Deputy Director of Public Works - Field Operations

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1 Deputy Director of Public Works - Field Operations Recruitment Services Provided by Ralph Andersen & Associates

2 The Opportunity The City of Riverside is recruiting nationally for a highly experienced Deputy Public Works Director Field Operations. Responsibilities include leadership and advancement of the City s active transportation program, and complex operational activities such as solid waste, streets, tree and landscape maintenance, animal services, and public parking control that continuously support the quality of life in Riverside. The ideal candidate will be a forwardthinking individual who is entrepreneurial in spirit with strong leadership skills and a proven track record of implementation and team building. The successful candidate will have a broad background in all aspects of public works operations who thrives in managing a multi-faceted department that delivers quality results. This senior-level executive, who provides assistance and works under direction of the Public Works Director, will be innovative and results-driven, with well-grounded ethical decision-making skills, superior interpersonal and communication skills, political sensibility, and outstanding public speaking abilities. The City of Riverside From its beginning in 1870, Riverside has been a prosperous, desirable place to live because of the foresight of its founders and successive leaders and the artistic spirit that pervades the culture of its residents. Today, Riverside is a leading Southern California city offering a blend of hometown charm, history, and hospitality with the vision, energy, culture, and diversity of a sophisticated metropolitan area. With a population of approximately 327,000, Riverside currently ranks as the 12th largest city in California and 59th in the United States, and is the economic powerhouse of one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Riverside is exceptionally wellpositioned for its sustainable urban future and is a very attractive place for businesses, young professionals, and families alike. Riverside s higher education system prepares a diverse workforce with an extraordinary collection of three universities and a community college with a combined student population of over 50,000; giving Riverside powerful tools to advance into the future. Being named the 2012 Intelligent Community of the Year by the Intelligent Community Forum (which ranks cities across the world) acknowledges Riverside s commitment to the success of our students, technological efforts and advancement and positions Riverside to stay ahead of the curve for years to come. Riverside residents and business owners are excited by what s happening in the City and what the future holds. For instance, Downtown Riverside has experienced a series of improvements in the past few years, including the opening of the renovated Fox Performing Arts Center, the Fox Entertainment Plaza and Municipal Auditorium, the expansion and renovation of the Riverside Convention Center and the opening of the Culver Center for the Arts, the Citrus Tower Office Building, and the Hyatt Place Hotel. These projects, in turn, have served as a catalyst for the opening

3 of a number of new restaurants and nightlife venues within the Downtown area. With several projects on the horizon including four major mixed use developments Downtown Riverside provides an urban mix of residential, retail, and entertainment uses. The Department At-A-Glance The Public Works Department maintains, operates, and improves the City s infrastructure system all with an eye to advancing the sustainability, resiliency, and economic prosperity of the City of Riverside. The Department is organized into the following divisions: Administration, Engineering, Construction, Public Parking Services, Animal Services, Streets, Solid Waste, and Wastewater. Building upon the City s investment of more than $1.5 billion in infrastructure and public facilities in the past decade, the Department currently embodies the following scope and scale: $141.9 million budget 324 full-time employees 870 miles of streets 800 miles of sanitary sewers 300 miles of storm drains 400 signalized intersections 160 miles of bike lanes 150,000 street trees 66,750 solid waste customers Current Issues and Priorities The Public Works Department plays a key role in advancing the City of Riverside s quality of life. Among the current issues and priorities of the Department are the following top five: Realizing the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager s focus on customer service and the delivery of quality services, as articulated in Riverside 2.1 Strategic Plan. Advancing the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager s commitment to implementing congestion relief on the existing transportation system and alternative transportation initiatives including adopting a complete streets policy, walkability, bicycling, shared use mobility, transit, and the like. Invest in the sustainability of Riverside s urban forest by improving the grid tree trimming cycle. Promote best practices, increase diversion, and enhance customer service for solid waste program. Implement enhancements to the public parking program based on the Public Parking strategy findings over the next two years. The Position This position is a key member of the Department s management team which provides day-to-day management for a staff of approximately 148 in a Department with 324 full-time equivalent employees, an adopted FY 2017/18 operating budget of approximately $141.9 million, and a FY 2017/18 CIP budget of $21.4 million. The Deputy Director will be results-driven, with well-grounded ethical decision-making skills, superior interpersonal and communication skills, and outstanding strategic big picture thinking. Of critical importance and significance to the Director is the ability of the Deputy Public Works Director to represent the Department with the highest degree of leadership and professionalism. The Deputy Director must be a dynamic and innovative professional who is self-confident and able to speak with clarity and authority on a variety of complex technical issues. The candidate must be capable of working effectively and communicating diplomatically with City Council, staff, citizen and business groups, regulatory bodies, developers, contractors, and other governmental agencies. Working closely with the Director and the Department s management team and staff, the Deputy Director will have overall responsibility for all aspects of the Department s daily field operations, including the following key goals and objectives: Ensure best-practices in public works administration; Improve and restore the aging infrastructure, including the urban forest, and improve the quality of the City s neighborhoods; Prepare recommendations on the ways and means of financing public works programs and revenue generation opportunities; Resolve Council/Constituent issues as related to field operations (i.e., tree trimming, graffiti removal, pot hole repair, etc.); Provide exceptional customer service and be transparent and accountable to the public at all times; Enhance employee satisfaction and obtain and retain qualified personnel; Oversee employee relations issues; Enhance employee safety and disaster preparedness; Exercise the highest level of accountability in the management of public infrastructure and services/programs, including bid process and contracting; and Collaborate with a wide variety of community groups, residents, and others in order to seek understanding and develop solutions for complex issues as well as to advance community priorities. The Ideal Candidate The Ideal Candidate will be a Person of Vision. The City of Riverside is looking for someone who thinks creatively and encourages innovative thinking about field operational issues. The new Deputy Director must be able to demonstrate an ability to identify and implement best practices with respect to street maintenance, tree and landscape maintenance, and solid waste program. The Ideal Candidate will be committed to Customer Service. The ideal candidate will be a person committed to serving the public in an open, solutions-oriented manner. Riverside is rich with diversity and diverse perspectives; thus, the Deputy Director can expect to work among competing interests and values and will be expected to instill a sense of collaboration so that groups do not compete

4 but, at the end of the day, are able to work through differences in a respectful and constructive manner. The Ideal Candidate will be a GREAT Leader and Manager. This will require the ability to be creative within budget constraints, dynamic and open to new ideas, able to offer practical solutions, and oversee follow-through of projects to completion. The Deputy Director must lead by example and instill within his/her team fair and equitable management principles. The Ideal Candidate will be a Collaborator. The ideal candidate for the position will be an articulate, mature, and highly-skilled leader and professional whose knowledge extends beyond the traditional aspects of engineering, public works, and related disciplines. The Deputy Public Works Director will be someone with both the skills to manage and lead a talented multi-disciplinary staff and the ability to work with a diversity of interests within City government and in the larger community. He/She will be a true collaborator who embraces the input of others in the pursuit of the City s infrastructure, sustainability, transportation, and diversity goals. The Ideal Candidate will be Committed. The ideal candidate for the Deputy Public Works Director will bring with him/her a strong customer service ethic, a desire for long-term affiliation with the City of Riverside, and a highly professional approach to problem solving and advancing the City s quality of life and economic competitiveness. Minimum Qualifications Education: This position requires a Bachelor s degree in Civil Engineering, Public Administration, or a related discipline from an accredited college or university. Experience: This position requires seven to ten years of increasingly responsible experience related to maintenance management, construction, or engineering of which at least five years were in a management/supervisory capacity. Certifications: Possession of a Certificate of Registration as a professional civil engineer in the State of California is desirable although not required. Final Selection and Appointment: The Public Works Director will select the most highly qualified candidates for consideration based on a combination of education, career experience, and accomplishments that best fit the needs of the City of Riverside. Compensation and Benefits The successful candidate will receive a highly competitive salary with an excellent benefit package that considers the candidate s salary history and track record of career success. The City will negotiate a mutually agreeable employment agreement with the selected candidate. Further details on compensation may be obtained through Ralph Andersen & Associates. To Be Considered This is a confidential process and will be handled accordingly throughout the various stages. Candidates should be aware that references will not be contacted until mutual interest has been established. Candidates are encouraged to submit before Monday, October 2, Interested candidates should apply by submitting a comprehensive resume, compelling cover letter, six professional references, and current salary via to apply@ralphandersen.com. Mr. Robert Burg of Ralph Andersen & Associates will work in concert with the City of Riverside to conduct the initial evaluation of candidate qualifications as outlined in this recruitment profile. Confidential inquiries to Robert Burg are welcomed at (916) The City of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer

5 Why Riverside? 12 th largest city in California 59th largest city in the US Fastest growing region in California 81.5 square miles 2.7 Million 20-mile radius population 326,792 Riverside population 31.4 median age $78,270 average income Award-Winning City Accessible from several Major interstates, freeways & rail service Source: Esri #7 U.S. City Where Everyone Wants to Live Right Now #13 in Startup Activity #1 Best Practices - Streamline Riverside IES - American Planning Association #10 in Top 25 Cities for Small Business Economic Development Partnership Award TechHire Community White House National Economic Council (2016) #3 in CA for Economic Performance, #103 in the world (2015) Top City in America s Best Cities for Global Trade (2014)

6 Demographics and Growth Rate 326,792 City of Riverside Source: State of California Department of Finance Population Trade Area ,752,251 Trade Area ,843,721 Families City of Riverside 68,425 Trade Area ,274 Trade Area ,382 City of Riverside 31.4 Trade Area Trade Area Median Age Annual Growth Rate Trend Area State National Population 0.90% 0.84% 0.83% Households 0.84% 0.77% 0.79% Families 0.81% 0.77% 0.71% Owner Households 0.72% 0.67% 0.72% Source: Esri