expenditures; helps to resolve workflow problems and conflicts by analyzing situations and reorganizing work to make most efficient use of personnel and material resources.
• Evaluates maintenance requests to determine feasibility, cost benefit, and priority within assigned resources.
• Manages and supervises operations staff, including but not limited to interviewing and recommending candidates, and training employees; establishes goals, objectives, and performance criteria; addresses complaints, grievances, and disputes; performs escalated investigations and resolves problems; evaluates performance; recommends promotions and disciplinary actions; implements organizational changes; approves and schedules leave time; and recommends terminations as appropriate.
• Acts as liaison with stakeholders, to include other departments, divisions, consultants, contractors, vendors, and the public.
• Represents the Department and/or City at meetings and prepares and presents briefings, staff reports, and other applicable correspondence.
• Receives and responds to questions and concerns from the public regarding assigned services and functions; initiates and directs investigations regarding such complaints; implements corrective action as necessary to resolve issues; and communicates answers and/or actions taken to appropriate parties in a timely and respectful manner.
• Collaborates with staff to develop and establish operational goals and objectives, short and long-term maintenance and operations projects, and other planning decisions related to operations, maintenance, budgeting, or equipment.
• Monitors emerging technologies, industry trends, proposed regulations, and upcoming federal and state legislative and administrative changes that may impact the maintenance and operations of the City.
• Prepares a variety of records, reports, memorandums and letters including attendance, department activities, scheduled maintenance, operational manuals and time sheets.
• Documents, analyzes, troubleshoots, and tracks maintenance needs and provides general supervision to operations crew(s) engaged in a wide variety of tasks, including but not limited to, maintenance and repair of:
  • Streets, sidewalks and trail surfaces.
  • Traffic signals, signs, and other pedestrian features.
  • Traffic control operations for Operations-led construction work.
  • Planning and management of event operations, particularly event signage and traffic control.
  • Parks, including landscaped areas, playgrounds, trails, and public green spaces to ensure community safety, accessibility, and aesthetic standards.
  • Facilities, including preventive maintenance, repair scheduling, and coordination of building systems such as HVAC, lighting, and security.
  • City Cemetery, ensuring respectful management of burial services, grounds care, and recordkeeping in accordance with City policy and state regulations.
• In coordination with the Department Administrative Assistant, prepares and updates certification requirements for key staff positions; incorporates training and certification needs in the annual budget.
• Schedules monthly safety meetings for staff.
• Ensures all safety equipment is available and in good condition and employees follow safety regulations regarding appropriate operations. Administers the operations division safety program.
• Effectively communicates with city administration, staff, engineers, consultants, vendors, and regulatory agencies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Any equivalent combination of education, technical training, and experience demonstrating the capability to fulfill the requirements of the position will be considered.

Minimum Required Qualifications:
Education and Experience:

• Graduation from high school or GED.
• Five (5) years, full-time paid work experience in a supervisory role within a Public Works Department.

• Possession and maintenance of a valid Washington State driver's license.
• Possession of standard first-aid/CPR certification or ability to obtain within six (6) months of hire.  

• A Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in science or engineering from a four-year university or college, particularly in the fields of civil or environmental engineering,  construction management, or a related field; or,
• An Associate's Degree directly related to engineering or utility management. Certifications in one or more of the following areas: traffic signal operations, signs and markings, traffic control, street lighting, park playground inspection, vegetation maintenance, cemetery operations, and facility maintenance.
• Experience working with and administering federal, state, and local regulations and permits.

• Asset management best management practices.
• The occupational hazards and safety standards and practices applicable to the work being supervised.  
• Asset management software, including documentation and scheduling of asset maintenance.
• Supervision and management principles.
• Work prioritization and delegation to maximize efficiency.  
• Employee training and work supervision.
• Methods, materials and techniques used in the operation, repair, maintenance, construction and care of roadways and pedestrian facilities, traffic signals, parks, facilities, and cemeteries.
• Safe operation of vehicles and equipment.
• Preparing and maintaining electronic records and files, including asset management documentation, project/program records, equipment, and material purchasing and accounting.
• The utilization and care of the materials, tools, and equipment used by the employees supervised.
• Public Operations standard operating policies and procedures as well as other Department/City policies and procedures.

• Maintain accurate inventory records and other permanent department records.
• Work and be called into work during times other than normal working hours to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the City and its citizens.
• Provide excellent customer service by using a friendly, professional, accurate and customer-orientated approach to a wide variety of customers, including the general public and other staff, including in-person and verbal communications.
• Effectively supervise and coordinate the activities of employees of all skill levels performing a wide variety of maintenance, repair, and service functions.
• Make sound and timely recommendations for project implementation, and/or modification based upon established department plans and results of personal observations and needs analysis.
• Read and interpret maps, diagrams, plans and specifications.
• Support the development of a public operations budget, including preparing objectives, programs, long-range planning, and program and project estimating.
• Confer with administrators and other public works agencies to ensure the cooperative exchange of information.
• Develop, implement and revise policies and procedures.
• Read, interpret, apply, and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Develop and maintain a positive working relationship with stakeholders, including but not limited to City staff members, external contacts, and the public.
• Perform a variety of administrative duties in support of assigned activities.  
• Ensure compliance with City ordinances with consistency and impartiality.   
• Analyze situations accurately and recommend an effective course of action.
• Operate a computer, tablet, and phone to enter data, maintain records, and generate reports.   
• Operate software used by the City.
• Maintain reliable and dependable attendance.
• Contribute to the City’s mission.

Physical Requirements

The work environment and physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Requirements may be subject to modifications to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified for employment in this position. However, some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees.  
  
Description of Work Environment:
Typically work is performed indoors in an office setting. Some outdoor work in all weather conditions may be required. The noise levels are typical of most construction sites and maintenance shop environments. Fieldwork includes the exposure to noise, nuisance dust, noxious and toxic gases and vapors, traffic, active utility lines and other related construction-type job hazards. Where appropriate, personal protective equipment will be issued to the employee for use, with the employee being trained in its application and use. Exposure to hazards is an integral part of the job. May be required to deal with irate or disgruntled individuals requiring the use of conflict of management skills. Employee is frequently required to perform work in confidence and under pressure for deadlines, and is required to maintain professional composure, tact, patience and courtesy.

Physical Requirements:
Positions in this class typically require stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, mobility, fingering, grasping, talking, seeing, hearing, walking, climbing, and crawling.
 
Medium work: Exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Other Qualifications