Associate Director, DPW

JOB SUMMARY

The Associate Director is a senior leadership role within the Department of Public Works (DPW), serving as the principal deputy to the Director. 

This position operates at the intersection of strategy and execution, providing high-level oversight and coordination across  DPW teams and supporting the execution of complex, mission-critical infrastructure projects that bring Black Rock City to life.

Acting as a force multiplier for the Director, the Associate Director ensures departmental alignment, helps lead strategic planning and execution, and drives operational clarity across the full annual event cycle—from city build and operations to post-event playa restoration. This role requires exceptional judgment, cross-functional leadership, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic, high-stakes environment.

This is a regular full-time role, located in Reno, Nevada or San Francisco, CA.  Working hours will be based on Pacific Time.

The deadline to apply for this role is 5:00 p.m. PT on September 12, 2025. Applications will be reviewed beginning after the deadline. We encourage you to apply early, and we’ll be in touch once the review process begins. 

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Departmental Management & Integrated Operational Oversight (40%)

• Leads the planning, coordination, and execution of the integrated DPW operational plan in collaboration with the DPW Council, ensuring alignment with the Director’s vision and organizational objectives.
   
• Responsible for direct managerial oversight of various department leadership and related work products.
   
• Oversees cross-functional planning related to timelines, budgets, vendor relationships, contracts, and strategic initiatives across the event lifecycle.
   
• Facilitates prioritization and decision-making by ensuring the Director and team leads are informed, prepared, and aligned on key issues and resource needs.
   
• Acts as a key liaison between the Director and DPW teams, ensuring efficient communication, timely escalation of critical matters, and implementation of executive decisions.
   
• Partners with the Director to evaluate cost allocations, assets utilization, and operational efficiencies to ensure fiscal and logistical sustainability.
   

Event Leadership & Cross-Departmental Collaboration (40%)

• Provides senior oversight of DPW’s on-the-ground event execution, from city build and infrastructure deployment to post-event strike and site restoration.
   
• Leads coordination with department leads across Burning Man to ensure services are delivered effectively, deadlines are met, and real-time adjustments are handled with agility.
   
• Maintains a visible and accessible leadership presence during the event, serving as a primary point of contact for operational troubleshooting and high-level logistics management.
   
• Anticipates and resolves issues across internal teams and external partners with a focus on collaboration, transparency, and accountability.
   
• Ensures contingency planning, compliance with safety and service standards, and smooth orchestration of event operations in partnership with department heads.
   

People Leadership, Development & Culture Stewardship (20%)

• Supports the Director in managing people operations across DPW, including staffing strategy, team structures, and performance management.
   
• Provides coaching, mediation, and strategic guidance to team leads and staff; ensures role clarity, accountability, and skill development.
   
• Drives internal cohesion and communication across teams, strengthening organizational culture and team morale through a values-based leadership approach.
   
• Collaborates with People Ops to ensure job descriptions, hiring pipelines, and onboarding materials reflect current needs and strategic goals.
   
• Fosters a respectful, inclusive, and high-functioning work environment that aligns both Burning Man’s ethos and the DPW’s community values.

Other Functions and Responsibilities (5%)

• Perform other duties as assigned.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

• Documentation - Drives the creation, publishing, and maintenance of process documentation related to assigned duties.
• Teaching – Takes a leadership role in the acculturation and training of staff. Teaches live or e-learning classes, as requested. Promotes a culture of teaching and learning throughout the community.
• Mentoring - Mentors subordinates in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and experience that will allow them to advance in the organization. Aids, encourages and inspires their team.
• Training development - Collaborates with the education team to develop training materials in their area of expertise, as requested.
• Learning – Pursues ongoing learning in their area of expertise, working to stay current on emergent knowledge, skills, and processes. Participates in conferences, forums, and networking events, where appropriate.
• Speaking – Represents Burning Man as a subject matter expert and culture-bearer, as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED 

• Leadership Experience: 7–10+ years in senior operational leadership or program management roles, ideally within large-scale event production, infrastructure, within a mission-driven organization.
   
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Demonstrated success leading multiple teams or managing departmental operations involving numerous stakeholders and interdependent workstreams.
   
• Strategic Planning & Execution: Strong systems thinker with experience driving strategic initiatives from planning through implementation.
   
• Communication & Decision Support: Skilled in synthesizing complex information, enabling effective decision-making, and facilitating transparent communication across multiple levels.
   
• Conflict Resolution & Mediation: Proven ability to navigate interpersonal dynamics, resolve conflicts constructively, and uphold team cohesion in high-pressure environments.
   
• Event/Build Knowledge (Preferred): Familiarity with large-scale infrastructure or city build operations is a strong plus.
   
• Cultural Alignment: Deep understanding of the DPW and commitment to Burning Man’s principles, values, and community culture.
• Ability to adjust schedule seasonally to work at the Burning Man event held in Nevada.

PREFERRED

• It is helpful if the candidate has previously been to Burning Man and/or is familiar with its culture.
• 5+ years or more of direct Burning Man event experience.
• Experience with organizational systems (budgeting, staffing, resource planning) and tools (e.g., Asana, Smartsheet, Google Workspace) preferred.

Note: If you have gained the necessary experience to succeed in this role and have acquired this experience in other ways, we encourage you to apply and share all relevant experience in your application.

REQUIRED LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

• Valid driver’s license and a good driving record.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

We are certain that working for Burning Man Project is unlike any other job on the planet! In addition to the unique opportunity to participate and contribute to our global community and culture within a creative, fun, and inspiring work environment, we’re also thrilled to provide the following:

COMPENSATION:

Individual compensation decisions are dependent on a variety of factors, including prior experience and geographical location. The anticipated salary range for this position is $130,000 to $150,000 annually.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:

• Health benefits: medical, dental, vision insurance for employees and dependents.
• Long term disability and life insurance.
• 401k retirement plan with voluntary employee contribution.
• Accrued vacation and sick time: Up to 10 days vacation per 12 months on assignment.
• Additional annual paid time off in accordance with policy guidelines; 7 paid holidays annually, in addition to paid office closure during December 24th - January 1st.
• Paid parental and bonding leave.
• Communications benefits for remote employees; reimbursement of up to $120/month for home office internet and phone expenses.
• Commuter benefit program.
• Mental health support, life coaching, financial and legal consultation services through our employee assistance program.
• Professional development fund along with unique leadership and learning opportunities. 
• Equipment and tools necessary to succeed in a remote friendly workplace.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

 NOTE: For most office positions, the below statement is sufficient.If additional physical demands are necessary to perform the duties of the job, please update this section.

• Off-playa:  Work is primarily sedentary in nature; no special demands are required.
• On-playa:  Work is primarily sedentary but will also include the need to find and meet with department representatives who may not be in the vicinity therefore, this could include walking or using some form of transportation.  Some of the work will be in outside weather conditions and exposed to fumes or airborne particles, as well as possible extremes in temperature.

NOTICE FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

• Burning Man Project celebrates the importance of creating a diverse environment and enthusiastically encourages Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Color, LGBTQIA+, Immigrant, women, and people with disabilities, of all ages, to apply.
• Burning Man Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
• Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment for qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

NOTICE FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

• Burning Man Project celebrates the importance of creating a diverse environment and enthusiastically encourages Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Color, LGBTQIA+, Immigrant, women, and people with disabilities, of all ages, to apply.
• Burning Man Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
• Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.