Senior Director of Public Services
ABOUT THE SHEFFIELD ADMINISTRATION
Detroit is entering a historic new chapter under Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield, the city’s first woman to serve as Mayor. Elected with a decisive mandate, Mayor-Elect Sheffield brings a steady, community-rooted approach to governing—one focused on listening to residents, healing long-standing divides, and delivering meaningful improvements in daily life across every neighborhood. She will take office on January 1, 2026, with a commitment to building a city that lifts every family and expands opportunity for all.
As she forms her administration, Mayor-Elect Sheffield is assembling a talented, diverse team of leaders who bring deep expertise, lived experience, and the courage to put forward bold, innovative ideas that move Detroit forward. Her team will drive a City government grounded in collaboration, equity, transparency, and results. The Sheffield Administration seeks mission-driven individuals who are ready to serve, ready to build, and ready to help shape Detroit’s future.
ABOUT THE OFFICE
Detroit’s Public Services portfolio includes several of the City’s largest operational and frontline service departments, all of which play a critical role in resident quality of life and neighborhood stability. These departments maintain streets and alleys, waste collection systems, forestry and grounds operations, vehicle fleet, municipal facilities, parking infrastructure, and public-works assets. The portfolio also manages demolition and stabilization programs, oversees major construction projects through the Detroit Building Authority, coordinates Special Events, and provides operational leadership for Coleman A. Young International Airport and the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority.
The office’s mission is to deliver high-quality, reliable, and equitable city services every day. From snow removal to demolition, parks to paving, fleet readiness to airport operations, and special-event logistics to waste-to-energy coordination, Public Services is central to creating a Detroit where residents see and feel the impact of government in their neighborhoods. The office partners closely with the Chief Operating Officer, departmental directors, contractors, labor teams, civic partners, and community organizations to ensure services are efficient, transparent, and aligned with Detroiters’ needs.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Senior Director of Public Services is a key member of the administration’s operational leadership team and reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer. This leader provides strategic direction, oversight, and performance management for a wide range of operational departments, including the General Services Department, Department of Public Works, Municipal Parking Department, the Detroit Building Authority, Fleet Management, Coleman A. Young International Airport, the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority, and Special Events. The role also oversees or coordinates operational alignment with demolition and stabilization programs.
The Senior Director serves as the administration’s point leader for service delivery excellence, ensuring that Detroiters receive timely, high-quality, and consistent services across all neighborhoods. This includes overseeing major construction and demolition operations, maintaining critical public-works infrastructure, modernizing fleet and facility systems, ensuring safe airport operations, improving waste-management and recycling coordination, and directing the City’s special-events logistics and permitting. The role requires a solutions-oriented executive with experience in public-works management, large-scale field operations, capital construction, infrastructure maintenance, or emergency response environments.
The Senior Director must bring a disciplined, data-driven approach to operations, a commitment to process improvement, and the ability to lead diverse technical, union, and administrative teams. This role is central to advancing operational excellence, enhancing resident responsiveness, streamlining workflows, reducing duplication, and ensuring Detroit’s public-service systems are modern, efficient, safe, and aligned with the administration’s priorities for stronger neighborhoods.
This role will drive the administration’s public service priorities, including:
Improving the quality, consistency, and timeliness of frontline services across every neighborhood through stronger performance management, clear standards, and modernized workflows.
Coordinating demolition, stabilization, and construction activity across the Detroit Building Authority, Land Bank Authority, Public Works, and contractor partners to deliver safe, efficient, and high-impact neighborhood improvements.
Strengthening preventive-maintenance systems, capital planning, and asset-management practices across streets, alleys, parks, facilities, fleet, and airport infrastructure.
Overseeing airport compliance, maintenance, and operational planning at Coleman A. Young International Airport to support safe, modern, and community-aligned aviation operations.
Enhancing waste-management, recycling, and waste-to-energy coordination through improved partnerships with GDRRA and streamlined operational processes.
Improving parking operations, parking structures, enforcement systems, and customer responsiveness within the Municipal Parking Department to support residents and businesses.
Leading citywide event operations and logistics to ensure safe, well-organized events that reflect Detroit’s culture and meet operational requirements across multiple departments.
Responding to severe weather, emergencies, or service disruptions with strong interdepartmental coordination and reliable operational leadership.
Building more transparent, resident-centered, and responsive systems that ensure residents receive clear communication, predictable timelines, and consistent follow-through when they request city services.
This description outlines the general nature and key responsibilities of the role and is not intended to be exhaustive; duties, responsibilities, and activities may be modified at the discretion of the Mayor.
Core responsibilities include:
Providing executive leadership and daily operational oversight for the General Services Department, Department of Public Works, Municipal Parking Department, Detroit Building Authority, Fleet Management, Coleman A. Young International Airport, the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority, and Special Events operations.
Directing major capital, construction, and demolition projects, including planning, design review, procurement, field execution, safety compliance, and quality control.
Leading demolition and stabilization operations through coordination with DBA, DLBA, Public Works, and structural-engineering partners, ensuring safe and code-compliant project delivery.
Managing core city services including street maintenance, refuse collection, snow removal, recycling, alley operations, forestry and grounds maintenance, facility repairs, and fleet operations.
Modernizing operational systems through improved workflows, digital tools, preventive-maintenance practices, and cross-departmental coordination.
Overseeing airport operations including maintenance, compliance, safety protocols, airfield readiness, and long-term facility planning.
Improving parking operations, parking-structure maintenance, customer responsiveness, and enforcement consistency across the Municipal Parking Department.
Oversees the coordination of large-scale, citywide special-events logistics, ensuring safe, timely, and well-managed event operations in partnership with public safety, mobility, and public-works teams.
Driving performance-management systems, dashboards, service metrics, and operational reviews to assess service reliability and improve department accountability.
Leading emergency and severe-weather responses across relevant departments, ensuring coordinated operations, clear communication, and rapid service restoration.
Managing departmental budgets, capital plans, contracts, staffing strategies, and regulatory compliance for all operational units in the portfolio.
Building strong, cooperative relationships with labor partners, contractors, neighborhood groups, business leaders, and civic organizations to improve service outcomes.
Representing the City in community meetings, public service briefings, interagency coordination sessions, and operational planning conversations.
Qualifications:
Extensive experience overseeing major municipal service operations, public-works systems, field services, large capital or construction projects, or demolition and stabilization programs.
Strong understanding of Detroit’s neighborhoods, infrastructure needs, municipal service challenges, and operational landscape.
Demonstrated success managing large teams, unionized workforces, and multi-department operations in complex, fast-moving environments.
Experience overseeing construction, demolition, capital improvement, or infrastructure portfolios with strong standards for safety, compliance, timeliness, and community impact.
Proven ability to modernize operational systems through preventive-maintenance programs, workflow improvements, digital work-order tools, and data-driven performance management.
Strong financial, administrative, and operational management skills, including budgeting, capital planning, procurement, vendor oversight, and regulatory compliance.
Experience coordinating emergency response, severe-weather operations, or time-sensitive field deployments.
Ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with labor partners, contractors, community organizations, neighborhood leaders, and interdepartmental teams.
Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organizational-leadership skills, with the ability to translate complex operational issues for residents, stakeholders, and decision-makers.
Demonstrated commitment to equity, transparency, resident responsiveness, and high-quality public service.
Experience working in Detroit or a similar large urban environment is strongly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred; equivalent professional experience considered.
Rate of Pay: $158,000 - $179,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Benefits:
Our goal is to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce by providing generous healthcare and other benefits to eligible employees. Learn more about benefits for City of Detroit employees.
Equal Opportunity in Employment:
The Sheffield Administration is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Even if you do not meet all of the requirements listed above, we encourage you to apply if you believe you have the skills, experience, and expertise necessary to thrive in this role. The City of Detroit is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates of all backgrounds—including those historically underrepresented in municipal government—to apply.