Director of Municipal Works

Overview / Background

St. Catharines, widely known as “The Garden City,” is the largest municipality in Ontario’s Niagara Region, with a population of approximately , residents. Located along the southern shores of Lake Ontario, the city offers strategic access to the Greater Toronto Area, the U.S. border, and the renowned Niagara wine region. St. Catharines combines natural beauty, historic charm, and modern innovation, making it an ideal place to live and work.

At the City of St. Catharines, our strength is our people — serving with pride, professionalism, and a strong commitment to community. As a senior leader, you’ll join a culture where strategic thinking is valued, innovation is encouraged, and work-life balance is more than a policy — it’s a practice. You’ll be empowered to lead with purpose, supported by a team that values innovation, respect, and safety. Whether driving digital transformation or engaging with the community, your leadership will have a visible and lasting impact.

Position / Responsibilities

The Director of Municipal Works will report directly to the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) and serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), leading a department of approximately employees. The Director is responsible for the administration and oversight of the department, including strategy and business planning, legislative compliance, staffing, budgets, and key functions. This includes managing operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation of infrastructure assets such as roads, sewers, watermains, forestry, horticulture, and equipment.

The role requires a strong people leader with a high degree of emotional intelligence and political acumen to effectively liaise with City Council and members of the public. The Director will work closely with other City departments to ensure integrated asset management and will engage regularly with City Council and the public on operational matters. The successful candidate will be instrumental in driving the department's digital transformation through the ARMS project, ensuring efficient and sustainable management of the City’s infrastructure and services.

Candidate Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a completed post-secondary degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline. Professional Engineering Designation and Registration in Professional Engineers of Ontario is preferred. A minimum of ten years of experience as a senior manager with extensive knowledge in construction, linear infrastructure, winter control, horticulture, trees, and municipal government operations is required.

Additionally, transformational leadership experience and demonstrated experience leading transformational change initiatives and continuous improvement in municipal works processes using digital tools and technology is required. The ideal candidate is a motivated individual with exceptional skills in problem-solving, research, data analysis, time management, and project management, with a demonstrated commitment to enhancing a safety culture through effective management.

The ideal candidate also has exemplary communication skills, political acuity, and experience with both unionized and non-unionized employee groups; where involvement in collective bargaining is required. In addition, technical knowledge of applicable federal, provincial, and municipal laws is required and experience with CityWorks or similar systems is preferred.