Senior Director - Administration

City of Long Beach•Long Beach, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Long Beach Utilities Department is seeking a full-time, unclassified Senior Director of Administration. This at-will position, reporting to the Assistant General Manager (AGM), is responsible for overseeing short and long-term planning for Personnel Services, Occupational Safety, and Personnel, Policies, and Procedures within the department. The role manages a staff of 16.0 and encompasses three key functional areas: Human Resources, Safety Programs, and Personnel, Policies, and Procedures. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, strategic, and emotionally intelligent leader with extensive experience in public sector human resources, labor relations, organizational development, occupational safety, and administrative operations. They should possess a strong customer service orientation, exceptional relationship-building skills, and the ability to establish trust across all organizational levels. This forward-thinking leader will balance strategic leadership with operational execution, managing complex personnel matters, regulatory compliance, organizational change, employee engagement, and safety programs within a public agency setting.

Requirements

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.
Extensive knowledge of public sector human resources practices, employment law, labor relations, and employee relations.
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.
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.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a dynamic service-oriented environment and a willingness to lead, learn and adapt.
Graduate degree in business administration, public administration or management.

Responsibilities

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.
Manages the three functional areas of: Human Resources, Safety Programs, and Personnel, Policies, and Procedures.
Develops and implements 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.
Manages recruitment, classification, and compensation, performance management, investigations, discipline, leave administration, and workforce planning.
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.
Oversees occupational safety programs in compliance with Cal/OSHA and other regulatory requirements.
Supports Return-to-Work programs and facilitates the Interactive Process for workplace accommodations.
Integrates safety priorities into organizational culture and operational practices.