Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : City Hall, 9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 01020
Department: Public Works
Division: Public Works Administration
Opening Date: 09/01/2026
Closing Date: 9/29/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

THE POSITION
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS

Location/ Employer: City of Culver City, CA

Salary Up To: $211,748 - $258,467 DOE/DOQ
Infrastructure. Mobility. Sustainability. Community. In Culver City, Public Works touches it all. The City of Culver City, CA (City) is seeking a dynamic, principled, and people-focused Public Works Director (Director) to lead one of its broadest and most visible service portfolios at an exciting moment of transformation. With significant investment underway in infrastructure and deferred maintenance, a citywide modernization of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) process, and a renewed focus on transparency, accountability, KPIs, and community-centered results, the next Director will have a meaningful opportunity to shape how Culver City looks, moves, operates, and serves its community for years to come. This is not a role for someone who simply wants to manage the status quo. It is an opportunity for an engaged change leader with a strong public works foundation who can unite diverse disciplines, establish clear priorities, build trust, navigate complex community issues, and turn ambitious goals into visible results. Ready to turn big priorities into visible results? Bring your leadership to Culver City Public Works by applying today!
TO APPLY AND SEE THE FULL RECRUITMENT BROCHURE VISIT: Apply and View the Job Brochure
THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

The Public Works Department (Department) is one of the City's most operationally diverse departments, with responsibilities extending from the infrastructure beneath the street to the mobility, environmental, and public systems residents experience every day. The Department operates with approximately 131 dedicated staff and manages an FY26/27 proposed operating budget of approximately $54.6M and CIP budget of $52.1M.
The Department's work touches nearly every aspect of the built environment, including streets and sidewalks, municipal facilities, sewers and stormwater infrastructure, traffic signals and streetlights, urban forestry, refuse and recycling, mobility and parking infrastructure, utility permitting, graffiti abatement, and sustainability programs. Public Works also provides development review and inspection services and manages improvements throughout the public right-of-way.
The Department is organized into five divisions:

1. Administration coordinates departmental operations, budgeting, and select projects and programs.
2. Engineering Services provides civil engineering services for public and private development; manages capital projects, sewer user charges, right-of-way activities, and utility infrastructure improvements.
3. Mobility & Traffic Engineering oversees traffic engineering and controls, mobility planning, parking infrastructure and permitting, and pedestrian and bicycle projects and programs.
4. Maintenance & Operations maintains City buildings, streets, sidewalks, sewers, storm drains, bridges, traffic signals, streetlights, signage, parking meters, and other infrastructure; manages the urban forest; and provides graffiti abatement and emergency services.
5. Environmental Programs & Operations provides refuse, recycling, and organics collection and disposal; operates the City's Transfer Station; oversees stormwater quality and compliance; manages street sweeping; and leads sustainability programs and initiatives.

The Department also plays a significant role in delivering the City's CIP. The FY26/27 CIP program includes approximately $52.1M in planned spending across 67 projects and 19 funding sources. Major investment areas include sewer and stormwater infrastructure, streets and alleys, facilities and infrastructure, equipment and technology, and vehicle replacement.
The Department's current work program reflects the breadth of this responsibility, with priorities spanning municipal facilities, sewer and stormwater systems, pavement and sidewalk improvements, ADA infrastructure, traffic management, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, street sweeping, and the continued maintenance of the City's public right-of-way.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES & MAJOR INITIATIVES

• CIP Process Modernization: The City is securing an outside consultant to lead a comprehensive modernization of its CIP process. The Public Works Department, along with other City departments, will play a key role in shaping a more robust, data-informed approach to planning, prioritizing, funding, and delivering capital investments.
• Infrastructure & Deferred Maintenance: Deliver significant new investments in streets, sidewalks, alleys, trees, public facilities, and the public right-of-way, with an emphasis on addressing deferred maintenance and delivering visible improvements to the community.
• Performance Management & KPIs: Build stronger systems for tracking service levels, project schedules, turnaround times, infrastructure conditions, and other operational outcomes in support of the City's new citywide Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and process improvement initiatives.
• Mobility & Complete Streets: Continue advancing mobility and complete street initiatives while navigating competing community priorities related to traffic flow, parking, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, street trees, and neighborhood impacts.
• Environmental & Regulatory Compliance: Strengthen the Department's internal knowledge and practices related to CEQA and other environmental requirements while continuing to address stormwater, Transfer Station, and other regulatory compliance obligations.

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THE POSITION & PRINCIPLED LEADER

With responsibility for one of the City's broadest and most visible service portfolios, the Public Works Director (Director) will have an opportunity to shape how the City invests in its infrastructure, delivers essential services, and responds to the evolving needs of the community. Reporting to the Senior Assistant City Manager of Infrastructure & Innovation, the Director will oversee the Department's five divisions, setting the tone for a collaborative and high-performing organization grounded in clear priorities, accountability, and a commitment to excellent service. The Director will also work closely with the City Manager's Office, Mayor and City Council, fellow department heads, regulatory agencies, community stakeholders, and the public on projects and issues that are often complex, highly visible, and sometimes competing in their priorities.
The City is seeking a principled, decisive, and highly engaged change leader who is data-informed, disciplined, and people-focused. The next Director will inherit a dedicated team while stepping into an organization experiencing an exciting period of transformation, with new executive leadership, evolving City Council priorities, and a priority-based budgeting approach creating greater alignment between the City's resources, its work, and the needs of the community. Rather than the most technically credentialed engineer, the City needs a leader with a strong public works foundation who can build trust across the organization and community, bring greater consistency and follow-through to the Department, and refocus attention on the fundamental services and infrastructure needs that matter most to the community.
To thrive in this role, the Director will bring:

• A Broad Public Works Foundation: Strong knowledge of municipal public works and the ability to lead effectively across diverse technical and operational disciplines.
• Capital & Infrastructure Management Experience: Proven track record overseeing complex capital programs, addressing deferred maintenance, and moving projects from planning through delivery.
• Sound Judgment & Conviction: The confidence to make well-informed recommendations, explain the rationale behind them, and respectfully push back when necessary.
• Political & Community Acumen: Skill in navigating highly visible and contentious issues where community and stakeholder interests may differ.
• Operational Agility: The ability to manage multiple lines of service while pivoting effectively between long-range priorities and immediate operational needs.
• Data-Informed Decision-Making: Experience using meaningful data and performance measures to set priorities, improve processes, and drive results.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

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

• Experience & Education: A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public administration, business administration, civil engineering, construction management, urban planning, environmental science, public works administration, or a related field. Five (5) years of increasingly responsible professional and administrative experience in public works, municipal operations, infrastructure management, capital improvement program, utilities, engineering administration, construction management, environmental services, sanitation, or closely related field, including at least five (5) years of significant management and supervisory responsibility.
• Licensure: Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license at time of appointment and throughout employment.
• Desired But Not Required: Registration as a Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California (see benefits section for certification incentive).
• Note: Possession of Professional Civil Engineer registration does not, by itself, constitute appointment or designation as City Engineer. The City Engineer shall be separately designated by the City in accordance with applicable law and City requirements.

SALARY AND BENEFITS: An annual salary of up to $211,748 - $258,467 DOE/DOQ, plus a generous benefits package that includes:

• Certification Incentive: 5% salary increase for registration as a Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California.
• Retirement: CA Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) defined benefit retirement plan, which is coordinated with Social Security. 2%@60 for "Classic" members and 2% @62 for new mem