Director of Public Works

Job Description:

Director of Public Works

Description

THE POSITION

VIEW THE FULL RECRUITMENT BROCHURE HERE

OPEN UNTIL FILLED

The next Director of Public Works is an experienced, grounded, and collaborative leader who brings the management depth and interpersonal range to lead a large, complex department while remaining genuinely connected to the people and communities that the department serves. The ideal candidate understands that Public Works is Sacramento's most visible service organization and carries that responsibility with pride, consistency, and a commitment to excellence in every interaction, from the executive conference room to the field. This is a leader who builds trust readily, listens before acting, and earns credibility through both competence and character.
The successful candidate is an exceptional communicator who can move fluidly between technical briefings, community conversations, City Council chambers, and front-line crews. They translate complexity into clarity, advocate effectively for department needs, and navigate politically sensitive situations with professionalism and poise. Transparency is a core leadership value, and this Director keeps staff, leadership, and partners informed, addresses challenges directly, and models open and honest communications.

This is a leader who knows how to manage through others. The Director will inherit experienced division managers and a workforce with deep institutional knowledge and will know how to honor that expertise while also setting high expectations, providing clear direction, and creating an environment where staff are empowered to grow and perform. Strong coaching and delegation skills are essential, as is a genuine commitment to succession planning, workforce development, and building a bench that reflects the diversity of Sacramento's community.

The next Director will bring broad operational experience managing diverse municipal services, such as public works, utilities, transportation, or similarly complex operations, along with a demonstrated track record of overseeing large budgets with multiple funding sources, delivering capital improvement programs, and implementing service enhancements within a public agency environment. While an engineering background is valued, it is not required. The City is equally interested in candidates who have successfully led complex technical organizations through strong management practices, sound judgment, and the ability to build, empower, and effectively leverage teams with deep subject matter expertise. Experience with unionized workforces and the dynamics of collective bargaining in a large public agency is an important foundation for success.

The ideal candidate brings a strong working knowledge of transportation, infrastructure, and sustainability best practices, including traffic safety, active transportation, fleet and facilities management, solid waste operations, and climate resilience, and understands how these services contribute to broader community goals and quality of life. They are strategically minded, able to look across a large and diverse portfolio and make sound decisions about where to invest attention, resources, and energy. Equally important, they understand the value of being visible and engaged, in the field, at community meetings, and alongside the front-line employees who represent Public Works to the Sacramento community every day.

The ideal candidate will possess a Certificate of Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California.

Under executive direction, the Director of Public Works serves as the principal administrator of the Public Works Department; plans, organizes, directs and reviews all the activities of the divisions that comprise the Public Works Department; interfaces with City officials, division managers, City Council, and others on transportation matters; provides professional and technical staff assistance; manages and supervises staff; serves as a member of the City’s Executive Team.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is a single-position executive-management classification. The Director of Public Works exercises management direction over the diverse major functions that comprise the Public Works Department (Traffic Engineering, Transportation Planning, Transportation Design & Funding, Transportation Construction, Street Maintenance, On/Off-Street Parking). The incumbent performs work that is of high complexity and often requires intense and exacting mental attention and ability to reason through and solve complex problems. The Director of Public Works operates from general directives or broadly defined missions as they relate to the Department’s goals and objectives; creates and implements policies governing the department’s function, and assists in policy decisions that may have citywide impact

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Executive direction is provided by an Assistant City Manager or higher-level staff. The incumbent provides direct and indirect supervision to mid-level managers as well as other professional, technical, and clerical staff members. Management authority is delegated through direct report line managers that head up each of the major functions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan, organize, manage, lead, and direct the overall operations of the Department.
  
• Meet with Division Managers, and other key department staff to share information, discuss issues (current, emerging, potential) regarding projects, policies, and programs and to determine priorities and resource management issues, on a regular basis.
  
• Develop priorities, approach, and strategies regarding organizational development/ improvement initiatives; develop, plan, and implement Department goals and objectives in accordance with the core purpose, mission, vision, and values of the organization; develop, recommend, and administer policies and procedures; identify, develop, and implement initiatives to improve service delivery (transportation design/air quality, street maintenance, parking) with other city departments and public/regional agencies.
  
• Administer, direct, and recommend the Department budget; analyze fiscal data to identify and project resource needs; obtain needed resources; monitor and approve budget expenditures.
  
• Review legislation and assures compliance with laws, regulations, statutes, and codes that impact Department operations.
  
• Select, assign, train, direct, and evaluate subordinate staff, including subordinate managers, supervisors, professionals, and others; discuss, negotiate, and resolve personnel issues/conflicts with staff, unions, and labor relations.
  
• Provide consultation and oversight to citywide strategic planning efforts and participates in planning/design teams to develop direction, recommendations, and strategies for Executive Team development and citywide improvement initiatives; participates in Executive Team meetings.
  
• Negotiate, arbitrate, and resolve program, project, and policy issues and conflicts with the City Council, City Manager, other departments, and community/business stakeholders.
  
• Attend City Council meetings; meet with City Manager’s office and City Council regarding new programs, project/program status, sensitive/controversial issues; coordinate assigned activities with City officials, other City departments, and outside agencies as appropriate; participate on committees and boards and in community activities as assigned; attend meetings, conferences, and workshops.
  
• Prepare complex statistical and narrative reports, correspondence, and other documents.
  
• Other related duties may also be performed.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Organizational development, process development, systems thinking.
  
• Subdivision laws and public works financing.
  
• Principles and practices of engineering and administration as applied to the design and construction of public works facilities and technical inspection services.
  
• Principles and practices of modern office management.
  
• Principles of organization, administration, budget, and personnel management.
  
• Current trends, principles, practices, methods, and techniques of public works administration; current literature, laws, regulations, and developments, as well as various agencies that impact and/or govern public works-related services.
  
• Federal, State, and regional transportation/air quality regulations.

Skill in:

• Interest based negotiations and consensus building.
  
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with diverse groups.
  
• Coaching and mentoring.
  
• Use of computers, computer applications, and software.

Ability to:

• Think and act strategically, creatively, and critically.
  
• Create common understanding on issues through education with relevant/factual information
  
• Present complex technical and operational issues simply and logically to City managers, policy makers, and community.
  
• Be politically astute without being political.
  
• Create common understanding of organizational purpose and motivate staff to provide high quality services and customer satisfaction at a competitive cost.
  
• Be adaptable and innovative, decisive and diplomatic.
  
• Problem solve collaboratively and creatively.
  
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with public officials, public/private agencies, and the general public.
  
• Prepare complex narrative and statistical reports, correspondence, and other documents.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience managing a broad range of municipal services including engineering, traffic engineering, and/or street maintenance in a large public agency including a minimum of two years at a management level comparable to Division Manager.

Education:

A Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, public or business administration, or a related field from an accredited college or university.

Substitutions:

A Master’s Degree in a related field may substitute for one year of the required supervisory experience.

Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Certifications:

Possession of a Certificate of Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California is desirable.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE

How to Apply
Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis at raftelis.com . Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled with a first review of applications tentatively scheduled to begin on July 10, 2026.

Please note that the first round of virtual interviews is tentatively scheduled for August 12, 2026. Finalists will be invited to participate in in-person interviews tentatively scheduled for August 19, 2026. Selected candidates must be available for both dates.

Please note that all recruitment dates are tentative and subject to change based on panel member availability and scheduling needs; candidates are encouraged to remain flexible throughout the interview process.
Questions
Please direct questions to Serena Wright-Black at [email protected] and Kelsey Batt at [email protected] .

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information

Civil Service Rules: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/CivilServiceBoardRules62012.pdf

Union Contracts: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/labor-agreements.html

Salary Schedule: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/SalarySchedule.pdf

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

Salary:

$190,000.00 - $241,896.80 Annually