Director of Water Services

The DEPARTMENT OF WATER SERVICES invites suitably qualified applicants to apply for the position of Director of Water Services.

Mandate

 Responsible for the overall leadership, administration, technical oversight, and statutory management of the Department of Water Services (DWS). Ensures the efficient, sustainable, and lawful production, distribution, maintenance, expansion, and quality assurance of Anguilla’s potable water supply. Exercise all statutory powers assigned under the Department of Water Services Act, 2024 (as amended), including the control, management, and supervision of watercourses and waterworks; the lawful supply of potable piped water as the exclusive authorised provider; the administration of statutory rights of entry; and the oversight of wayleaves, reinstatement obligations, and customer service provisions. Provide strategic policy, regulatory, and technical advice to the Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Water and support the Ministry in the fulfilment of national water sector priorities.

KEY DUTIES

Strategic & Operational Leadership

1. Direct the implementation and evaluation of departmental policies, procedures, operational standards, and programmes.

2. Monitor the effectiveness of operational systems and recommend improvements to achieve departmental objectives.

3. Provide technical and policy advice to the Minister (via the Permanent Secretary) and engage with private and public-sector stakeholders on water infrastructure matters.

4. Lead the development and implementation of legislation, supporting regulations, and standards relating to the production and distribution of potable water.

5. Prepare and manage annual plans, development programmes, revenue and expenditure estimates, and approved budgets.

6. Ensure the achievement of performance standards, quality assurance, and monitoring and evaluation systems.

7. Oversee the planning, design, implementation, and management of capital improvement projects to enhance the national water network.

Statutory Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

8. Administer and enforce all statutory provisions of the Department of Water Services Act and related legislation.

9. Exercise statutory powers to manage watercourses and waterworks, and authorise construction, alteration, and repair of water infrastructure.

10.Administer statutory rights of entry onto private lands and private roads, ensuring lawful notice, reinstatement, and compliance with obligations.

11.Oversee the acquisition, management, and exercise of wayleaves, including negotiation of conditions and adherence to statutory procedures.

12.Ensure regulatory compliance for service connections, disconnections, meter testing, billing rules, and customer service conditions.

13.Identify, prevent, and respond to statutory violations, including illegal connections, unlawful abstraction, wilful contamination, and damage to waterworks, and coordinate enforcement actions with relevant agencies.

14.Ensure that all transitional obligations relating to assets, contracts, and staffing (as required under the Act) are fully and accurately carried out.

Technical & Infrastructure Oversight

15.Provide oversight of the production of potable water, including seawater reverse osmosis and brackish water facilities, ensuring national quality standards are met.

16.Ensure the integrity, maintenance, and performance of reservoirs, distribution infrastructure, and operational assets.

 17.Lead and strengthen leak detection programmes to reduce non-revenue water and improve distribution efficiency.

18.Develop and implement medium- and long-term technical, administrative, and financial strategies to enhance departmental performance.

19.Ensure timely preparation and dissemination of operational, technical, financial, statistical, and parliamentary reports.

Leadership, Culture & Organisational Development

20.Champion change management and support organisational transformation aligned with Government and Ministry priorities.

21.Foster a culture of creativity, innovation, excellence, and continuous improvement.

22.Promote transparent communication, teamwork, and collaboration across the Department and Ministry.

23.Lead technology adoption to enhance operational efficiency, service delivery, and public communication.

24.Participate in national disaster management activities, including preparedness, mitigation, and emergency response.

SCOPE OF THE JOB

The Director of Water Services is accountable for the operational, technical, administrative, and statutory functions of the Department. The Director exercises independent technical and regulatory authority as prescribed under the Department of Water Services Act, while reporting to the Permanent Secretary and contributing to national policy development.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

 The incumbent must possess a well-developed blend of technical, managerial, regulatory, and strategic competencies to effectively lead the Department of Water Services. This includes substantial knowledge and experience in engineering disciplines (water, civil, hydrology, or hydrogeology), utilities management, project management, infrastructure operations, and water services administration within a regulatory environment.

The incumbent must demonstrate strong analytical, diagnostic, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities; sound interpretative judgement; excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills; and the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams with emotional intelligence and professional integrity.

 Such knowledge, skills, and abilities are normally obtained through: - A Postgraduate Degree in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Hydrogeology, or a related field; and - A Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Management, Public Administration, or a related business discipline; or - An equivalent combination of professional qualifications, advanced training, and substantial practical experience.

 Professional certification in regulatory enforcement, compliance, risk management, engineering management, or related areas is an asset.

The incumbent must have: - At least five (5) years’ experience in a senior technical or operational leadership role; and - At least three (3) years’ experience at the management level.

Experience in public-sector utility administration, regulatory oversight, land access/wayleave management, or medium- to large-scale infrastructure operations is highly desirable.