Public Works Director at County of Shasta – Redding, California
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About This Position
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Department: Public Works Department
Opening Date: 02/11/2026
Closing Date: 03/11/26
Location: 96001, CA
Job Number: 450_PW_021126
Description:
Public Works Director
Department of Public Works
County of Shasta, California
Annual Salary $169,248 - $216,012 DOE/DOQ
The County of Shasta seeks a Director of Public Works to serve as an engaging leader of the Department of Public Works. They will have a strategic, big-picture perspective with strong management, interpersonal, communication, and administrative skills. The Director will oversee the following core services/divisions: Roads, Facilities, and Fleet, and is responsible for the construction and maintenance of County roads and other public works property and facilities, engineering and surveying activities, County service areas, the solid waste program, and the water agency. The ideal candidate will have experience managing public works projects, strong fiscal and business acumen, leadership and project management expertise, and embrace a strong customer service culture; a California Professional Engineer’s License is required. This job is a chance to work with a top-notch executive team and be a transformative leader advancing public projects that will serve the community for generations to come. The Department is collegial, respectful, and inclusive. If you are looking for an innovative, forward-thinking organization where you have exceptional opportunities to advance a career, take on exciting projects, and be a part of a dynamic leadership team, then this is a great match for you! Read further for a snapshot of the exciting opportunities awaiting our next Director.
LIVING IN SHASTA COUNTY
Located in Northern California, about 160 miles north of Sacramento, Shasta County is the embodiment of sunshine, natural beauty, outdoor recreation, culture, and community. Shasta County is home to three incorporated cities: Anderson, Redding (County seat), and Shasta Lake City. The County's population is approximately 180,000 residents. With lakes, mountains, rivers, parks, hundreds of miles of trails, and a variety of outdoor attractions, Shasta County is home to endless recreation opportunities. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the nearby Lassen National Park, Whiskeytown Lake and National Recreation Area, Sacramento River Trail, Shasta Lake, and Castle Crags State Park.
Shasta County offers a great quality of life, with many healthcare facilities, early childhood services, higher education opportunities, and a reasonable cost of living. Businesses have the chance to thrive due to Shasta County's centralized location on the I-5 corridor and quality business environment. Major industries (Download PDF reader) here include healthcare & social assistance, government, utilities, crop & animal production, and retail trade. Shasta County is also known for its growing airport and world-class fishing, bringing in visitors from all over the world.
THE COUNTY
The County of Shasta is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors who serve staggered four-year terms. The Board oversees the County Executive Officer (CEO), who is tasked with carrying out county operations and the administration of 20 departments that provide a wide range of services. The County also has several committees and commissions that represent a variety of interests, including health care, criminal justice, planning, housing, Community Advisory Boards for County Service Areas, and more. The County operates on a budget of approximately $710 million and employs approximately 2,100 FT/PT staff.
THE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Public Works is made up of more than 130 staff dedicated to developing, building, and maintaining the County’s infrastructure to the standards and expectations set forth by the Board and community. The County includes municipal airport, open space, parks, water and sewer, fields, roadways and street scrapes, trails, flood plains and more. This is a full-service public works department from design to build and includes architects, engineers, maintenance, survey, and administrative staff. These divisions include:
- Roads: Responsible for maintaining over 1,200 miles of County roadways and 400 bridges.
- Fleet Management: Maintains and repairs a fleet of approximately 500 County vehicles. See the Fleet Management Administrative Policy here (Download PDF reader).
- Solid Waste: Manages the Solid Waste program and oversees operations at the West Central Landfill.
- County Service Areas: Runs 11 County Service Areas (CSAs), consisting primarily of water and sewer systems.
- Miscellaneous: Participates in the Enterprise Anderson Groundwater Sustainability Agency; manages the Fall River Mills Airport, parks in French Gulch and Hat Creek, and the Balls Ferry Boat Ramp; forms and operates Permanent Road Divisions, and performs County Surveyor functions by checking, recording, and maintaining maps of surveys, subdivisions, and jurisdictional boundaries.
OPPORTUNITIES & PROJECTS:
- Leading a variety of 5-Year CIP Projects, with a primary focus on:
- Alternative Custody Corrections and Rehabilitation Campus Project
- Demolition of Old Shasta County Courthouse
- See the 5-Year Capital Facilities Improvement Plan here (Download PDF reader).
THE POSITION
This is an at-will, executive position that reports directly to the County Executive Officer, oversees more than 130 staff, an approximate $97 million operational budget, and a 5-year Capital Improvement Plan of $115 million. The Public Works Director will have fantastic career opportunities and be part of the County’s executive team with a team culture that inspires creative thinking and engagement and supports quality of life and work-life balance. As mentioned, this position will oversee all aspects of public works in the County including administrative, engineering, roads, maintenance, county services areas, fleet, and operations and maintenance.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will work cross-departmentally with other leaders in the cities, County, and community and use their technical expertise and interpersonal skills to meet the goals and objectives of the Department and County. They will use their strengths in these areas to address a wide variety of County issues and needs and advocate for various modes of transportation. The Director will be customer-service-minded, an interdepartmental collaborator, an excellent project manager, and a mentor of our future leaders.
Leadership / Communications / Customer Service
- Successfully lead a dynamic and talented staff and be interested in their professional development.
- Advance an organizational culture that attracts and retains talented staff.
- Be a transformational thinker and bring creative solutions to decision makers.
- Use effective communication skills and political savvy to work with other community and executive leaders and elected officials.
- Plan and implement strategic direction for the Department.
- Be adept and comfortable delivering presentations in a public forum.
- Promote a customer-oriented approach toward meeting client needs.
- Facilitate project concerns that are politically sensitive.
Technical and Business Acumen / Administration / Operations
- Oversee and report on day-to-day Department operations and manage a fiscal budget.
- Develop short- and long-range plans and align staff actions to achieve desired outcomes.
- Oversee contracts, vendor relationships, personnel, projects, quality assurance, and project timelines.
- Work collaboratively cross-departmentally and with other community members and organizations.
- Lead the County in implementing key projects with short timelines at a rapid pace.
- Understand and adhere to local, state, and federal building codes, laws, and mandates.
- Keep projects on time and on budget, meet deadlines, be flexible, and adjust priorities as needed.
Interpersonal
- Build trust with peers, contractors, community, stakeholders, and county leadership.
- Be self-directed, motivated, detail oriented, and flexible.
- Be a big-picture thinker and provide successful executive reviews.
- Demonstrate transparency, strong work ethic, and integrity.
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
In addition to the above ideal candidate competencies, the preferred experience includes any combination of education and experience sufficient to directly demonstrate possession and application of the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, public administration, business, or related field from an accredited college
- Extensive experience overseeing large scale, multi-million-dollar capital budgets and construction projects
- Leadership experience overseeing process improvements
- Possession of an appropriate California driver license upon appointment
- At least three (3) years of supervisory or management experience in professional engineering work, involving the design and construction of roads, bridges, buildings, and a variety of other public works facilities.
- Candidates will be in possession of a civil engineering license by the California (or other state) Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, or Geologists
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Appointment as Road Commissioner requires possession of a current, valid certificate of registration as a Professional Civil Engineer issued by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.
SALARY & BENEFITS
Annual salary of $169,248 - $216,012 DOE/DOQ and an attractive benefits package that includes:
- Holidays: 12 fixed holiday per year; 1 floating holiday per year
- Vacation: 10 days first 3 years; increasing with years of continuous service
- Sick Leave: 12 days per year
- Administrative Leave: 80 hours per year
- Bereavement: 5 days of leave with 3 days (24 hours) paid
- Retirement: CalPERS, coordinated with Social Security
- Insurance: Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Optional Insurance: Aflac, Flexible Spending Account
- Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability: Fully paid group life and accidental death and dismemberment policy and long-term disability
- Expense Allowance: $50 per pay period
- Employee Assistance Programs: Full access to County paid services
- Deferred Compensation Plan: Dollar-for-dollar County match of employee contribution up to 50% of the normal base contribution each calendar year
- IRC Section 125 plan
HOW TO APPLY: For first consideration, apply by 9:00 a.m. on March 11, 2026, at: www.shastacountycareers.com
SECURE THE DATES:
- Interviews will be in person and take place on March 31, 2026. All candidates invited to interview must be available to appear in person on this date.
Benefits:
NOTE: Various bargaining units may have benefits that alter from this general summary. This summary of benefits is not a binding document and is provided as a courtesy. Refer to labor agreements (MOUs) for specific benefit information.
THESE BENEFITS DO NOT APPLY TO EXTRA HELP EMPLOYEES
Holidays:
- 12 paid holidays (96 hours) per year.
- 1 Floating holiday annually.
- 10 working days a year during the first three years of service.
- 15 working days a year - 4 through 9 years of service.
- 17 working days a year - 10 through 15 years of service.
- 20 working days a year - 16 or more years of service.
Note - accrued vacation leave may not be used until after three months of employment. For purposes of vacation accrual, a working day is no more than 8 hours.
Sick Leave:
- 96 hours of sick leave are earned each year with no maximum accrual.
- Employees terminating in good standing after completion of 5 years of continuous service will receive a pro-rata payoff of accumulated sick leave.
- Unused sick leave may be converted to PERS service credit upon retirement.
Note - sick leave may be used immediately as accrued. Accrued paid leave benefits are used in conjunction with FMLA/CFRA as appropriate.
*Vacation and Sick Leave accruals are based on regularly scheduled working hours. Additional time will not be accrued on hours worked over 80 hours within a one pay period.
Bereavement:
- 24 hours for each non-concurrent death in the immediate family.
- Each full-time unit employee shall be entitled to eighty (80) hours of administrative leave per calendar year.
- Newly eligible employees will receive a portion of the time, in advance, on a prorated basis consistent with their dates of appointment or designation.
Employees may elect to receive a payment for Administrative or Vacation hours (in lieu of use) for up to one hundred and twenty hours – in five whole hour increments – of unused Administrative Leave, Vacation Leave, or a combination of the leaves. *Subject to criteria as outlined in Section 15.8 of the Personnel Rules.
Health Plan:
Shasta County contracts with PERS for medical insurance.
Depending on the plan selected, the County pays most of the employee premium, and contributes a portion of the dependent premium.
Contributions are made for a portion of a retiree's insurance premium.
Dental Plan:
The County pays a portion of the employee's and dependents' premium for dental insurance. The employee pays the full premium during the first six months of coverage.
Vision Plan:
The County pays the employee premium and employees may enroll dependents at their own expense.
Life Insurance:
The County pays the premium for life insurance for most employees. The amount of coverage varies by bargaining unit. For Unrepresented Management employees the current coverage amount is reflective of 1 year of salary at their current wage, however it will not be less than $50,000, or more than$80,000..
Additional Life insurance is available to purchase through Aflac and The Standard.
Long-Term Disability Program:
The County provides a long-term disability program for management employees, which will include a 120 day elimination period, a 66.67% of earnings benefit, and a monthly maximum of $2,500.00.
Retirement:
The County is in the Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) coordinated with Social Security.
- Members hired prior to May 8, 2011 are covered under the retirement formula of 2% @ 55 benefit.
- Members hired after May 8, 2011 but before January 1, 2013 are covered under the retirement formula of 2% @ 60 benefit.
- Members hired after January 1, 2013 are covered under the California Public Employees Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) with a benefit formula of 2% @ 62.
Employees pay 9.5% of his or her salary, on a pre-tax basis for a period of time as specified in his or her labor contract, or Personnel Rules as appropriate. Members hired prior to 2013 may have a different contribution percentage.
Miscellaneous:
- Deferred Compensation plans available through specified companies with employer match up to 3%
- IRC Section 125 plan available for pre-tax payroll deductions for contributions towards un-reimbursed medical expenses and dependent care.
- Optional additional insurance products are available through Aflac.
- Longevity Pay eligibility review with at least ten years of continuous service with Shasta County. Payment of total dues for the California Bar Association if bar membership is a requirement of the position.
- Employee Assistance Program through ACI Specialty Benefits.
- Golden State Finance Authority – Down payment Assistance
- ScholarShare 529 – College Savings Plan
SHASTA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Any information on this page or links is subject to change without notice.
Shasta County Personnel
1450 Court Street, Room 348
Redding, CA 96001-1676
(530) 225-5515
Comments, please email: schr@shastacounty.gov
Employer: County of Shasta
Address: 1450 Court Street, Suite 348 Redding, California, 96001
Phone: (530) 225-5515
Website: https://www.shastacounty.gov/personnel