After five years as news director at KIRO in Seattle, Todd Mokhtari will take over next week as vice president of news at KNBC in Los Angeles, the NBC O&O announced today.

The move is a return to KNBC for Mokhtari, who was managing editor there from 2006-07. Prior to that, he spent four years as assistant news director at another NBC O&O, KNTV in San Francisco-San Jose. From 1997-2002, he was news director at KCPQ, the Fox-affiliate in Seattle.

“I am thrilled to welcome back Todd to the NBC4 team,” Steve Carlston, president and GM of KNBC, said in a statement. “Todd’s knowledge of the Southern California market, combined with his experience in producing high-quality content for broad audiences, will greatly contribute to our newscasts.”

KNBC has been without a news director since Vickie Burns resigned in March.

KIRO, Seattle’s CBS-affiliate, is now without both a news director and a general manager. Eric Lerner left the station in March to take over as president and GM of WCAU, the NBC O&O in Philadelphia.

News of Mokhtari’s hire was first reported by NewsBlues.