Public Works Director for the City of Solvang

Position Description

Are you an experienced public works leader who excels in providing solution-oriented results and managing complex projects?

Are you a self-starter who is unafraid to roll up their sleeves and who thrives when leading others to work effectively both independently and as apart of a dynamic team?

Does the thought of positively impacting your lo cal community excite you ?

Are you looking for a collaborative work environment that will support your goals and growth?

If so, the City of Solvang ( the city ) may have an opportunity for you as their next Public Works Director!

Regional Government Services and its staff are conducting the recruitment on behalf of the City of Solvang.

The Public Works Director plans, organizes, and directs the Public Works Department, including streets, storm drains, solid waste, parking lots, and capital improvement projects. The incumbent is responsible for conducting studies on the department’s programs, practices, procedures, financial resources, staffing, and reviewing requirements for new programs , processes, procedures, and systems. The incumbent also selects, adapts, and applies appropriate research and statisti cal techniques, works with various boards and commissions on public works issues, and resolves employee -related issues.

The incumbent directs all aspects of the City’s Public Works department; works with outside agencies; serves on boards and commissions on regional and lo cal public works issues; directs consultant staff regarding Regional Transit Service (funding, reporting, o per ation, facilities, development, and coordination between federal, state, regional, and lo cal agencies); oversees capital improvement projects (plans, organizes, and directs projects); reviews and coordinates development plans and City infrastructure needs; coordinates with consultant staff to maintain compliance with the City’s National Pollution Discharge Elimination per mit; per forms departmental budget development and tracking; acts as primary contact for the City’s Waste Management contactor; acts as primary contact for the City’s fleet services (coordinates with City departments for overall planning and purchasing); and provides support for the City’s special events (parking, traffic control, preparation of facilities, and coordination with outside agencies). The incumbent serves as City Engineer, City Floodplain Manager, and City Traffic Engineer.

The Ideal Candidate will:

• Be motivated by the opportunity to lead others in overseeing street maintenance o per ations.
  

• Be a self-starter, flexible, reliable, and detail oriented with high standards for work products.
  

• Be an effective problem-solver who combines techni cal ex per tise with excellent leadership and written, oral, and presentation skills.
  

• Thrive in a team-focused environment with competing priorities.
  

• Work strategi cal ly and collaboratively to solve problems with team members, contractors, consultants, and individuals at all levels of the organization.
  

• Be motivated by the opportunity for professional growth and satisfaction that comes from working in an environment ripe with challenge and possibility.
  

• Be an innovative and creative problem solver who is a proactive, ethi cal , self-motivated, adaptable, and organized leader who is comfortable working in a team-focused environment.
  

• Communicate in a proactive, approachable, and responsive manner, demonstrating understanding of stakeholder interests and needs and commitment to meeting them.
  

• Be a successful relationship builder and team player accustomed to coordinating with a variety of partners.
  

• Have knowledge of principles and practices of teaming and project management work models coupled with solid skills in setting per formance expectations, defining deliverables, holding people accountable, and supporting effort through well-designed work processes.
  

• Be analyti cal and appropriately detail oriented and have demonstrated ex per ience managing projects and initiatives.
  

• Communicate effectively in writing and prepare professional agendas, staff reports, presentations, and other documents.
  

COMPETENCIES

Attention to Detail - Accomplishe s tasks with thoroughness and accuracy.

Accountability - Accepts responsibility for themselves and their team.

Adaptability and Flexibility - Responds effectively to multiple demands, ambiguity, shifting of priorities, emerging situations, and rapid change.

Analyti cal Thinking - Identifies and defines problems; extracts key information from data; and develops workable solutions for the problems identified .

Collaboration - Fosters team communication and dialogue, identifies opportunities to consensus for team options, decisions, and outcomes.

Communication - Effectively conveys and exchanges thoughts, opinions, and information verbally and in writing.

Creativity and Innovation - Applies original thinking in approach to job responsibilities and improving processes, methods, systems, services .

Influence - Exerts a positive effect on other's views, attitudes, decisions, per ceptions , and beliefs .

Initiative - Identifies and takes action to address problems and opportunities.

Inter per s onal Relations - Builds relationships based on mutual trust and respect.

Judgment - Makes decisions that are based on careful thought and input from others.

Leadership - Inspires others toward a common vision and fosters trust and ethi cal conduct .

Results Orientation and Execution - Translates objectives into action plans, including identifying task interdependencies.

About the City

With a population of approximately 6 , 2 00, located in Santa Barbara County, the City of Solvang is known as “The Danish Capital of America.” Just thirty-four miles north of the City of Santa Barbara and twenty-one miles from the Pacific Coastline, the historic Danish village of Solvang offers the best of the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara wine country in a relaxed and peaceful setting.

You can indulge in authentic Danish pastries at Solvang’s world-famous bakeries, while strolling through the village to admire the old-world European architecture. Food and wine lovers will find more than 120 wineries throughout the Valley, with beautiful vineyards to explore, and plenty of farm-to-table dining options. This picturesque city is known for their many annual events, including Julefest and Danish Days, both of which celebrate the city’s heritage , along with charming boutiques and quaint shops . F amily-oriented attractions and recreational activities are plentiful! Solvang is an ideal place to live, work , and play-a place where you can have a great career - and is a safe and exceptional location to raise a family or retire!

Solvang is a Charter City, o per ating under the City Council/City Manager form of government. City leadership is committed to the preservation of Solvang’s unique character and quality of life of its residents. Solvang has an annual budget of approximately $20 million, and a staff of approximately thirty employees serving an engaged and invested community.

Examples of Duties

For an overview of the job duties, please review the job description here: LINK

Typical Qualifications

Education and Ex per ience:

Any combination of training and ex per ience which would provide the required knowledge, skills , and abilities is qualifying . A typi cal way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

• Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in civil engineering or a related field.
  

• Five (5) years of increasingly responsible ex per ience in municipal engineering and public works administration , including at least two (2) years in a management or su per visory capacity.
  

License:

• Registration as a professional civil engineer in the State of Cal ifornia is highly desirable.
  

• Should applicants who are registered as a civil engineer in another state, they will be required to obtain a Cal ifornia license within one year of appointment.
  

Supplemental Information

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary:

• $149,739 - $182,000 annually
  

• **Compensation is currently under review and is anticipated to increase
  

Benefits:

• Retirement
  

• Cal ifornia Public Employees Retirement System ( Cal PER S )
  

• “Classic” Members”: 2.5% at 55, employees hired prior to January 1, 2013 Employer contribution: employee pays 8% of reportable compensation Employee contribution: city pays entire 8%.
  

• “PEPRA MEMBERS/Non-Classic” (members new to Cal PER S after 1/1/13):
  

• 2% at age 62
  

• Employer contribution: The City pays their portion of the total “normal” cost of the benefit (as determined by Cal PERS annually).
  

• Employee contribution: The employee pays their portion of the total “normal” cost of the benefit (as determined by Cal PERS annually).
  

• The City participates in Social Security.
  

• Housing Allowance
  

• $750 per month
  

• Medi cal , Dental, Vision, & Life
  

• The City offers both PPO and HMO medi cal plans, in addition to dental, vision and group term life benefits. The City provides Section 125 Cafeteria plan which provides $1,100.00 for employees enrolled in Employee Only, overages paid to employee.
  

• The greater of $1,100.00 or 75% of the 2023/2024 premium for employees enrolled in Employee + One.
  

• The greater of $1,100.00 or 75% of the 2023/2024 premium for employees enrolled in Employee + Family.
  

• If you opt-out and purchase medi cal insurance elsewhere, the City provides a Cafeteria amount of $900.00 /month.
  

• Life Insurance and AD&D: The City provides up to 1x the employee’s annual salary, with a minimum amount of $50,000.
  

• Long Term Disability
  

• The City provides a long-term disability benefit at no cost to the employee.
  

• Vacation Time
  

• Employees receive 12 days per year of combined service, increasing to 15 days after five years of combined service, 20 days after 10 years of combined service, and 25 days after 15 years of combined service.
  

• Holidays:
  

• Employees receive 12 days per year, and two floating holidays.
  

• Sick Leave
  

• Employees receive 12 days per year with unlimited accumulation.
  

• Administrative Leave
  

• Management employees receive 80 hours per year.
  

• Deferred Compensation
  

• The City offers deferred compensation plans for employees to set aside a portion of their salary on a pre-tax or after-tax basis to supplement retirement.
  

• Flexible Benefit Program
  

• A Flexible Spending plan is available which allows employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for reimbursement of out-of-pocket health care expenses and dependent care costs.
  

• Auto Allowance
  

• Auto allowance available for the City Manager and/or designees .
  

• Cell Phone
  

• Department Heads are eligible for a $50 per month Cell Phone Allowance for use of their per s onal cell phone.
  

APPLICATION PROCESS AND SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Applications must be submitted on-line through this applicant tracking system. Materials must be complete and clearly indicate the candidate meets the minimum qualifications. Incomplete, late, emailed, and faxed applications are not accepted. Resumes are not considered in lieu of the required employment application.

Certificates, resumes, and/or cover letters must be uploaded with your application through this applicant tracking system.

All statements made on the application, resume, and supplemental materials are subject to verification. False statements may be cause for immediate disqualification, removal from eligibility list, or discharge from employment.

The deadline to apply is January 3 , 202 5 , at 11:59 PM PST.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY HERE

Appraisal Process - (Pass/Fail) After the closing deadline, applications will be screened in relation to the criteria indicated in this announcement.

This process may also include various interviews and/or a skills assessment exam to rank applications, and to prepare a Qualified Candidate List.

Application - Minimum Qualification Assessment - (Pass/Fail) All completed applications and supplemental questionnaires will be reviewed and assessed for each applicant's ability to meet the minimum work ex per ience, training, and education qualifications.

Remote Screen Interview Exam - (Pass/Fail) Candidates who pass the application assessment will be invited to a Remote Screen Interview Examination to evaluate training, experience, and other job-related qualifications for the position. The Remote Screen Interview will be conducted via a video conference platform and is tentatively scheduled for J anuary 202 5 .

Successful candidates will be submitted to the City of Solvang for further consideration.
All communication and notices will be sent via e-mail. Additional inquiries about the position may be directed to dprieto@rgs.ca.gov .

Neither Regional Government Services nor the City of Solvang are responsible for the failure of internet forms or email in submitting your application. Candidates who may require special assistance in any phase of the application or selection process should advise Regional Government Services by mailing dprieto@rgs.ca.gov

The City of Solvang is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Closing Date/Time: 1/3/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• Regional Government Services

• 650.587.7300

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