Director of Public Works and Parks (Serves as City Engineer)

Salary : $180,814.40 - $225,264.00 Annually
Location : City Hall, Ukiah, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 2026-43
Department: Public Works
Opening Date: 09/02/2026

DESCRIPTION

Director of Public Works and Parks Recruitment Brochure

• Up to $25,000 Signing Bonus
• Up to $10,000 Housing Benefit
• Up to $25,000 Relocation Assistance
• Vacation Bank / Sick Leave Transfer

Anticipated addition of a new salary step effective 9/27/26, resulting in a 2.5% increase to the salary range.
Recruitments posted as "Continuous" are subject to close at any time following an initial two-week posting period. Upon closing, the applications received will be screened and notices will be sent to the applicants regarding the status of their application.
Under the administrative direction of the City Manager, the Director of Public Works and Parks manages the programs, services, team members, facilities, and operations of the Public Works and Parks Department and serves as the City Engineer and Floodplain Administrator. The Director leads and supports a multidisciplinary team of managers and supervisors who serve as subject-matter experts in their respective disciplines, and coordinates their work to ensure effective delivery of the City's public works, parks, facilities, and infrastructure services. The position provides leadership for engineering, streets and rights-of-way, parks and open space, storm drainage and floodplain management, public facilities, fleet, corporation yard operations, solid waste and recycling coordination, and landfill closure.
This position provides highly responsible professional and technical oversight for assigned utility and infrastructure projects, including water and wastewater capital projects, and coordinates with other City departments on shared infrastructure and facilities; ensures compliance with applicable regulations and standards; fosters a culture aligned with the City's core values of Professionalism, Service, Teamwork, Innovation, and Safety; and performs related duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS
These examples are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The examples of work performed are neither restricted to nor all-encompassing of the duties to be performed under this job title.

• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the City's public works and parks functions, services, and operations, including related facilities, infrastructure, and capital improvement projects; oversees associated planning, design, engineering, construction, budget management, maintenance, and service delivery.
• Develops and implements departmental budgets, goals, objectives, policies, procedures, service levels, and priorities based on community needs, long-range planning, regulatory requirements, infrastructure conditions, adopted plans, and available resources; pursues grants and other outside funding.
• Manages the selection, supervision, training, mentoring, development, and evaluation of departmental team members directly and through subordinate supervisors; supports professional growth, succession planning, safety, accountability, and high operational standards.
• Serves as the City Engineer and provides professional engineering oversight for public improvements, development review, plan checks, engineering standards, encroachments, rights-of-way, mapping, legal descriptions, construction inspection, and assigned capital projects; when serving as Engineer of Record, signs and seals plans and related engineering documents.
• Conducts or oversees the preparation and review of plans, specifications, estimates, engineering reports, surveys, legal descriptions, permits, construction inspections, and other technical work performed by team members, consultants, and contractors.
• Leads and participates in the planning, funding, design, construction, inspection, and closeout of assigned capital improvement projects, including streets, sidewalks, storm drainage, parks, open space, recreational facilities, public buildings, transportation improvements, and other public infrastructure.
• Collaborates with City utility departments, including Water Resources and Electric Utility, to coordinate engineering, planning, shared facilities, project delivery, maintenance planning, development review, regulatory compliance, and capital projects involving interdependent City infrastructure. As City Engineer, provides principal technical management and oversight for assigned capital projects involving water, wastewater, recycled water, stormwater, and related public infrastructure.
• Oversees development review and public improvement functions, including subdivision and parcel maps, lot line adjustments, grading and drainage review, encroachment permits, easements, dedications, utility coordination, traffic and circulation review, public improvement agreements, conditions of approval, and City engineering standards.
• Applies Complete Streets principles, National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) guidance, and other applicable best practices to support safe, accessible, connected, and efficient movement for all users.
• Oversees street and right-of-way maintenance programs, including pavement management, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, ADA access improvements, traffic control devices, signs, striping, traffic calming, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, drainage facilities, landscape and street trees, and related public assets.
• Oversees planning, development, rehabilitation, maintenance, and asset management for parks, open space, trails, public grounds, recreational facilities, playgrounds, sports fields, landscaped areas, irrigation systems, and related amenities; coordinates capital improvements and maintenance standards with Community Services and other departments.
• Applies best management practices and recognized horticultural standards for parks, open space, public trees, and recreational facility maintenance, including irrigation efficiency, turf and sports field care, urban forestry, integrated pest management, drought resilience, vegetation management, accessibility, safety, and long-term asset sustainability.
• Administers stormwater, drainage, and floodplain responsibilities, including stormwater quality, drainage planning, regulatory compliance, floodplain review, creek and culvert coordination, and service as the City's Floodplain Administrator.
• Administers the City's solid waste and recycling franchise; coordinates compliance with applicable solid waste laws and regulations; oversees landfill closure, post-closure, monitoring, reporting, and related consultant coordination; and manages the Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority.
• Oversees assigned fleet, equipment, plant maintenance, public facilities, grounds, and corporation yard operations, including preventive maintenance, replacement planning, operational readiness, regulatory compliance, and safety practices.
• Effectively collaborates with other agencies and organizations (i.e. California State Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Water Resources Control Board, County of Mendocino, Mendocino Transit Authority, etc.).
• Prepares and presents reports to the City Council; provides professional and technical assistance to boards, commissions, committees, regional partners, and outside agencies; and represents the City in the community and at professional meetings as required.
• Negotiates and manages contracts, consultant agreements, construction contracts, franchises, permits, change orders, claims, easements, and related agreements for assigned projects, programs, and services.
• Works with elected officials, the public, customers, developers, contractors, consultants, utilities, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders to answer questions, investigate service issues, resolve complaints, and provide technical information.
• Interprets and ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, permits, regulations, contracts, City standards, and safety requirements.
• Supports the department's emergency preparedness, after-hours response, damage assessment, continuity of operations, mutual aid coordination, emergency contracting, debris removal, infrastructure restoration, and assigned emergency management functions.
• Works flexible hours, including frequent evening meetings and responding after hours to operational needs.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public works and parks administration, maintenance, leadership, budgeting, team member development, program evaluation, and public agency service delivery.
• Civil engineering principles and practices as applied to municipal infrastructure, public improvements, development review, transportation systems, capital project delivery, construction, maintenance, and operations.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, permits, safety orders, public contracting requirements, accessibility requirements, environmental requirements, and City standards related to public works and engineering.
• Capital improvement project delivery, including planning, design, environmental review, permitting, public contracting, bidding, construction management, inspection, grant administration, change orders, claims management, and project closeout.
• Complete Streets principles, multimodal transportation planning, traffic engineering, pedestrian and bicycle facility planning, accessibility, right-of-way management, NACTO guidance, Caltrans standards, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and other applicable transportation best practices.
• Stormwater, drainage, floodplain management, watershed protection, creek and culvert systems, and applicable federal, state, and local regulatory requirements, including NPDES/MS4 permitting, inspection, compliance, and reporting.
• Principles and best practices for parks and landscape maintenance, including general familiarity with irrigation, turf and sports fields, urban forestry, tree care, integrated pest management, soil health, drought-resilient landscaping, vegetation management, and safe recreational facility maintenance.
• Asset management, pavement management, infrastructure maintenance planning, work-order systems, performance measurement, cost recovery, life-cycle cost analysis, and data-informed decision-making.
• Principles and practices of customer service, public communication, community engagement, intergovernmental coordination, and effective collaboration across departments and utility functions.

Ability to:

• Supervise complex municipal public works and parks projects and services.
• Exercise sound professional engineering and management judgment on public improvements, development review, infrastructure standards, construction, and assigned capital projects.
• Read, interpret, prepare, and review construction plans, specifications, engineering reports, technical studies, maps, contracts, and regulatory documents.
• Analyze complex engineering, operational, transportation, maintenance, regulatory, financial, environmental, and policy issues and develop practical, defensible solutions.
• Manage multiple complex projects, contracts, grants, deadlines, consultants, contractors, funding sources, and competing priorities.
• Prepare written reports, make effective presentations, and communicate clearly and concisely.
• Manage and develop team members; support professional growth; promote accountability; and maintain high operational, safety, and service standards.
• Foster an environment that embraces diversity, integrity, trust, and respect, and that promotes professionalism, service, teamwork, innovation, and safety.
• Be an integral team player, which involves flexibility, cooperation, and communication.
• Work in office and field environments; traverse uneven, soft terrain; and lift 25 pounds.

Education and Experience:

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in civil engineering or a closely related field.
• 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in any combination of public works, civil engineering, infrastructure management, capital project delivery, transportation planning or engineering, maintenance operations, parks and facilities maintenance, or a closely related field, including at least five years of supervisory, management, or administrative responsibility.

Necessary Special Requirements:

• Possession of a valid certificate of registration as a Professional Civil Engineer issued by the State of California.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain and maintain, a valid Class C California Driver's License.
• Completion of applicable NIMS/ICS emergency management training within a timeframe established by the City.

SELECTION PROCEDURE
Applications must be filled out completely. Resumes submitted in lieu of completing an application will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed by a screening committee and those applicants who appear to be among the best qualified will be selected for the examination process. This process may include a variety of techniques designed to test applicants' knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of the job. An eligibility list will be established by ranking candidates by their overall score and a selection will be made from the candidates on this list. All employment offers are subject to a City-paid physical examination and a thorough reference and background check.
In accordance with the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, the City must verify, once an employment offer has been made, that all persons have written proof of their right to work in the United States.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if special accommodations are necessary at any stage of the testing process, please notify the Human Resources Department in advance at (707) 463-6244 so your request may be reviewed prior to the occurrence of the test.