Chief Operating Officer, Water
The City of Calgary has approved the establishment of a new dedicated Water Utility, established to deliver safe, reliable, and industry‑leading drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services for Calgarians. Formed as part of a major transformation of the City’s service delivery model, the new utility represents a shift toward an increased focus on safety, risk management, financial discipline, and long‑term infrastructure stewardship.
Operating with a dedicated budget and a workforce transitioning from the existing water services functions within the City of Calgary, the Utility will work closely with the new Water Utility Oversight Board. Its mandate spans everything from source water protection and treatment operations to network maintenance, customer service, environmental compliance, and emergency response. Central to the organization’s success will be operating as a modern utility organization that emphasizes safety leadership, risk‑informed decision‑making, regulatory readiness, accountability, and transparency.
The COO, Water serves as the executive lead and single point of accountability for the safe and reliable delivery of water services across Calgary. Reporting directly to the City’s CAO and supported by oversight from the Water Utility Oversight Board (WUOB) and Council, the COO is responsible for the overall performance, financial sustainability, and resilience of the Water Utility.
The ideal candidate is a capable executive with progressive experience in large utilities or complex organizations where they have overseen critical infrastructure. Ideally, they have a deep understanding of water, or similarly complex infrastructure systems, and have worked in a highly regulated or public sector environment. Success in this role requires strong integrity, sound judgment, and exceptional people leadership skills, combined with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build trust across diverse stakeholder groups. The preferred candidate brings the presence and credibility to engage elected officials, regulators, partners, and employees, and the ability to articulate a clear, shared vision that inspires high performance and continuous improvement.
Located in Calgary, Alberta, this is a career-defining opportunity to lead one of the city’s most essential services and contribute directly to the health, resilience, and long-term sustainability of a growing world-class city.
To explore this opportunity further, please submit your resume by clicking Apply.
We thank all applicants for their interest in this position. Please note that we will only be in contact with those individuals moving forward with our client.
