Salt Creek Sanitary District, General Manager

Salt Creek Sanitary District is a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) located in Villa Park, Illinois approximately 16 miles west of the City of Chicago. It is ideally situated near major expressways and has access to public transportation to get you anywhere you need to go in the region. The district has roughly 7200 industrial, commercial and residential customers and has annual revenues of almost $4.5 million.

Salt Creek is governed by a three-member board that is appointed by the DuPage County Chairman. The district operates a 3.3 million gallons per day activated sludge treatment process which includes screening, grit removal, primary clarification, biological secondary treatment, secondary clarification followed by tertiary filtration and ultra-violet disinfection. Salt Creek currently has seven employees, and many functions are completed by outside consultants and vendors.

The district is seeking applicants to fill the position of General Manager. This is an exciting chance to lead a small but nimble staff as it prepares to begin a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project to upgrade plant infrastructure to meet changing regulations. The new hire must be well rounded and willing to do whatever is necessary to fulfill the mission of the district.

They will report directly to the Board of Trustees, and will require exceptional leadership skills to direct, manage, and supervise the administrative operations of the plant.

The ideal candidate will work hand in hand with the Board of Trustees to develop a vision for the future of the district. The next leader will need to coordinate with federal, state and local agencies as well as industry work groups including the DuPage River/Salt Creek Workgroup and Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies to ensure compliance with environmental regulations while protecting the interests of the district and the residents we serve.

The General Manager is responsible for the coordination and distribution of the monthly board meeting agenda and packet including posting on the district website as well as responsibility for recording meeting minutes. The GM also acts as the Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Clerk and FOIA officer for the district. At the direction of the board, the GM researches, implements and enforces approved policies and procedures.

With input from staff, the GM prepares and presents to the board, the annual budget which includes revenues and expenditures from general account, capital improvement account and debt service account. It is expected that the GM will monitor the budget and prepare quarterly financial reports to ensure the board and customers of the district are well informed. They will approve all expenditures and will present a monthly account reconciliation and check register to the board for approval.

They will be expected to be the internal lead during the annual audit performed by a third-party accounting firm and will be the team lead for district service and maintenance contracts including IT, phone, janitorial, electric, natural gas, and plant liability and workers compensation insurance.

The General Manager is responsible for the hiring, discipline and termination of district employees. He/she will provide leadership, direction, and supervision to all facility staff by setting goals and objectives and clearly communicating expectations. Mentors staff, as required, and monitors employee performance, training and development. Works to identify opportunities for the team to learn new skills and advance their careers. They will work with brokers to maintain the best possible insurance for our employees at the lowest possible cost to our customers.

A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, environmental science or public administration is required. Licensed professional engineer (P.E.) in Illinois or ability to obtain said license is preferred. Well‑rounded applicants with a master’s degree in public administration and background in public works will also be considered.

A minimum of ten years of experience with at least five years of supervisory experience is required.…