1357 Director Enivronmental Services Water
Job Description
Environmental Services Department Director
This is an incredible opportunity for a collaborative leader who will lead the delivery of world-class utility services and programs to improve the City’s health, environment, and economy.
The Community
Known as the “Capital of Silicon Valley,” the City of San José plays a vital economic and cultural role anchoring the world’s leading region of innovation. Encompassing approximately 181 square miles at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, San José is Northern California’s largest city and the 13th largest city in the nation. With nearly one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world, including major tech headquarters like Cisco, Adobe, Zoom, Samsung, and eBay, as well as start-ups and advanced manufacturing. The City of San José has twice been named “The Most Innovative Large City in America” by the Center for Digital Government.
San José’s quality of life is unsurpassed. Surrounded by the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountain ranges and enjoying an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, residents have easy access to the beaches along the California coast, including Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel; Yosemite and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada; local and Napa Valley wine country; and the rich cultural and recreational life of the entire Bay region. San José has received accolades for its vibrant neighborhoods, healthy lifestyle, and diverse attractions from national media, including Business Week and Money magazines. For more information about the unparalleled quality of life in San José, please visit https://www.sjeconomy.com/why-san-jose.
In 2011, the City adopted Envision San José 2040, a long-term growth plan that sets forth a vision and a comprehensive road map to guide the City’s anticipated growth through the year 2040. The Plan embodies the City’s “more urban future,” proactively directs significant anticipated growth in new homes and workplaces into transit-accessible, infill growth areas, and supports evolution toward a more urban landscape and lifestyle. The San José area is powered by one of America's most highly educated and productive populations. More than 40% of the workforce has a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 25% nationally. Forty percent of San José residents are foreign-born, and 50% speak a language other than English at home. San José is proud of its rich cultural diversity and global connections, as well as the essential role the city plays in connecting residents and businesses to the nation and the world.
The City
The City of San José is a full-service Charter City and operates under a hybrid Council-Manager form of government. The City Council is comprised of 10 Council Members elected by district and a Mayor elected at-large. The City Manager, who reports to the Council, and her executive team provide strategic leadership that supports the policy-making role of the Mayor and the City Council and motivates and challenges the organization to deliver high-quality services that meet the community’s needs. The City actively engages with the community through Council-appointed boards and commissions.
In addition to providing a full range of municipal services, including police and fire, San José operates an international airport, a municipal water system, a regional wastewater treatment facility, over 200 neighborhood and regional parks, and a library system with 24 branches. The City also oversees convention, cultural, and hospitality facilities, including the San José McEnery Convention Center, Center for the Performing Arts, California Theater, Mexican Heritage Plaza, and the SAP Center at San José –home of the National Hockey League’s San José Sharks.
The Department and Position
The Environmental Services Department’s mission is to deliver world-class utility services and programs to improve the City’s health, environment, and economy.
Supporting this work is a staff of 592 full time equivalent positions, an annual operating budget of approximately $471 million, and a capital budget for fiscal years 2024-2029 of approximately $1.4 billion.
The Environmental Services Director reports to and serves as a key advisor to the City Manager. The Director’s Executive Management Team includes an Assistant Director, the General Manager of the Region Regional Wastewater Facility, and six Deputy Directors.
The Department provides seven core services:
2. Recycled Water Management - Develop, operate, and maintain a recycled water system that reduces effluent to the Bay and provides a reliable and high-quality alternative water supply.
3. Recycle and Garbage Services - Collect, process, and dispose of solid waste to maximize diversion from landfills and protect public health, safety, and the environment.
4. Stormwater Management - Protect the health of the South Bay watershed through regulatory programs that prevent pollution from entering the storm sewer system and waterways.
5. Sustainability and Environmental Health - Provide innovative solutions to tackle climate change and reduce emissions by promoting enhanced air quality, environmentally responsible land use, and sustainable energy.
6. Wastewater Management - Manage wastewater for suitable discharge into the south San Francisco Bay and for beneficial reuse to protect the environment and public health.
7. Strategic Support - Public Education, Long Range Planning, Human Resources, Facility Management, Financial Management, Information Technology Services, Clerical Support, Materials Management, and Emergency Response and Recovery.
The Environmental Services Department also is a vital member of the interdepartmental team leading the Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness City Council Focus Area. Additional information on the regarding the Department’s core services, related programs, and budget can be found in the Environmental Services Budget Summary.
The City of San José is seeking proven Environmental Services Director candidates with a passion for working in a fast-paced and high-profile environment and who bring extensive world class utility centered executive leadership experience and capabilities. This includes proven management of large utility programs with commensurately large budgets and funding mechanisms (such as fees, charges, capital projects funding) that meet and exceed performance goals.
Executive success in the City of San José is defined by an ability to model and sustain work that delivers on the City Manager’s One Team Leadership Values and Expectations in addition to the following specific knowledge, skills, and abilities:
• Knowledge of wastewater, stormwater, and freshwater facilities operation in addition to knowledge of recycling and garbage services;
• Knowledge of environmental management and technology, including federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations;Ability to plan, coordinate and direct the administration, design, layout, operation, maintenance, and repair of the municipal utilities associated with the Department’s core services;
• Ability to direct sound fiscal operating and control policies;
• Ability to engage, build trust, and sustain a working relationship across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and partners;
• Experience directing and coordinating research projects, studies, and investigations, in addition to evaluating projects about consequences of environmental pollution;
• Experience resolving and pursuing violations of environmental policies and procedure;
• Experience consulting and coordinating with state and regional regulatory agencies and legislators in addition to evaluating the potential impact of regulations and legislation on San José as well as providing legislative and regulatory input to agencies and City legislative representatives;
• Prior experience managing grant requests for facilities construction and research projects and participating in the preparation of various agreements and contracts;
• Experience working directly with under-resourced communities, centering data driven goals in equity and maintaining a consistent commitment to equity and inclusion;
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, manage, and retain a high performing workforce, including building a positive workplace culture, implementing principles of effective and transparent communication, and ensuring internal staff development;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills which enable the unbiased, clear, concise, and data driven presentation of information and recommendations to the City Manager, Mayor and City Council, community members, and other stakeholders on complex, controversial, or sensitive issues;
• Proven ability to build trust by communicating honestly, collaborating, and delivering equitable outcomes with all levels of the organization and with all interested stakeholders in the community;
• Respect for and support of all the policies and directions set by the Mayor and City Council through the City Manager; and
• Ability to be politically astute and aware of how behaviors, policies, and practices look to others, whether by the Mayor and City Council, Senior Staff, colleagues, employees, the public, or the news media.
The Ideal Candidate
Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in public administration, planning, environmental engineering/science, or related field. A master’s degree is preferred.
Experience: Ten years of progressively responsible professional experience demonstrating proficiency at the management, policy making, and execution levels of a public and/or corporate organization responsible for a complex range of programs related to the Department’s core services and management of municipal utilities is required, including at least five years at an executive leadership level.
Compensation Benefits
The annual salary range for this position is $206,481 - $334,460 which includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. This position is also eligible for a management pay for performance program which may provide additional compensation up to 2.5% or $8,278 and additional executive leave up to 5 days based on the individual’s performance. The final candidate’s qualifications and experience will determine the actual salary. For more information on employee benefits, visit the City’s Human Resources Benefits website.
Recruitment Process
This recruitment will be handled with strict confidentiality. References will not be contacted until mutual interest has been established. Confidential inquiries and interested candidates are invited to apply online at J Powers Recruiting, Inc. Please submit a cover letter and resume by Monday, January 27, 2025. Interviews are tentatively scheduled to be conducted the first week of February 2025. The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer.
To Apply
If you are interested in this outstanding opportunity, please contact:
Jenna Flanagan
Work: (916) 304-6663
Email: jenna@jpowersinc.com
Filing Deadline:
The filing deadline for this position is January 27, 2025.
The City of San Jose is an equal-opportunity employee.