Public Works Director

JOB TITLE:  Public Works Director

AGENCY:   City of Avalon

LOCATION:   Avalon, California

FILING DEADLINE:  July 7, 2023

SALARY RANGE:  $ 134,031 – $172,887 Annually

The Position

Reporting to the City Manager, the Public Works Director serves as a member of the executive management team and manages, participates in, and provides administrative direction and oversight to personnel in the functions and activities of the Public Works Department, including streets, landscapes and grounds, facilities, parks, and cemetery, and implementation of the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The Director coordinates assigned activities with other City departments, officials, outside agencies, and the public; fosters cooperative working relationships among City departments and with intergovernmental and regulatory agencies and various public and private groups; provides highly responsible and complex professional assistance to the City Manager.

Performs other duties required including, but not limited to:

• Develops, directs, and coordinates the implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures.
• Manages and participates in the development and administration of the department’s annual budget.
• Ensures quality and legal requirements for the City are met; continuously monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures and identifies opportunities for improvement.
• Meets and confers with contractors, engineers, a variety of outside agencies, and the general public in acquiring information and coordinating matters related to the City’s streets, landscape, facilities, and cemetery.
• Oversees the development of consultant requests for proposals for professional services and the advertising and bid processes.
• Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of public works maintenance, operations, and engineering.
• Responds to difficult and sensitive public inquiries and complaints and assists with resolutions and alternative recommendations.
• Prepares staff reports and makes presentations to the City Council, boards and commissions, advisory committees and citizen groups.
• Builds and maintains positive working relationships with all CIP related stakeholders, as well as other employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a dynamic, strategic leader and effective communicator who possesses a high level of technical planning proficiency, has a collaborative approach to management, and enjoys working with a solid, knowledgeable staff in a team-oriented environment. The successful candidate will have a solid foundation of the principles and practices of civil engineering as applied to public works, including wastewater treatment plants; Federal, State, and local laws and regulations; organizational and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of programs, policies, and operational needs; budget preparation and administration. The successful candidate will be a hands-on manager with the demonstrated ability to direct and manage multiple priorities while exercising sound independent judgement. This position interacts with various internal and external stakeholders, thus requires exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills and astute political awareness. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates that are innovative, resourceful, and enjoy working in a small, tourist-driven community.

Key Attributes and Characteristics

• Politically savvy, strong technical skills, creative and adaptive.
• Provide leadership, and demonstrate integrity, respect, teamwork, high performance, excellence, and safety.
• An active problem solver who anticipates and responds to problems in a timely manner and develops alternative solutions, including knowledge of supply chain logistics that accounts for the ‘island factor’.
• Must be creative and solutions-oriented; able to bring innovation to difficult problems or issues.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills necessary to translate technical concepts to all levels of audience, create and develop positive relationships with staff, organizational leadership, and various stakeholders; someone who is willing to listen and able to build trust.
• Excellent customer service skills.

The City of Avalon

The City of Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island, is a picturesque seaside village with an estimated full-time resident population of over 3,400 and an annual visitor count of nearly one million. The City and Island have a vibrant, tourist-based economy, mild subtropical climate, arresting natural environment, with many opportunities to enjoy both outdoor activities by land and sea with abundant recreational, cultural, and social programs. The Island’s natural beauty is among its greatest assets – with more than 60 miles of pristine coastline and rugged interior that is home to a myriad of endemic flora and fauna.

The City of Avalon is situated on the easterly portion of Catalina Island, 22 miles southwest of Long Beach, with ferry service from San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach, and Dana Point. Avalon is a little over 2 2/3 square miles in size. The Island itself is 76 square miles in area, 88% of which is in a conservancy and is maintained in its natural state in perpetuity. Catalina Island is a part of Los Angeles County and Long Beach Unified School District.

For more details about this opportunity, please visit the job brochure at: https://koffassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Rev3-Avalon-PWD.pdf.   

To be considered, please electronically submit your resume, cover letter and a list of five professional references (references will not be contacted in the early stages of the recruitment) to: https://koffassociates.com/avalon-public-works-director/. Resumes should reflect years and months of positions held, as well as size of staff and budgets you have managed.

For additional information, please contact:

Frank Rojas

Phone: (510) 495-0448

Email: Frank_Rojas@ajg.com

Website: https://koffassociates.com/

To learn more about the City of Avalon, go to: https://www.cityofavalon.com/.