Public Works Director

Director Of Public Works

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.

The City of Culver City (City) is a dynamic urban community in the heart of Los Angeles County, home to approximately 40K residents who enjoy a unique blend of small-town charm and big-city amenities. Walkable neighborhoods, historic architecture, and a vibrant downtown make it a sought-after place to live, work, and visit. The city's lively center features popular destinations like Culver Steps, Ivy Station, and the historic Culver Hotel, offering dining, shopping, and gathering spaces. As the "Heart of Screenland," Culver City hosts major employers such as Sony Pictures Studios, Apple Studios, TikTok, Pinterest, and Amazon Studios, supporting a thriving creative economy and small business scene. Residents enjoy abundant parks, bike paths, and the Culver City Arts District, showcasing public art, galleries, and cultural events. With excellent transit connections via the Metro E Line and major freeways, Culver City offers easy access to the region while maintaining its own distinctive identity.

Guided by its 2045 General Plan, the City is preparing for sustainable growth that anticipates welcoming 10K–15K new residents over the next decade, with expanded housing options and modern infrastructure. Culver City looks to remain a welcoming, inclusive, and livable community for generations to come.

The City operates under a Council-Manager form of government. Its five-member elected City Council provides policy direction, sets priorities, approves the budget, and appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, Police Chief, and Fire Chief. The City Manager serves as the City's Chief Executive Officer, overseeing day-to-day operations and leading approximately 800 dedicated employees across five (5) strategic portfolios and 12 departments with a balanced Fiscal Year 25/26 (FY25/26) annual budget of approximately $370M and a FY26/27 proposed annual budget of approximately $393M. This talented and committed workforce delivers a wide range of high-quality services that support the City's vision of an inclusive, sustainable, and thriving community.

The Strategic Portfolios and City Departments reporting to the City Manager include: (1) Communications & Public Information: City Manager's Office; (2) Infrastructure & Innovation: Information Technology, Transportation, Public Works, Planning & Development, and City Clerk; (3) Fiscal, Sustainability & Transparency: Finance and Process Improvement; (4) Talent Development, Labor & Inclusion: Human Resources; (5) Economic, Vitality & Equity: Housing & Human Services, Economic Development, Parks, Recreation & Community Services, and Cultural Affairs.

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.

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:

• 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