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Director of Public Works

The County of San Mateo is currently seeking highly qualified applicants for the position of Director of Public Works.

The Opportunity

The County of San Mateo is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and forward-thinking Director of Public Works to lead a diverse and high-impact public service organization committed to resilient infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and community well-being.

Reporting to the County Executive, the Director of Public Works leads a multi-faceted department responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance, and stewardship of essential County infrastructure.

The Director oversees:

• County road and transportation systems
• Facilities, capital construction and new building programs
• County fleet operations, including a transition toward electrification
• Airport operations at San Carlos and Half Moon Bay
• Utilities, environmental compliance, and stormwater systems

The Director of Public Works is an executive leader responsible for:

• Shaping long-range infrastructure strategies.
• Ensuring regulatory compliance and promoting sustainability.
• Fostering collaboration across County departments, communities, and agencies.
• Leading a talented workforce and stewarding complex operations.

This role is ideal for a visionary leader who excels at navigating political environments, developing trusted relationships, and delivering practical, community-focused solutions.

Note: The Director of Public Works role is unclassified and not governed by County Civil Service Rules.

Strategic Priorities

The next Director will guide and advance several significant initiatives, including:

• Delivery of capital improvement projects on schedule and within budget, while working to strategically mitigate rising construction costs, scalability of projects, and potential fluctuations in funding, requiring agile financial planning and project delivery strategies.
• Continued progress on the County’s Strategic Energy Master Plan, energy efficient building upgrades, climate-resilient infrastructure efforts, EV charging stations, etc.
• Compliance with Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit requirements and other environmental regulations.
• Vehicle and equipment management and fleet electrification for the County.
• Capital improvement projects for utility special district infrastructure (sewer, water, drainage, and streetlights) to meet long-term service needs.
• Replacement and modernization of the County’s access control systems.
• Strategic management of a growing and evolving facilities portfolio in alignment with service demands and asset lifecycle planning.
• Expansion of service delivery efficiencies through process improvement, technology integration, inter- and cross-department collaboration.
• Development of a strong and sustainable workforce, with an emphasis on leadership growth, talent recruitment and retention, skills training, and employee engagement.

This leader will ensure alignment with Board priorities, regional partnerships, regulatory frameworks, and community expectations.

Leadership Profile

The County seeks an executive who brings:

• Strategic vision and “can-do” mindset, along with the ability to anticipate emerging issues and shape long-range priorities.
• Unquestionable integrity, strong personal accountability, even when navigating complex or sensitive situations.
• Political and organizational acumen, capable of building trust with elected officials, community leaders, staff, and partner departments and agencies.
• An adaptive and collaborative leadership style that fosters a culture of service, accountability, and performance.
• Strong people leadership skills, including the ability to develop, mentor, and coach staff; cultivate future leaders; and inspire shared purpose across diverse workgroups.
• Exceptional communication and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to integrate complex operational and policy considerations clearly and consistently while engaging effectively with the public, staff, and diverse stakeholders.
• A record of innovation and creative problem-solving, advancing new ideas, technologies, and approaches that enhance service delivery, sustainability, and organizational effectiveness.
• Flexibility and a culturally responsive approach to community engagement, ensuring effective collaboration with populations that have diverse needs and priorities.
• Fiscal accountability, budgetary, and financial management skills to effectively manage a $241 million budget.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of skills and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.

A typical way to qualify is six years of experience in public works administration and an understanding of the full range of public works issues, practices, policies and trends. At least two years of experience in a managerial capacity within a large, public agency and political environment is required.

Application/Examination

To apply for this opportunity, please submit the required application materials online at https://jobs.smcgov.org. Email submissions will not be accepted.

• Resume
• Cover Letter that is no more than 3-pages long that highlights the following:
• Why you are interested in this position and the relevant public works leadership experience you would bring to this role; and
• A recent and significant professional accomplishment that demonstrates your strategic leadership and innovative thinking skills.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline

Final Filing Date: Monday, January 12, 2026, 5:00 PM PST

Application Screening: Friday, January 16, 2026

Panel Interviews: Week of January 26, 2026

Finalist Interviews: Week of February 2, 2026

TO VIEW JOB ANNOUNCEMENT, CLICK JOB PDF OR JOB ANNOUNCEMENT URL BELOW.

The City of Menlo Park is seeking engineering professionals, with exceptional technical and project management skills, for Senior Civil Engineer positions in the Public Works Department (Department) Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Division. The Senior Engineer will lead capital improvement projects under the supervision of the City Engineer or Public Works Director. The CIP team delivers projects for City owned facilities including streets, buildings, storm and domestic water, and parks. The Senior Civil Engineer is responsible for executing CIP projects from planning through completion and managing assigned staff.   

Engineers who prefer diversity in their work and welcome opportunities to work on challenging and visible projects are encouraged to apply. Candidates with experience in a public agency setting, or a combination of public and private sector experience, are preferred. 

About the Department

The Public Works Department consists of approximately 72 full time employees and is responsible for maintaining and improving the City’s streets, parks, water and stormwater systems, traffic signals, fleet, and public buildings.  Public Works provides many of the basic services affecting the daily lives of everyone living, working, visiting, and commuting within the City, including:  

• 26 City-owned buildings/facilities and their grounds
• A fleet of over 250 vehicles and pieces of equipment
• 97 miles of streets
• Drinking water delivery for 16,000 customers
• Flood protection and stormwater management programs particularly along the San Francisco Bay, San Francisquito Creek and Atherton Channel
• 14 parks, 2 open spaces, 14 playgrounds, 2 dog parks, 9 sports fields, and 14 tennis/pickleball courts
• Efforts to preserve and expand the urban canopy, including 20,000 public trees
• Multimodal transportation services including 42 traffic signals, safe routes to schools and citywide shuttle programs. 

The department has nearly a $40 million operating budget supported by over 25 different special/dedicated funding sources for the varied programs and services provided to the community. In addition, the City has an approximate $100 million capital improvement program, in part due to a successful track record in pursuing grants from a variety of local, state and federal sources. Some of the exciting efforts on the horizon include efforts to protect the San Francisco Bay shoreline and adjacent community from sea level rise; efforts to eliminate the City’s reliance on fossil fuels through building and fleet electrification; making investments in transportation safety through strategic quick-build projects and large infrastructure changes like a pedestrian/bicycle undercrossing at Caltrain; and ensuring the equitable delivery of services throughout the entire city in alignment with the goals and programs developed as part of the city’s first environmental justice element underway.

A job description, including examples of typical job functions and qualifying knowledge, skills, and abilities, is available by clicking on the Job Description link.

The City of Belmont’s Public Works Department is entering an exciting new chapter under fresh leadership and is launching a new recruitment for an Assistant Public Works Director/City Engineer.

We’re looking for an engaging and collaborative leader who’s ready to guide a talented team, foster professional growth, and help shape the future of our city’s infrastructure. The ideal candidate brings strong communication skills, experience in both the public and private sectors, proven success managing large development projects, and a solid background in capital improvement programs.

Key Projects Driving Belmont Forward
Join our Public Works team and be part of the action on projects that are shaping Belmont’s future:

• Alameda de las Pulgas Corridor Improvements: Help enhance safety and mobility along one of Belmont’s most traveled corridors.

• Twin Pines Park Stormwater Detention Basin: Play a key role in a sustainability project designed to reduce flooding and protect our natural environment.

• Ralston Avenue Corridor Phase 4: Be part of the transformation of this major route with upgrades that improve traffic flow, safety, and accessibility.

• Belmont Village Bicycle Improvements: Support efforts to expand bike-friendly connections and promote active, sustainable transportation.

• Transportation Master Plan: Contribute to a citywide plan shaping how our community moves for decades to come.

• Small Cell Wireless Agreement: Help modernize Belmont’s infrastructure and strengthen connectivity across the city.

Recruitment Timeline

We’re reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered. This recruitment will remain open until filled.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I

($24.79– 31.74 per hour)

The City of Chowchilla is seeking a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I for the operation and maintenance of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator I is a journey-level class in the Wastewater Treatment Plant series, which normally works under general supervision, performing a group of related duties according to established procedures.  This position reports to the Utility Systems or Wastewater System Supervisor and does not supervise. 

DEADLINE TO APPLY: This recruitment will remain open on a continuous basis until the needs of the City are met. Applications are reviewed weekly.  Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.  

The Position

The City of Hayward is seeking a Senior Civil Engineer - Water and Wastewater [Formal Title: Senior Utilities Engineer] with a water and/or wastewater background to supervise, direct, plan, and coordinate the activities of the Utilities Division. The Senior Civil Engineer - Water and Wastewater  is a mid-management level position that performs, oversees, and directs engineering activities including planning, conceptual design, final design, cost estimating, project bidding, services during construction and construction management for a variety of projects in wastewater treatment, water storage and distribution, sewer collection, and storm water management. This position will serve as a key member of the team that will manage and deliver a $300 million treatment system upgrade for the City's Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) to incorporate nutrient removal into the treatment process.

You are:

The ideal candidate will be a senior level professional engineer with experience, interest and skills in designing and implementing a wide variety of wastewater treatment, sewer collections, and water distribution projects in a collaborative and team-focused setting. The City's $300+ million upgrades to its Water Resources Recovery Facility offers an opportunity to implement state-of-the art advanced treatment technologies working in a team environment through design, construction, and startup and commissioning of the new facilities. 
 
DEFINITION
Under general direction, supervise, direct, plan, and coordinate the assigned functions and activities of the Engineering Section of the Utilities Division.
 
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This is a mid-management level position that performs, oversees, and directs all assigned activities of the Utilities engineering section, including planning, conceptual design, final design, cost estimating, project bidding process, services during construction and construction management for variety of projects in water distribution, sewer collection, stormwater management, and wastewater treatment.  This position is distinguished from that of subordinate Associate Civil Engineer position by its responsibility for the supervision of assigned engineering and technical staff, in addition to engineering and technical responsibilities for project development, design, and construction management for more complex projects.  This position is distinguished from Deputy Director of Public Works for Utilities by the latter position's overall responsibility for all aspects of the Utilities Division functions.
 
 

Essential Duties

What you will do:

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

1. Assists in the development and implementation of the Engineering Section's goals, objectives, policies and priorities.
 
2. Plans, organizes, controls and evaluates the assigned functions and activities of the Engineering Section of the Utilities Division.
 
3. Provides direct and close supervision in the preparation of assigned master plans and studies that outline future water, wastewater and drainage requirements.
 
4. Prepares drawings, models, and displays for special studies and reports completed by the Utilities Division, and explores and studies the preparation of area wide master plans guiding future installations of major water and sewer facilities.
 
5. Directs the work and provides general supervision in the preparation of plans, specifications, cost estimates and the administration of contracts for small construction projects in utilities (e.g., small water main, sewer main and storm drainage projects).

6. Revises and updates standard specifications and details related to water and wastewater utilities.
 
7. Checks plans prepared by other agencies for conflict with the City's existing and proposed utilities systems.
 
8. Consults with and advises other City employees on utilities engineering matters.
 
9. Participates in the selection and supervision of private professional engineers for the development of plans and specifications, studies and reports.
 
10. Coordinates utilities engineering related activities with Engineering & Transportation Division, other City departments, divisions, and sections and with outside agencies.
 
11. Prepares reports and makes recommendations on the Utilities Division's portion of the City's capital improvement program.
 
12. Develops and recommends an annual budget and priority for assigned utilities projects.
 
13. Consults with contractors, builders, and engineers on problems relating to the design, construction, and maintenance of assigned utilities facilities.
 
14. Coordinates construction management of the Utilities Division's projects with the Engineering and Transportation Division staff.
 
15. Consults with and advises the Deputy Director on issues relating to the Utilities Engineer's particular function.
 
16. Advises other sections and program staff within the Utilities Division on engineering and technical matters.
 
17. Prepares project statements outlining scope of projects, design criteria, available data, background, scheduling coordination, and financing for utilities projects.
 
18. Participates in interviews and selection of new employees under the position responsibilities as directed, and trains employees in work procedures, standards and safety practices.  
 
19. Prepares and provides input into employee performance evaluations, including setting and assessing goals, conducts counseling on work-related issues, and makes recommendations regarding discipline.
 
20. Performs related duties as assigned.

Link to full job description: Class Specifications | Senior Utilities Engineer | Class Spec Details (governmentjobs.com) 

CORE COMPETENCIES

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of civil engineering.
• Familiarity with applicable laws and regulatory codes relevant to planning, design and construction of water, wastewater, and storm drainage projects.
• Current developments, literature, and sources of information relative to municipal utilities engineering.
• Modern methods and techniques used in the design and construction of a wide variety of utilities engineering projects.
• Group and interpersonal dynamics.
• Principles of management and supervision including work planning, direction, training and evaluation of work and staff performance. 
• Asset management.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 

• Supervise, train and evaluate professional and technical subordinates.
• Set priorities, organize projects and meet deadlines and budget constraints.
• Perform complex engineering computations and design, check, and supervise the construction of a wide variety of municipal utilities facilities.
• Communicate both orally and in writing to prepare clear and accurate reports, lead discussions, and present information to City staff, contractors, and the general public.
• Complete assignments in a timely manner with minimum supervision.
• Plan and direct the work of other personnel.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with individuals and groups.
• Resolve utilities related construction problems in the field.

Minimum Qualifications

JOB RELATED AND ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS 

You have: 
 Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: 
 
Experience:  Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in professional engineering work in the design and construction of water and wastewater projects including one (1) year of supervisory or lead experience.
 
Education:   Bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university in civil engineering, or a closely related field with major work in civil engineering.  A master's degree is desirable.
 
Licenses and Certificates: 

1. Possession and maintenance of a certificate of registration as a Professional Engineer (Civil or Mechanical) in the State of California.  

2. Possession and maintenance of a valid Class C California driver's license.


SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Essential duties require the mental and/or physical ability to: work in a standard office environment and use standard office equipment and current software; to work in a field environment when needed in various weather conditions; grasp, perform repetitive hand movements and fine coordination to prepare documents and data using a computer keyboard and mouse/trackball; sit for prolonged periods of time; walk, stand, crouch, reach, twist, turn, kneel, bend, squat, stoop and safely lift and move equipment and materials weighing up to 35 pounds; converse by telephone, by email, in person, and to small or large groups and be clearly understood; read and comprehend legal, technical and complex documents; interact with the public and all different levels of City staff in an effective and professional manner; and safely drive to various locations throughout the City and County to travel to fulfill assigned duties and to review work outdoors. 
 
Essential functions must be performed with or without reasonable accommodations.  

Supplemental Information

BENEFITS AND REWARDS:

Depending on employee group, some of these benefits may include:

• Alternative Work Schedule 
• Potential Opportunity for Over Time Hours Earned
• Vacation - 80 hours minimum
• 14.5 Paid Holidays
• Generous employer contribution for Health, Dental and Vision coverage
• CalPERS Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (2.5% at 55 for Classic CalPERS members | 2.0% at 62 for New CalPERS members | 3.0% at 50 for Classic Safety members | 2.7% at 57 for New Safety Members) - No Social Security participation.
• Life and Disability Insurance and Paid Leave
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Health and Wellness Reimbursement
• Professional Development Reimbursement
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (employee paid)

SELECTION PROCEDURE 

Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least one (1) hour to submit your application if you are a new user to the system.  Our on-line application system is provided by Government Jobs. If you have problems while applying online, please contact the Government Jobs Help Desk at  (855) 524-5627.
 

The City of Hayward is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Agency

City of Hayward

Address

777 B Street

Hayward, California, 94541

Phone

510-583-4500

Website

http://www.hayward-ca.gov