Deputy Executive Director

Salary : $214,510.00 - $295,734.00 Annually
Location : Riverside, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Department: Executive
Opening Date: 11/02/2026
Closing Date: 12/2/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt

Job Summary
The Deputy Executive Director is a key executive position reporting directly to the Executive Director. This role provides agency-wide strategic leadership, policy direction, and operational oversight across WRCOG's departments, while also directly managing one or more assigned departments or program areas. The Deputy Executive Director plays a pivotal role in implementing short- and long-term priorities, including the goals of WRCOG's Strategic Plan, ensuring organizational alignment, representing WRCOG with member agencies, elected officials, and regional partners, and serving as the Executive Director in their absence.

WRCOG is looking for an exemplary leader who models the agency's core values, develops staff, and helps build the leadership continuity the agency needs for the future.
For more information about this opportunity, please review the

Supervision Received and Exercised

Receives administrative direction from the Executive Director. Exercises direct supervision over management, professional, technical, and administrative staff within the assigned department(s). In the absence of the Executive Director, exercises supervision over all agency staff.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a seasoned executive who is equally comfortable setting agency-wide direction and running a department day to day. They will bring a strong command of public administration and organizational management, public-sector budgeting and fiscal stewardship, grants and intergovernmental funding, and the policy and legislative processes that shape regional agencies, along with a working knowledge of the laws that govern California public agencies. Experience with a council of governments, joint powers authority, or similar regional agency, and familiarity with the programs of the assigned department, will be highly valued.

Just as important is how the candidate leads. WRCOG is looking for someone who can analyze complex issues and make sound, well-informed decisions; communicate clearly and persuasively with elected officials, committees, member agencies, and staff; build consensus among stakeholders with differing interests; and lead organizational change. The successful candidate will build and retain a high-performing team, hold people accountable fairly and consistently, handle sensitive matters with discretion, and keep multiple priorities moving at once.

The Deputy Executive Director is expected to act as an exemplary leader and serve as a role model for agency staff, demonstrating WRCOG's core values of accountability, integrity, and transparency in daily practice, and to strengthen the leadership capacity and business continuity for the agency needs over the long term. Success in this classification requires the experience to know how to do the work, the skills to do it successfully, and behavior that consistently reflects WRCOG's culture and core values.

Classification Characteristics

This is a single-position executive management classification that reports directly to the Executive Director and serves as the agency's second-in-command. The Deputy Executive Director divides time approximately equally between agency-wide executive responsibilities and the direct management of an assigned department or program area. As an agency executive, the incumbent assists the Executive Director in carrying out WRCOG's long-term vision and strategic priorities, oversees day-to-day agency operations, coordinates work across departments, represents WRCOG as an agency at external meetings, and manages the agency when the Executive Director is absent. As a department head, the incumbent plans, organizes, and directs the programs, staff, and budget of the assigned department(s).

This class is distinguished from the Executive Director in that the latter has full responsibility for all agency operations and reports to the Executive Committee. It is distinguished from Director in that the Deputy Executive Director holds agency-wide executive responsibility in addition to department management.

Department Assignment

The department(s) or program area(s) the Deputy Executive Director directly manages will be determined by the Executive Director based on the selected candidate's skills, experience, and abilities. WRCOG may reorganize programs, departments, and responsibilities to accommodate the assignment. Potential areas include:

• Administration: Directs human resources, risk management, facilities management, event management, Board and committee support, and agency administrative services, and manages WRCOG's Public Service Fellowship program. Also directs public information, including communications, external affairs, community relations, media relations, marketing, and public education programs that advance the priorities and interests of WRCOG and its member agencies.
• Finance: Directs budget development and administration, accounting, financial reporting, audits, fiscal policy, procurement and contract management, asset management, and information technology (IT), in coordination with the Chief Financial Officer; ensures compliance with governmental accounting standards and funding requirements.
• Energy and Environment: Directs regional energy and environmental programs such as solid waste, used oil recycling, household hazardous waste, Clean Cities Coalition, and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, including Commercial PACE (C-PACE); builds relationships with member agencies, industry partners, and regulatory agencies.
• Inland Regional Energy Network (I-REN): Directs WRCOG's lead role in I-REN, a California Public Utilities Commission-authorized Regional Energy Network led by WRCOG in partnership with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and the San Bernardino Council of Governments. Oversees energy efficiency programs serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties across the Public Sector, Codes and Standards, and Workforce, Education and Training sectors; manages program budgets, regulatory filings, and reporting to the CPUC; and coordinates with partner agencies, utilities, and stakeholders, with an emphasis on expanding access for hard-to-reach and disadvantaged communities.
• Transportation and Planning: Oversees the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) program and other regional transportation and planning activities, including programs, projects, and studies; the administration of federal, state, and local funds; and analysis of land use, economic, housing, and demographic data.

Examples of Typical Job Functions
Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of this position and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

Agency-Wide Executive Responsibilities

• Assists the Executive Director in executing WRCOG's long-term vision and strategic plan in collaboration with the Executive Committee and department directors; develops, in collaboration with the Executive Director and the Chief Financial Officer, an annual operating plan that supports the agency's long-term goals.
• Oversees the day-to-day operations of the agency; implements directives and policies of the Executive Director; provides direction and guidance to department directors and program managers to coordinate programs, projects, and assignments across departmental lines.
• Manages the agency in the absence of the Executive Director, exercising authority over agency operations and staff as delegated.
• Keeps the Executive Director fully informed in a timely and candid manner regarding agency operations; briefs and advises the Executive Director on opportunities, problems, and issues of concern.
• Meets regularly with department directors and program managers to identify and resolve organizational and operational issues within and across departments.
• Monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of WRCOG programs and procedures; establishes and tracks performance measures and outcomes; recommends and implements program changes that respond to the evolving needs of member agencies.
• Assesses the distribution of work, support systems, organizational structure, and internal reporting relationships; identifies and implements opportunities for improvement.
• Leads or participates in major agency initiatives such as strategic planning, legislative platform development, personnel and fiscal policy updates, bylaws amendments, and classification and compensation studies.
• Leads implementation of WRCOG's Strategic Plan goals: regional, state, and federal advocacy; grants and funding; fiscal solvency and stability; proactive communication; infrastructure and sustainable development; regional resilience; and a safe, inclusive workplace. Supports development of the agency's next Strategic Plan.
• Advances WRCOG's role as a strong regional voice by supporting the agency's legislative platform and advocacy efforts, and by helping member agencies identify and pursue regional, state, and federal grant and funding opportunities.
• Represents WRCOG at external meetings and before the Executive Committee, Administration & Finance Committee, Technical Advisory Committee, Finance Directors' Committee, and other committees; member agencies; elected and appointed officials; intergovernmental and regulatory agencies; and public and private sector groups; prepares staff reports and makes presentations.
• Builds and maintains cooperative working relationships among WRCOG departments, member agencies, and regional partners; negotiates and resolves sensitive and complex issues.
• Ensures that effective, timely, and transparent organization-wide communication is in place.
• Models WRCOG's core values and key behaviors; fosters a workplace culture that supports staff engagement, development, and retention and helps make WRCOG an employer of choice.
• Develops, mentors, and coaches managers and staff; leads organization-wide succession planning, staff training and recognition, and clear performance standards, and supports the development of future agency leaders.

Department Management

• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the programs, projects, services, and staff of the assigned department(s); establishes goals, objectives, priorities, and performance measures.
• Develops and administers the assigned department budget; forecasts funding needs; monitors and approves expenditures; identifies and pursues grant and other funding opportunities; ensures compliance with funding, audit, and reporting requirements.
• Selects, trains, motivates, and evaluates assigned staff; provides or coordinates training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements discipline procedures in accordance with agency policy.
• Oversees the development and administration of requests for proposals, contracts, and agreements with consultants, vendors, and partner agencies.
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and agency policies.
• Monitors legislative, regulatory, technological, and industry developments affecting the assigned area and WRCOG; recommends policy and program changes.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Key Skills and Behaviors

WRCOG seeks a leader who has the experience to know how to do the work, the skills to do it successfully, and who acts in a way that benefits the organization.

Key Skills

• Strategic Thinking: Translates the agency's long-term vision into clear priorities, plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Personnel Management: Leads, develops, and retains a high-performing team; holds staff accountable fairly and consistently.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Builds trust and consensus with member agencies, elected officials, and regional partners.
• Executive Communication & Public Speaking: Communicates complex information clearly and persuasively to boards, committees, staff, and the public.
• Fiscal Management: Develops and manages budgets and makes sound decisions that protect the agency's fiscal health.
• Organizational Management & Prioritization: Manages competing demands across departments and keeps work moving on time.

Key Behaviors

WRCOG's core values are Integrity, Transparency, Collaboration, Innovation, Diversity, Accountability, Sustainability, and Inclusion. The following key behaviors describe how those values show up in daily work, and the Deputy Executive Director is expected to model each of them:

• Own the Outcome: Takes responsibility for results, follows through on commitments, and holds self and others accountable.
• Communicate Clearly: Shares information openly, accurately, and on time; listens actively and adapts the message to the audience.
• Seek and Apply Feedback: Invites input, shows self-awareness about personal strengths and areas for growth, and acts on what is learned.
• Collaborate and Build Partnerships: Works across departments and agencies, values diverse perspectives, and builds lasting relationships.
• Drive Innovation and Improvement: Looks for better ways to serve member agencies, measures progress, and adjusts quickly.
• Exercise Sound Judgment: Makes ethical, well-informed decisions, seeking the views of others before acting on important matters.

Education and Experience
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and