Description

JOB TITLE: Public Works Director

AGENCY: City of San Fernando

LOCATION: San Fernando, California

FILING DEADLINE:  March 13, 2026

SALARY RANGE:  $185,376 – $225,324 annually

THE POSITION

The Director of Public Works serves as the expert infrastructure advisor to the City Manager and is a key member of the Executive Management Team.

Essential job duties include, but may not be limited to:

•        Provide day-to-day leadership and work with staff to ensure a high-performance, customer service-oriented work environment that supports achieving the Department’s and the City’s mission, objectives and values.
•        Direct and lead the formulation and implementation of departmental policy, planning and strategic development; lead and direct staff and outside consulting resources in the development and application of new methods and processes to achieve higher efficiency, quality and innovation in department work processes.
•        Plan and administer all aspects of the following: Public Works capital improvement projects; streets and sanitation, including construction and maintenance of streets, sidewalks, storm drains and lateral sewer lines; facilities maintenance for City buildings and grounds; parks, trees and landscape maintenance; installation and repair of electrical facilities such as street lighting, water equipment and communications systems; equipment maintenance for police vehicles, construction equipment, fleet vehicles and other motorized equipment; the planning, design, installation and maintenance of traffic signs, signals and markings, as well as water treatment and distribution.
•        Oversee contract administrators and project managers for engineering and construction projects; direct and oversee the selection and management of consulting engineers, contracted design and support functions, environmental compliance processes, permitting, and construction and project management.
•        Work closely with the City Manager, City Council, and other City departments, other public and private organizations and agencies, and citizen groups in developing an integrated approach to solving problems, and in formulating programs and projects for implementation; represent the City in interactions and cooperative agreements with citizens, other local governmental agencies and regional entities regarding capital improvement projects and other community issues involving multiple departments.
•        Prepare City Council staff reports/resolutions and make presentations to the City Council; respond to data requests and audits by state, federal and other agencies.
•        Oversee the development of engineering designs, environmental documents, plans specifications and cost/budget estimates, and review project packages to ensure projects are safe, functional, constructible and cost effective, and are in compliance with regulatory requirements.
•        Oversee permit administration and inspection of all activities within the public right-of-way; manage development of complex engineering design and construction packages based on technical and economic feasibility of projects.
•        Approve Public Works requirements for conditional use permits, variances, parcel and tract maps and master plans.
•        Oversee the implementation of various infrastructure projects to ensure accuracy and that projects are progressing as planned and on budget; works with staff, field personnel and others to resolve engineering and construction problems/conflicts to complete the capital improvement plan effectively while making optimal use of City resources.

OPPORTUNITIES

The City’s next Director of Public Works will have the opportunity to oversee a number of exciting projects, including beautification and facility maintenance programs, Citywide Parking Management Plan implementation, Safe & Active Streets program development, Las Palmas Park Revitalization, sewer infrastructure and water wells refurbishment, working closely with the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce, San Fernando Mall Association, and being a key member of the management team and support all City Departments to elevate the community. The City Council has demonstrated their commitment by including funding for all of these efforts in the 2025-2026 Budget.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is a strategic, innovative, and engaged leader and effective communicator with broad experience in all areas of public works; possessing extensive expertise managing staff and creating organizational structure and a sense of team and purpose. As the Director interacts with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, exceptional interpersonal skills and political acumen are of the utmost importance.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record in municipal public works projects, creating efficiencies, implementing best practices, and removing unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles, while establishing clear procedures and policies, both written and verbally. A background effectively engaging with residents and business leaders and ensuring positive outcomes is critical. The successful candidate will be honest and ethical, possessing a passion and dedication for public service in the community; an entrepreneur from within who recognizes this opportunity to create and establish an effective and efficient administrative infrastructure for long-term success.

THE COMMUNITY

The City of San Fernando is located in the northeast section of the San Fernando Valley at the southern foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, approximately 23 miles North of Downtown Los Angeles. This compact community of 2.4 square miles and 25,000 residents is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles, including the nearby communities of Sylmar, Mission Hills and  Pacoima. As you enter the City of San Fernando along picturesque, palm-lined Brand Boulevard, you discover a community rich in California history dating back almost two centuries. Named in honor of a Spanish Saint/King, San Fernando was settled long before the rest of Los Angeles’ Northeast Valley. In 1874, San Fernando became the valley’s first organized community, thus earning the title “First City of the Valley.” The City grew out of the ranching activities surrounding Mission de San Fernando Rey, whose graceful porticoes still stand today.

To learn more about the City of San Fernando, click here: www.sanfernando.gov

For more details about this opportunity, please visit the job brochure at: https://koffassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Rev3-San-Fernando-PWD.pdf.  

To be considered, please submit a resume, cover letter, and five work-related references (who will not be contacted in the early stages of the recruitment) to: https://koffassociates.com/san-fernando-public-works-director/. Resumes should reflect years and months of positions held. For additional information, please contact:

Frank Rojas

(510) 495-0448

Frank_Rojas@ajg.com

Website: https://koffassociates.com/