Organization:
City of Sacramento, CA
Location:
Sacramento, CA
Recruiter:
Serena Wright-Black
The City of Sacramento is seeking an experienced and visionary leader to serve as its next Director of Public Works. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of one of the nation’s most dynamic and rapidly growing cities. From managing a robust multimodal transportation network to overseeing street maintenance, parking operations, and capital construction, the next Director will leave a lasting mark on the daily lives of nearly 540,000 residents and the millions who work, visit, and pass through Sacramento each year.
Sacramento is a city in motion. With growing demands on its transportation infrastructure, regional air quality commitments, and an ambitious agenda for streetscape and mobility improvements, this is a pivotal time for the Public Works Department. The City is looking for a leader who brings both technical depth and executive presence, someone who can steer complex programs, build coalitions across agencies, and elevate the department's capacity to deliver.
The Director of Public Works serves as the City's principal public works administrator and a key member of the executive leadership team, planning, organizing, and directing the full scope of services that form the backbone of daily life in Sacramento. The ideal candidate is an operationally grounded leader, one who brings the management depth, political acumen, and strategic vision to lead the City's third-largest department through an era of growing infrastructure demands and expanding public expectations.
Sacramento is a city investing in how it moves, sustains, and serves its residents. Over the past year, the Department has implemented tens of millions of dollars in transportation improvements, expanded electric vehicle charging and transit access, completed critical road and facility upgrades, and strengthened parking management through expanded permit programs and automated enforcement. The next Director will inherit a department with a strong internal culture, long tenured and technically talented managers, and a workforce that takes genuine pride in its role as the City's most visible front-line service provider. This is a compelling opportunity for a leader who wants to protect and elevate that reputation while tackling real challenges, from an infrastructure backlog and succession planning to ensuring the department's talent pipeline keeps pace with Sacramento's growth.
The Public Works Department manages a proposed FY2026–27 budget of approximately $260 million and a workforce of 782 FTEs, with two-thirds of that staff engaged in direct field operations. The Department's work is organized across nine divisions: Engineering Services; Facilities and Real Property Management; Fleet Management; Maintenance Services; Mobility and Sustainability; Office of the Director; Parking Services; Recycling and Solid Waste; and Transportation. Together, these divisions deliver a broad portfolio, from road and bridge maintenance, traffic signals, and active transportation design, to fleet asset management, solid waste and recycling collection, ADA barrier removal, climate and sustainability initiatives, and operation of the Sacramento Marina.
As a member of the City's Executive Team, the Director contributes to citywide strategic planning and engages across a wide network of internal and external partners. Key collaborative relationships include the Department of Utilities, the Department of Community Response, Youth, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, and a broad range of regional agencies and community bodies, including the Disabilities Advisory Commission and the Active Transportation Commission.
The Director also plays a meaningful role in partnering with private developers, managing complex grant-funded programs, and navigating the full range of funding sources that support the department's work, including enterprise funds, general funds, gas tax, grant funding, and landscaping district revenues.
The next Director of Public Works is an experienced, grounded, and collaborative leader who brings the management depth and interpersonal range to lead a large, complex department while remaining genuinely connected to the people and communities that the department serves. The ideal candidate understands that Public Works is Sacramento's most visible service organization and carries that responsibility with pride, consistency, and a commitment to excellence in every interaction, from the executive conference room to the field. This is a leader who builds trust readily, listens before acting, and earns credibility through both competence and character.
The successful candidate is an exceptional communicator who can move fluidly between technical briefings, community conversations, City Council chambers, and front-line crews. They translate complexity into clarity, advocate effectively for department needs, and navigate politically sensitive situations with professionalism and poise. Transparency is a core leadership value, and this Director keeps staff, leadership, and partners informed, addresses challenges directly, and models open and honest communications.
This is a leader who knows how to manage through others. The Director will inherit experienced division managers and a workforce with deep institutional knowledge and will know how to honor that expertise while also setting high expectations, providing clear direction, and creating an environment where staff are empowered to grow and perform. Strong coaching and delegation skills are essential, as is a genuine commitment to succession planning, workforce development, and building a bench that reflects the diversity of Sacramento's community.
The next Director will bring broad operational experience managing diverse municipal services, such as public works, utilities, transportation, or similarly complex operations, along with a demonstrated track record of overseeing large budgets with multiple funding sources, delivering capital improvement programs, and implementing service enhancements within a public agency environment. While an engineering background is valued, it is not required. The City is equally interested in candidates who have successfully led complex technical organizations through strong management practices, sound judgment, and the ability to build, empower, and effectively leverage teams with deep subject matter expertise. Experience with unionized workforces and the dynamics of collective bargaining in a large public agency is an important foundation for success.
The ideal candidate brings a strong working knowledge of transportation, infrastructure, and sustainability best practices, including traffic safety, active transportation, fleet and facilities management, solid waste operations, and climate resilience, and understands how these services contribute to broader community goals and quality of life. They are strategically minded, able to look across a large and diverse portfolio and make sound decisions about where to invest attention, resources, and energy. Equally important, they understand the value of being visible and engaged, in the field, at community meetings, and alongside the front-line employees who represent Public Works to the Sacramento community every day.
The ideal candidate will possess a Certificate of Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California.
Minimum requirements include any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field, and eight years of progressively responsible experience managing a broad range of municipal services including engineering, traffic engineering, and/or street maintenance in a large public agency of which may have included a minimum of two years of experience in a management role comparable to Division Manager.
An equivalent combination of qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
The City of Sacramento is a charter city operating under a council-manager form of government, with a City Council composed of eight district-elected members and a Mayor elected-at-large. The City Council appoints the City Manager, who serves as the City's chief executive officer and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of City operations and implementation of Council-adopted policies.
With a proposed FY 2026-2027 operating budget of $1.7 billion and a workforce of nearly 5,000 full-time equivalent employees, the City delivers a comprehensive range of municipal services. These include police, fire, water, sewer, storm drainage, solid waste, code enforcement, construction and maintenance of parks and streets, planning and development, recreation and cultural activities, community response, and general administration.
As the capital of California, and the world’s fifth-largest economy, Sacramento offers a unique blend of influence, livability, and opportunity. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers, the City seamlessly balances rich history with forward-looking innovation. With a population of approximately 540,000, Sacramento is California’s sixth-largest city and serves as the cultural and economic heart of the region, while maintaining a strong sense of community, neighborhood identity, and civic pride.
Sacramento is one of the most diverse and inclusive cities in the state, with residents representing a wide range of cultural backgrounds and experiences, nearly one in four residents was born outside of the United States. This diversity is reflected in the City’s vibrant neighborhoods, global cuisine, and community traditions, creating a dynamic and welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.
Known as the “Farm-to-Fork Capital,” Sacramento boasts a nationally recognized culinary scene, a growing arts and entertainment culture, and an expanding downtown anchored by the Golden 1 Center and a revitalized waterfront. The City offers an exceptional quality of life, combining the amenities of a major metropolitan area with a more accessible and affordable cost of living than California’s coastal markets, making it an increasingly attractive destination for professionals, families, and innovators.
Outdoor living is a way of life in Sacramento. With more than 250 days of sunshine each year, residents enjoy year-round access to parks, rivers, and trails. The American River Parkway, featuring the 30+ mile Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, provides one of the region’s most treasured recreational assets, connecting scenic landscapes from downtown Sacramento to Folsom. The City is also within easy reach of world-renowned destinations including Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite National Park.
Sacramento’s economy is diverse and resilient, supported by major sectors such as government, healthcare, education, and technology. As the seat of state government, the City offers a strong public sector presence alongside leading higher education institutions such as California State University, Sacramento and a network of community colleges that contribute to a highly skilled workforce.
Consistently recognized for its livability, Sacramento has been named among the best places to live in California and continues to gain national attention as a city on the rise. For those seeking to make a meaningful impact while enjoying a high quality of life, Sacramento offers an exceptional place to live, work, and lead.
The expected hiring range for the Director of Public Works is $190,000 - $241,896.80 annually, depending on qualifications. To view the full salary range, please visit the Salary Schedule.
The City of Sacramento offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which can be viewed here:
* Retirement benefits include participation in CalPERS and Social Security. Contributions are made by both the City and the employee.
Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled with a first review of applications tentatively scheduled to begin on July 10, 2026.
Please note that the first round of virtual interviews is tentatively scheduled for August 12, 2026. Finalists will be invited to participate in in-person interviews tentatively scheduled for August 19, 2026. Selected candidates must be available for both dates.
Please note that all recruitment dates are tentative and subject to change based on panel member availability and scheduling needs; candidates are encouraged to remain flexible throughout the interview process.
Please direct questions to Serena Wright-Black at swrightblack@raftelis.com and Kelsey Batt at kbatt@raftelis.com.