Summary

The City of Culver City (City) is seeking an accomplished Housing & Human Services Director (Director) to lead a complex, highly visible department responsible for housing stability, homelessness response, human services, crisis intervention, and regulatory programs. Reporting directly to the City Manager, this executive-level role provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for a diverse portfolio that includes assisting affordable housing production, rent stabilization and tenant protections, Section 8 housing programs, and code enforcement services. The Director will guide the Department through a period of significant opportunity, including advancing major housing initiatives, completing a new Homeless Plan, expanding mobile crisis team services, and supporting a dedicated workforce operating in challenging environments, while helping advance the City’s broader goals around equity, public safety, and community wellbeing.

This is a compelling opportunity for a seasoned leader who is passionate about housing stability, community wellbeing, and public service to make a meaningful impact in Culver City.

TO APPLY AND SEE THE FULL RECRUITMENT BROCHURE VISIT: https://irp.cdn-website.com/80f4e9b5/files/uploaded/Brochure+CC+HHSD+FINAL.pdf

Job Description

A CONNECTED, CREATIVE, AND EVOLVING COMMUNITY

The City is a dynamic urban community in the heart of Los Angeles County, home to approximately 40K residents who enjoy a unique blend of small-town charm and big-city amenities. Walkable neighborhoods, historic architecture, and a vibrant downtown make it a sought-after place to live, work, and visit.

The City’s lively center features popular destinations like Culver Steps, Ivy Station, and the historic Culver Hotel, offering dining, shopping, and gathering spaces. As the “Heart of Screenland,” the City hosts major employers such as Sony Pictures Studios, Apple Studios, Tik Tok, Pinterest, and Amazon Studios, supporting a thriving creative economy and small business scene. Residents enjoy abundant parks, bike paths, and the Culver City Arts District, showcasing public art, galleries, and cultural events. With excellent transit connections via the Metro E Line and major freeways, the City offers easy access to the region while maintaining its own distinctive identity.

Guided by its 2045 General Plan, the City is preparing for sustainable growth that anticipates welcoming up to 10K to 15K new residents over the next decade, with expanded housing options and modern infrastructure. The City currently has approved or is in the process of reviewing over 4.4K new residential units, including over 600 affordable units that will need to be reviewed for affordability compliance by the Housing & Human Services Department. The City looks to remain a welcoming, inclusive, and livable community for generations to come.

COUNCIL-MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT

The City operates under a Council-Manager form of government. Its five-member elected City Council provides policy direction, sets priorities, approves the budget, and appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, Police Chief, and Fire Chief.

The City Manager serves as the City’s Chief Executive Officer, overseeing day-to-day operations and leading approximately 800 dedicated employees across 12 departments with a Fiscal Year 25/26 (FY25/26) annual budget of approximately $370M. This talented and committed workforce delivers a wide range of high-quality services that support the City's vision of an inclusive, sustainable, and thriving community.

Departments reporting to the City Manager include: Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Housing and Human Services, Planning and Development, Parks, Recreation and Community Services, Transportation, and Public Works. The City Manager's Office is responsible for leadership and coordination across departments to ensure the effective delivery of programs and services, foster collaboration, and maintain transparent and responsive communication with the City Council and the public.

Click Below to Learn More:

• Fiscal Year 25/26 Budget
• Citywide Master Plans
• City Organizational Chart

THE HOUSING & HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT

The Housing & Human Services Department (Department) is comprised of approximately 26 staff and is supported by a FY25/26 General Fund Expenditure of approximately $20.5M. The Department delivers a broad range of housing, homelessness, human services, and regulatory programs that directly support community stability, public safety, and quality of life. The Department and its Divisions work diligently to advance the Department’s FY25/26 Strategic Goals, which include: Improve Housing and Homeless Services, Increase Community Engagement, Promote Equity and Inclusion, Provide High Quality Public Services, Advance Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action, and Promote Public Safety.

Department Divisions:

• Housing Services/Rent Stabilization & Tenant Protections: Advances housing stability through affordable housing production, administration of the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), monitoring of rent- and income-restricted units, landlord engagement, housing navigation, and operation of the City’s Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections programs.
• Human Services & Crisis Intervention: Provides non-enforcement responses to homelessness, mental health, and substance use challenges, including homeless outreach, crisis intervention, and coordination of interim and permanent supportive housing through initiatives such as Project Homekey.
• Enforcement Services: Oversees Municipal Code compliance with a focus on public health, safety, and neighborhood quality of life. Core responsibilities include property maintenance enforcement, encampment-related response, nuisance abatement, and community-focused park patrol services.

To learn more about the Department, visit:

• Department Website
• Department Budget
• Department Organizational Chart
• Department Services
• Rent Control Staff Report & Ordinance
• Tenant Protections Ordinance
• Addressing Homelessness Fact Sheet

THE DIRECTOR POSITION

The Housing & Human Services Director (Director) is an executive-level, unclassified position that reports directly to the City Manager and provides overall leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the Department. The Director is responsible for administering the FY25/26 $20.5M departmental budget and leading a diverse portfolio of housing, homelessness, human services, and enforcement programs. 

Four (4) senior-level staff members report directly to the Director, with indirect oversight of the Department’s approximately 26 total employees. The Director sets departmental priorities, ensures regulatory compliance, oversees contracts and service providers, supports staff capacity, and maintains alignment with City Council direction and community expectations.

In addition, the Director serves as the City’s principal advisor and primary public-facing representative on housing and human services matters, regularly representing the City and Department in public forums while working closely with the City Manager, City Council, advisory bodies, community stakeholders, and regional partners in a highly visible and evolving policy environment.

Upcoming Key Projects, Challenges & Opportunities:

1. Mobile Crisis Team Expansion: Implement expanded hours, additional clinical staffing, and healthcare integration to strengthen non-enforcement crisis response.
2. Rent Stabilization & Tenant Protections: Advance ordinance cleanup and prepare for potential substantive policy changes anticipated in Fall 2026, balancing tenant protections, landlord considerations, and Council direction.
3. Jubilo Village: Oversee City funding, and long-term compliance for a 95-unit, 100% affordable housing development, including 43 permanent supportive housing units, with groundbreaking anticipated in early 2026.
4. LA County Homeless Count: Lead Culver City’s internally staffed Homeless Count for the LA County-wide effort, ensuring accurate data collection to inform policy, funding, and service delivery.
5. Homeless Services Contract Renewals: Manage competitive procurement and City Council approval of major homelessness-related service contracts expiring in June 2026.
6. Homeless Plan Update: Guide completion of a new, data-driven five-year Homelessness Plan, incorporating stakeholder engagement, outcome evaluation, and implementation strategies.

IDEAL CANDIDATE COMPETENCIES

The City is seeking a seasoned public-sector executive with deep experience in California  housing and human services and the ability to lead a complex, highly visible department. The ideal candidate brings strategic leadership, practical execution, and a clear commitment to housing stability, homelessness response, and human services delivery.

This role requires a people-centered leader who understands that the Department’s work is often conducted in challenging and emotionally demanding environments. Staff routinely engage with individuals and families experiencing crisis, housing instability, and trauma. The successful candidate will demonstrate high emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and the ability to support staff through difficult situations while maintaining accountability and professionalism.

The Director must also bring strong technical credibility across affordable housing production, homelessness programs, housing vouchers, and tenant protections, along with the ability to translate policy direction into effective operations. Political and organizational acumen are essential, including the ability to work closely with the City Manager, City Council, advisory bodies, and community stakeholders, and to communicate complex issues clearly using data to inform decisions.

The ideal candidate will bring demonstrated strength in the following areas:

• Managing complex, multi-source public budgets
• Overseeing consultant and service-provider contracts
• Administering highly regulated programs with consistency and fairness
• Navigating politically sensitive and community-facing initiatives
• Evaluating organizational capacity and workload
• Building cross-departmental partnerships
• Representing the City in regional and interagency settings 

This position will appeal to a leader who is both technically strong and deeply committed to public service—someone who combines empathy with structure, remains adaptable in a dynamic environment, and understands that progress in housing and human services requires credibility, persistence, and the ability to bring people along.

Job Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination equivalent to training and experience that could likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in planning, housing, business or public administration or a closely related field and five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the implementation and administration of housing or community development programs including three (3) years at a supervisory level, preferably at division-head level. A Master’s degree is desirable.

Special Instructions

Please mention you found this employment opportunity on the CareersInGovernment.com job board.

Additional Information

SALARY AND BENEFITS

An annual salary of up to $193,683- $235,421* DOE/DOQ, plus a generous benefits package that includes:

*Upon City Council approval, the salary range will increase by 4% effective January 27, 2026, to $201,430 – $244,836.

• Retirement:CA Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) defined benefit retirement plan, which is coordinated with Social Security. 2%@60 for "Classic" members and 2% @62 for new members as defined by PEPRA. Subject to employee contribution. Both the City and the employee contributes toward CalPERS retirement contributions. The City also participates in Social Security.
• Health Dental, and Vision Insurance: Choice of CalPERS medical plans for employees and eligible dependents. HMO & PPO are available. City provides up to $2,037 per month towards health benefits for the 2025 plan year.
• Retirement Health Savings Plan
• Management Education Incentive: $4,800 per fiscal year for master’s degree or higher from an accredited organization.
• Life Insurance: $250,000 and additional AD&D coverage.
• Disability Insurance: Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance provided by the City.
• Physical Well-Being Allowance: $750 each fiscal year.
• Phone Allowance: $60 per pay period.
• Vacation:80 hours annually for first four years, increasing with years of service.
• Floating Holiday Leave: 57 hours of paid Floating Holiday Leave each fiscal year.
• Administrative Leave:126 hours per year.
• Sick Leave: Four (4.0) hour accrual per pay period up to 104.0 hours annually.
• Holidays:8 designated holidays per year
• Transportation Allowance: $375 per month.
• Deferred Compensation: The City contributes $160 per pay period for mandatory employee contribution of $76.25 in the 401(a) Plan, A Voluntary 457 plan is also available.
• Other: Optional Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule Available.

TO APPLY AND SEE THE FULL RECRUITMENT BROCHURE VISIT: https://irp.cdn-website.com/80f4e9b5/files/uploaded/Brochure+CC+HHSD+FINAL.pdf

HOW TO APPLY: For first consideration, apply by February 17, 2026, at: www.tristargovsolutions.com/careers

SAVE THE DATES: Interviews have been firmly scheduled to take place in-person on March 12th and March 13th. Candidates must be available all-day for both interview dates.