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The Public Works Department is responsible for operating, maintaining, and improving the City’s public infrastructure – streets, water, storm, public buildings, the City’s fleet, trees, parks, and traffic signals. The Department also reviews plans and inspects construction of public improvements to serve private residential and commercial development and plans the capital and operating budgets.

The Department is seeking to hire engineering and public administration interns to provide support for several programs as described below:

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

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.