Director Of Public Works Jobs in Riverside, CA (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $174,574.00 - $234,769.00 Annually
Location : City of Jurupa Valley, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 172
Department: Public Works Department
Opening Date: 03/06/2026
Max Number of Applicants: 1
Description
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE FOR THIS POSITION. If interested in applying, please contact: Roger Lee, Executive Recruiter, at Jacob Green and Associates
WHY JOIN JURUPA VALLEY?
Situated in Western Riverside County, Jurupa Valley offers excellent access to major Southern California hubs and continues to experience strong industrial, retail, and residential growth. The City's population exceeds 106,000, supported by master-planned communities and proximity to UC Riverside and other higher education institutions. An outstanding opportunity for a public works professional to join a non-PERS agency with a seasoned executive team and an opportunity to apply a "start-up" mentality to build lasting structure and programs for a visionary City with ample resources.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
The Public Works Department oversees the City's core infrastructure, including streets, fleet, facilities, right-of-way landscaping, and capital projects. It coordinates with regional agencies and special districts on water, wastewater, stormwater, drainage systems, park maintenance, and graffiti abatement. Responsible for multi-year agreements to deliver services, including refuse / recycling collection, tree maintenance, and street sweeping. Under the Director's leadership, three Deputy Directors and a team of 31 employees, supported by professional consultants, manage a substantial portfolio of development activities, capital projects, and ongoing operations and maintenance of City assets.
THE ROLE
Reporting to the City Manager, the Director oversees all Public Works functions, including engineering, capital delivery, operations, and interagency coordination. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to City leadership, establishes departmental policy and structure, and represents the City before the Council, boards, regional partners, and community stakeholders.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal Director is a seasoned, staff-forward, and collaborative public works professional who brings strategic focus, operational discipline, and a commitment to strong communication. This leader excels at developing staff, communicating transparently, leveraging technology, fostering accountability, and building trust through transparent engagement with the City Council, colleagues, and the community.
The successful Public Works Director will:
Lead with Integrity and Emotional Intelligence - Build trust through clear
communication, sound judgment, empowering staff, and adaptable, politically
aware leadership.
Provide Strategic Focus and Organizational Clarity - Prioritize effectively and
bring structure to complex workloads through consistent processes and cross-departmental.
Inspire, Mentor, and Empower Staff - Develop deputies, strengthen supervisory
skills at all levels, and cultivate a culture of confidence, problem-solving, and
ownership.
Champion Collaboration and Community Engagement - Represent the
department with credibility and maintain strong relationships across the
organization, elected officials, and external partners.
Drive Innovation and Modernization - Encourage the use of tools like Accela,
ESRI and Smartsheet encourage data-driven, asset management-based
principles, continuously improving workflows.
Deliver High Quality Infrastructure and Service Outcomes - Ensure timely,
high-quality capital and development projects, and set clear standards-based
service expectations.
FIRST-YEAR PRIORITIES
In the first year, the Director will:
• Become knowledgeable of operating and capital projects budgets, the status of current and needed master plans, and existing departmental plans/policies.
• Assess department structure, clarify roles, and support the growth and development of department staff. Evaluate the use of consultants.
• Evaluate the efficiency of joint service agreements with adjacent agencies.
• Implement asset management protocols to introduce policies, procedures, workflows, and performance metrics that support consistency and accountability.
• Strengthen cross-departmental communication to align processes, reporting, and project milestones for both public and large-scale private projects.
• Gain a strong understanding of major development projects, CIP projects, and county/state-led initiatives; establish clear sequencing and progress tracking.
• Assess and further develop five-year CIP programs.
• Improve early involvement in development review to reduce conflicts and streamline project delivery.
• Develop and implement, as practicable, actions to improve staff succession, retention, and the department's ability to recruit top candidates.
To apply, or ask general questions, please contact: Roger Lee, Executive Recruiter, Jacob Green and Associates
Examples of Duties
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide strategic leadership over Public Works engineering and operations, ensuring proactive programs, clear policies, procedures, and efficient service delivery.
Oversee operating and capital budgets, ensuring projects remain on schedule, within resources, and supported by clear expectations and communication.
Support the Community Development Department with the implementation and/or initiation of development-specific plans.
Continuously evaluate the readiness of all staff and delegate responsibilities to empower staff for future succession.
Select, train, mentor, and strengthen staff capacity within the department. Establish policies, procedures, performance metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with asset management best practices.
Represent the City with developers, contractors, vendors, regional agencies, utilities, regulatory bodies, and partnering agencies; negotiate agreements and ensure compliance.
Oversee the preparation of clear, concise staff reports and ensure presentation of technical topics in lay terms to the City Council and public.
Through effective delegation, manages procurement processes, RFP/RFQ development, competitive bidding, contract administration, and ongoing service agreements.
Identify, pursue, and manage Federal, State, and regional funding opportunities for infrastructure projects and programs.
Typical Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS
• Minimum of 10 years of increasingly responsible municipal public works experience, including five years
in senior management and three years of CIP management; senior land development experience a plus.
• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in
engineering, planning, architecture, public administration, business management, or a related field;
Master's degree preferred.
• California Professional Civil Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• Demonstrated capability in leadership, team development, budget management, project delivery, policy
development, negotiation, and communication.
• Experience delivering projects in coordination with the County or the California Department of Transportation
oversight and/or permits.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Salary Range: $174,574 - $234,769*
Retirement: Jurupa Valley does not participate in CalPERS or other defined-benefit retirement systems. The
City contributes 7% of salary to a 401(a) defined-contribution plan, with employees able to make additional
contributions subject to IRS limit.
Benefits Package:
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with a generous City contribution
• Generous paid time off: Up to 200 hours PTO/year (based on service), 13.5 paid holidays, plus separate
sick leave and 96 hours of Executive Leave annually.
• Professional growth & family perks: Tuition reimbursement up to $2,500/year, 529 college savings
access, plus optional pet care savings and legal/ID protection.
The City is currently reviewing the base salary for the Public Works Director position for a potential upward adjustment, based on a recent regional market survey. If the proposed changes are approved by the City Council, they would likely go into effect on July 1, 2026.
Supplemental Information
Possession of the minimum qualifications does not ensure that an applicant will be invited to the next phase of the examination process, which may include a written exercise and/or multiple interviews. The City reserves the right to invite only the most closely qualified applicants to participate in and advance in the recruitment process for this position. Successful candidates may be required to pass a comprehensive background investigation, which includes a reference check, live scan fingerprinting, and a pre-employment examination. In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, all new employees must verify identity and entitlement to work in the United States by providing the required original documentation.
If you are interested in applying or have questions, please contact:
Roger Lee, Executive Recruiter, at Jacob Green and Associates
Applications received after the closing date and time, regardless of the online postmark date, will not be considered. Incomplete or illegible application packets may result in disqualification. If the position is open until filled, apply immediately for optimal consideration as the recruitment may close without notice. A separate application must be submitted for each position of interest.
EEO/ADA
CITY OF JURUPA VALLEY
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
The City of Jurupa Valley offers an excellent benefit package for full-time career employees through a flexible plan. The plan provides:

• Paid Time Off (PTO) for full-time employees is based on the years of service leave credit schedule as follows:

Years of service Annual Accrual Not to exceed 2(x) annual max
1-3 years 120 hours 240 hours
4-7 years 160 hours 320 hours
8+ years 200 hours 400 hours
PTO includes paid time off for all purposes (excluding holidays). For employees working 32 hours per week, the PTO accrual is pro-rated.

• 13.5 Paid Observed Holidays per calendar year.
• $2,000 Monthly Cafeteria Health Allowance for medical, dental and vision. The City's health plans are for eligible employees and their qualifying dependent(s).
• For all Members excluding Executives City paid life insurance coverage in the amount of $150,000.
• For Executives City paid life insurance 1.5 times annual earnings up to a max of $300,000.
• Short and Long-Term Disability Plans through Lincoln Financial Group.
• Voluntary supplemental products for critical illness, long and short- term disability and life insurance are also available.
• Voluntary Deferred 457 Compensation Plan -MissionSquare Retirement.
• In lieu of Social Security, the City implemented a Defined Contribution Plan thorough MissionSquare Retirement. The City contributes 7% of Full-Time employee's gross salary and 7.5% of Part-Time employee's gross salary towards the MissionSquare Retirement Plan and the employee is vesting at time of hire. Employee may also contribute zero (0) or up to twenty percent (20%). Employee contribution election is irrevocable.
• 9/80 workweek schedule with every other Friday as a Flex Day Off. Schedule will be determined by the hiring manager.
• Employee Assistance, Legal Shield and Scholar Share 529 Program.
• United Pet Care Insurance Program.
• Tuition Reimbursement $2,500 per year.
• Bereavement Leave - Five Paid Days.
• Sick Time - Full Time Employees (45 Hours annually) Part Time Employees (40 Hours annually). Allotted paid sick leave is not payable upon separation from employment, regardless of the reason for separation.
• Some managerial positions may have additional benefits such as executive days and telecommute program.