Assistant Director - ESD

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The City of San José is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and visionary leader to serve as the next Assistant Director of the Environmental Services Department (ESD). As Chief Operating Officer of ESD, the Assistant Director will help lead one of the most dynamic environmental services departments in the nation. This executive position will oversee an approximate $550 million budget and seven direct reports, providing strategic leadership across a broad portfolio of utility operations and environmental programs serving over one million residents, including the city’s solid waste, stormwater, drinking water, and watershed protection services. The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in utility operations, regulatory compliance, and public agency administration. They will possess excellent interpersonal skills, technical aptitude, and political acumen, and thrive in a highly collaborative, solution-oriented environment. This is a unique opportunity to help shape San José’s environmental future - apply today!

View the full recruitment brochure here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/5613b8be-7239-44f5-84c0-9e3ee91fd78c

The Environmental Services Department

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is a national leader in pollution prevention, watershed protection, utility services, and climate action. With nearly 582 employees, ESD serves over 1 million residents and thousands of businesses in San José. ESD’s mission is to deliver world-class utility services and programs that enhance health, the environment, and the economy. This mission is executed through the following divisions:

• San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF) : The largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the western U.S., serving 1.7 million residents and 17,000 businesses. RWF treats 110 million gallons daily, delivers recycled water, and consistently meets permit standards while earning national recognition.
  

• Capital Improvement Program : A $1.4 billion, 10-year effort to modernize the RWF’s infrastructure, enhancing resilience, treatment capacity, and sustainability for long-term protection of the South Bay.
  

• Water Resources Division : Operates the San José Municipal Water System, serving over 100,000 residents, and oversees South Bay Water Recycling—the largest recycled water system in Northern California—while exploring future water supply options like potable reuse and desalination.
  

• Watershed Protection Division : Safeguards San José’s creeks by preventing pollution from entering 30,000 storm drains. Operates an award-winning lab that conducts over 50,000 tests annually and led regional wastewater monitoring during COVID-19.
  

• Integrated Waste Management Division : Manages waste services for 325,000 homes and 11,000 businesses, maximizing recycling and organics diversion through five contracted haulers to reduce landfill use and maintain city cleanliness.
  

• Regulatory Affairs and Purified Water Division: Leads implementation of a multi-agency potable reuse initiative and administers the wastewater and air compliance programs for the Regional Wastewater Facility. Supports an integrated regulatory and legislative strategy for wastewater, stormwater, recycled water and drinking water utilities.
  

• Utility Financial & Business Operations : Provides core support in budgeting, hiring, IT, payroll, billing, and procurement to ensure the efficient operation of all ESD programs and services.
  

• Communications Division : Leads strategic, multilingual outreach through media, digital campaigns, and public education. Promotes transparency, manages public records responses, and supports emergency communications.
  

To learn more about ESD, follow @sjenvironment on X , Facebook and Instagram and San Jose Environmental Services on LinkedIn.

Position Duties

Salary Range

The Assistant Director salary range is currently $178, 713.34 - $288, 700.62. Placement within this range will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the individual selected. This salary includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The salary is supplemented by an attractive benefits package.

The Position

Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the Environmental Services Department (ESD), overseeing a budget of approximately $550 million and seven direct reports. This executive leader provides strategic and operational direction across a broad and complex portfolio, including Integrated Waste Management, Watershed Protection, Water Resources, Wastewater Management, Regulatory Affairs and Purified Water, Utility Financial and Business Operations , and Communications . In partnership with Deputy Directors, department leaders, and citywide stakeholders, the Assistant Director drives alignment with City priorities while ensuring regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and organizational effectiveness. Key responsibilities include leading utility rate setting, guiding long-range capital and infrastructure planning, and supporting major initiatives such as homelessness response and environmental restoration. The Assistant Director also plays a critical role in supporting the Director by overseeing the preparation of City Council presentations and tracking high-impact departmental initiatives. This position requires a leader with strong emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate both day-to-day operations and long-term strategic goals. They will foster a culture of ethical leadership, continuous improvement, and inclusion—strengthening collaboration, building trust, and driving accountability throughout the department. As a public-facing representative of ESD, the Assistant Director will engage in intergovernmental forums, Council sessions, and community meetings, helping to advance the department’s mission while addressing the evolving needs of San José’s residents and environment.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a forward-thinking and grounded leader with a strong command of utility operations, environmental services, and public sector management. They bring not only technical proficiency in areas like infrastructure planning, rate setting, and regulatory compliance, but also the ability to see the bigger picture—connecting long-term vision with practical execution. This individual excels in navigating complexity, whether managing multimillion-dollar budgets, leading large and diverse teams, or guiding cross-departmental initiatives in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment. Politically astute and operationally savvy, they understand how to build momentum around shared goals while balancing mandates, community needs, and day-to-day realities. Clear and confident communication is a hallmark of their leadership style. They are comfortable representing their department in a variety of settings—from Council presentations and regional forums to internal strategy sessions—translating complex topics into clear, actionable directions . Their presence inspires confidence, and their transparency builds trust across all levels of the organization. The ideal candidate will be a mentor and team builder who invests in people, values diversity of thought and background, and creates inclusive environments where staff feel supported and accountable. With a strong sense of purpose and humility, they bring curiosity to new challenges and a collaborative mindset to every interaction.

The ideal candidate will also have the following core competencie s. You can view the full definition of all competencies here.

• Job Expertise
  

• Collaboration
  

• Fiscal Management
  

• Leadership
  

• Political Skil ls
  

• Problem Solving
  

• Vision/Strategic Thinking
  

• Communication Skills
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Education : A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, public administration, engineering, environmental sciences, or related field.
  

• Experience :
  

• Seven (7) years of increasingly responsible experience in business management and/or administration, operations, or maintenance is required .
  

• Experience managing a work unit equivalent to a major division within a public agency is preferred.
  

• Seven (7) years of exemplary supervisory experience is desired.
  

• Licenses: Possession and maintenance of a valid license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in California .
  

• Form 700 : Upon commencement of employment and subsequently each spring, the incumbent of this position must file the Family Gift Reporting Form together with the Statement of Economic Interest-Form 700. Please view the following link for details related to the State-Required reporting: Form 700 (ca.gov) and the following link for the City of San José Family Gift Reporting Form .
  

Employment Eligibility : Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San José will not sponsor, represent, or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa that requires an employee application.

Other Qualifications

HOW TO APPLY:

For first consideration, apply by June 23 at: https://wbcpinc.com/job-board/

Round one virtual interviews will take place on July 14 th . Round two in-person interviews will take place on July 22 nd . Selected candidates must be available for both dates.

QUESTIONS?

Please contact your recruiter, Levi Kuhlman, with any inquiries:

• levi@wbcpinc.com
• 541-664-0376 (Direct)
• 866-929-9227 (Toll Free)

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

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• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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