SENIOR DIRECTOR - ADMINISTRATION

Ideally located on the Pacific Ocean south of Los Angeles, adjacent to Orange County, the City of Long Beach, California (population 470,000) is frequently described as a series of strong, diverse interwoven smaller communities within a large city. Enjoying an ideal Southern California climate, Long Beach is home to an abundance of cultural and recreational options. The Long Beach Convention Center, Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary, and the annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, plus a wide variety of other attractions (two historic ranchos, three marinas, and five golf courses), serve to draw 6.5 million visitors a year. The City is also home to California State University, Long Beach, and Long Beach City College. Cal State Long Beach is the second largest university in the state and was recently ranked the No. 3 best–value public college in the nation. Covering approximately 50 square miles, Long Beach is supported by a wide mix of industries with education, health and social services, manufacturing, retail trade, and professional services comprising the highest representation. Known for its livable and desirable neighborhoods, Long Beach was named by America’s Promise Alliance as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People two years in a row. While it offers all the amenities of a large metropolis, many say Long Beach offers the added benefit of having maintained a strong sense of community and cohesiveness despite its growth. A superb climate, quality schools, a vibrant downtown, and a wide variety of neighborhoods help make Long Beach one of the most livable communities in the country.

CITY GOVERNMENT

The Long Beach Utilities Department is governed by a five-member Board of Public Utilities Commissioners, appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The Board appoints a General Manager who oversees 525 full-time employees providing water, sewer and gas services to nearly 500,000 customers in our service area.

The department is supported by employees in over 100 unique classifications. Approximately 70 percent of Long Beach Utilities Employees work in field operational roles and are supported by office staff performing engineering functions and traditional finance, technology and administrative roles. 

To learn more visit LBUtilities.org

THE POSITION 

The Department is currently recruiting for a full-time, unclassified Senior Director of Administration. This position is at-will. Under the direction of the Assistant General Manager (AGM), oversees, directs and supports short and long-term planning for Personnel Services, Occupational Safety and Personnel, Policies and Procedures within the Long Beach Utilities Department. The Senior Director of Administration is responsible for overseeing a staff of 16.0 and manages the three functional areas of:  Human Resources, Safety Programs, and Personnel, Policies, and Procedures. 

The ideal candidate for the Senior Director of Administration, Human Resources position is a collaborative, strategic, and emotionally intelligent leader with deep expertise in public sector human resources, labor relations, organizational development, occupational safety, and administrative operations. This individual brings a strong customer service-oriented mindset based on relationship building with the exceptional ability to establish trust and gain credibility across all levels of the organization while supporting a diverse workforce of approximately 500 employees across more than 100 classifications. The successful candidate is a forward-thinking leader who can balance strategic leadership with operational execution, effectively managing complex personnel matters, regulatory compliance, organizational change initiatives, enhance employee engagement and retention, and manage safety programs in a highly visible public agency environment.

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Ability to develop and implement long-range organizational strategies aligned with departmental priorities and operational goals.
• Effectively oversees multiple functional areas while maintaining attention to detail, accountability, and service delivery. 
• Possesses strong organizational assessment and change management skills. 
• Ability to collaborate with various City departments (Administrative Officers) to consult and comply with City Charter provisions. 
• Uses data, metrics, and workforce trends to support informed decision-making and continuous improvement initiatives. 

Human Resources and Employee Relations Expertise

• Extensive knowledge of public sector human resources practices, employment law, labor relations, and employee relations. 
• Demonstrated experience managing recruitment, classification, and compensation, performance management, investigations, discipline, leave administration, and workforce planning. 
• Strong understanding of California employment laws including: FMLA, CFRA, PDL, ADA, Workers’ Compensation, EEO, and related compliance requirements. 
• Experience partnering with legal counsel and representing management interests in disciplinary, grievance, and appeal processes. 
• Skilled in building collaborative relationships with labor groups, employee associations, and management teams. 
• Exceptional ability to broker and collaborate with City of Long Beach HR Department to consult regarding compliance issues related to all aspects of personnel transactions and processes.

Organizational Development and Culture

• Champions employee engagement, workforce development, leadership training, and succession planning initiatives. 
• Creates and sustains a positive, respectful, and inclusive workplace culture built on accountability, communication, and collaboration. 
• Demonstrates high emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate sensitive personnel matters with professionalism and discretion.
• Skilled at coaching and developing supervisors and managers. 

Communication and Relationship Building

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly and effectively to executives, employees, labor representatives, governing bodies, and external stakeholders. 
• Builds strong relationships through transparency, responsiveness, and credibility. 
• Demonstrates political acumen and the ability to work effectively within a municipal utilities' public agency environment. 

Safety and Risk Management Leadership

• Demonstrated experience overseeing occupational safety programs in compliance with Cal/OSHA and other regulatory requirements. 
• Knowledge of safety culture, incident and illness prevention, safety audits, investigations, and employee training programs. 
• Experience supporting Return-to-Work programs and facilitating the Interactive Process for workplace accommodations. 
• Ability to integrate safety priorities into organizational culture and operational practices.

• Seven years of increasingly responsible administrative experience in a public utility or related field, including three years in a supervisory role.

•  Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in human resources, business or public administration or a related field. Professional experience beyond the minimum qualifications may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis

• Experience in a dynamic service-oriented environment and a willingness to lead, learn and adapt.
• It would also be desirable if the candidate possess a graduate degree in business administration, public administration or management.

Review of applications will begin on June 19 and will continue until the position is filled. The position will close when an adequate number of qualified candidate applications are received.

To be considered, applicants must complete the online application and attach: (1) a cover letter, (2) a resume, and (3) proof of education that reflects the scope and level of responsibilities relative to the Senior Director of Administration role at www.longbeach.gov/jobs. For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Patty Francisco, Ph.D. at (949) 500-0436 or [email protected].

Upon review of applications received, the Department anticipates inviting a small group of finalists to interview in July 2026. An appointment is anticipated shortly thereafter, following the completion of reference and background checks.  Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements, including submission of all required attachments, will not be considered.

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce. The City of Long Beach is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are. Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers. To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work by supporting staff and community partners. We are committed to promoting transparency by publishing updated demographic information for employees, including workforce diversity data and pay by race and gender.

The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act

The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If a special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call (562) 570-2141.