Details
Posted: 27-May-22
Location: Kingston, New York
Type: Full Time
Salary: $145,000-$170,000
Years of Experience:
2 - 4
Job Title: Executive Director
Hours Per Week: 37.5 Hour work week
Work Location: Main Office
Classification: Administration
Salary: $145,000 - $170,000
The Board of Directors of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency seeks an Executive Director with two areas of expertise and experience, first expertise in running a large scale waste disposal operation, including transport by truck to landfill, and second expertise in maximum waste diversion to greatly reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, via innovative and comprehensive strategies that address as many materials and products as possible. The County’s current waste disposal system must continue uninterrupted while innovative waste reduction and recycling systems are piloted, expanded, and maximized. Both aspects of this work require skillful communications and partnering with diverse County officials, power holders, businesses, and the public.
General Statement of Duties
The Executive Director (hereafter referred to as “the ED”) shall be appointed by the Agency, serve at the pleasure of the Agency Board and have general supervision over the administration of the business and affairs of the Agency, subject to the direction of the Agency Board of Directors. The ED shall be responsible for short-, middle-, and long-term visioning for the Agency (inclusive of the Local Solid Waste Management Plan), working in collaboration with other stakeholders in the County, State, and Region. The ED shall be in charge of the management of all projects of the Agency. The ED further shall act in the capacity of corresponding Secretary of the Agency and perform related tasks as required, and shall act as official spokesperson of the Agency. The ED has the ultimate responsibility for health and safety training, incidents, protective procedures and hardware construction.
Distinguishing Features of the Position:
As chief administrating officer of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, the ED, at the discretion of the Agency, is responsible for the formulation and implementation of a workable program for the collection and sanitary disposal of solid waste in the County, including the integration of both public and private facilities for accepting, hauling, processing and the disposing of solid waste generated within the County. The ED is committed to and responsible for planning and implementation of maximum waste diversion via appropriate projects and strategies. The ED is also responsible for the construction and operation of any facility managed or owned by the Agency including transfer stations, VMF, MRF, Composting Operation, and closed landfills (Ulster & New Paltz). A continuing physical and economic analysis of the operation shall be reported with appropriate recommendations on a monthly basis to the Agency Board and Ulster County Legislature. The ED is responsible for maintenance, acquisition and disposal of all heavy equipment and vehicles owned, leased and operated by the Agency Personnel and contractors. Working with staff, The ED is responsible for external messaging about Agency operations and plans.
As part of solid waste management, new reduce, reuse, and recycling programs must be considered to reduce the volume of material transported to offsite landfills; candidate must be committed to working with all parties internally and externally to support this goal. As a solution for a greatly reduced amount of solid waste after maximum waste diversion, siting a landfill should be considered to increase efficiency and reduce expenditures for disposal of the remnant of solid waste.
Additional responsibilities relative to the duties of Secretary to the Agency include preparing announcements of Agency meetings, preparation and distribution of Agency meeting minutes and other related tasks as required.
Examples of Work (Not all inclusive of responsibilities and duties)
- Functions as the administering and supervising officer of the Agency and director of staff, including visioning, planning, engineering, construction, operation and maintenance of solid waste management facilities and ancillary maximum waste diversion programs and strategies (eg: composting operations).
- Is responsible for bringing a 5 year planning document, to be provided to the Board at the first meeting of the year to identify major programmatic and strategic goals, equipment purchases and installation, major contracts to renew, potential fees to be updated during the new year, etc.
- Works with Director of Finance and Administration to plan Operations and Capital Budgets; works with staff to maintain records and adjust appropriate fee schedules.
- Advises the Resource Recovery Agency Board, Chairman of the County Legislature and the County Legislature on solid waste matters including operations, capital improvements and budgeting. Prepares brief monthly newsletter/report to send to members of the County Legislature after review by Board of Directors in addition to tonnage, budget, and leachate reports.
- Prepares specifications, and coordinates engineering and construction contracts, for development of solid waste operational sites.
- Conducts regular research into new technologies that could improve solid waste management in Ulster County; prepares specifications, and coordinates engineering and construction contracts, for development of maximum waste diversion programs and strategies.
- Works with local municipalities, the County Health Department, and NYSDEC to develop solutions to solid waste problems to meet NYSDEC Part 360 Regulations. Maintains county facilities, equipment, and employees in compliance with NYSDEC & DOT regulations.
- Works with appropriate stakeholders in and out of the county, including County Executive, County Legislators, County Departments (Departments of the Environment, Health, Economic Development, etc), businesses, industry related organizations, regional groups, etc., to achieve Agency goals.
- Maintains files of (a) health and safety incidents, training certificates for employees, contingency plans and procedures to deal with unforeseen accidents, (b) regulatory plans and procedures, (c) NYSDEC correspondence, compliance and permitting issues.
- Is responsible for shaping and implementing external communications strategies with the press and public; confers with and addresses civic groups on solid waste programs; oversees and shapes staff interactions with the public
- Along with the Director of Finance and Administration, reviews contractors credentials to be sure documentation is up to date with insurance certificates, DOT permits and other DMV, DOT and OSHA regulations.
- Participates in negotiation of Union Contracts for facilities union members. Establishes guidelines for salaries of non-union-workers.
- Responds to any issues regarding staff including terminations and discipline
- Is responsible for claims by workers against the Agency and by other entities against workers.
- Establishes a chain-of-command and identifies who will be “Acting Executive Director” when away from the facilities.
- Is responsible for working with staff to ensure adequate and appropriate markets for recovered materials; reviews commodities sales
- Reviews budget, treasurer’s report, financial and operating forecasts
- Manages and bears ultimate responsibility for Capital Plan for recommendation to Board
- Serves as FOIL Records Access Appeals Officer, who responds to FOIL requests if the initial request is denied and the requester of information wants to appeal the decision.
- Prepares and revises requests for bids on major contracts and negotiates final agreements; holds ultimate responsibility for management of bids for services.
- Holds responsibility for agreements and contracts with major disposal facilities and issues (landfill, e-waste, sludge, leachate).
- Conveys and manages compliance actions including Flow Control-related actions referred to Administrative Law Judge process.
- Attends all health and safety training sessions with employees.
- Maintains relationship with Town Supervisors where transfer stations operate and where waste/resource drop off centers are located.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities and Personal Characteristics
Experience running a successful large waste operation; excellent knowledge of the methods and equipment used in the disposal of solid waste materials; up-to-date knowledge of the waste industry with all its current complexities, including innovative strategies for maximum waste diversion; knowledge of NYSDEC, DMV and DOT regulations as they relate to the Agency’s mission; working knowledge of health and safety practices as they relate to unforeseen accidents, fires, hazardous waste, excavation and moving heavy equipment; thorough knowledge of modern business, administrative practices, procedures and equipment; good knowledge of supervisory and training techniques; excellent “external affairs” capability and experience; ability to plan and supervise the work of others; ability to work independently within the scope of general direction; ability to present data and reports clearly and concisely in either oral or written form; ability to establish successful relations and communications with others; initiative; good judgment; courtesy; and good physical condition.
Preferred Educational or Certification Requirements:
- Masters Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, Engineering, or similar field
- Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, Engineering, or similar field; and related work experience
Although not required, a Professional Engineer qualification is seen as a strong benefit.