0904-Mayoral Staff XVI- Director of Innovation

City and County of San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

1d•$180,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Mayor Daniel Lurie seeks a Director of Innovation to lead the City's Innovation Team, known as the i-Team, in tackling San Francisco's most complex civic challenges through creative, evidence-based problem solving. This role is ideal for someone who is intellectually curious, strategically minded, and deeply committed to improving the lives of residents through innovative, data-driven solutions. It is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of government, community, and design, helping to embed a culture of innovation across City Hall and the departments that serve San Francisco every day. The Director of Innovation will guide the i-Team through the full innovation lifecycle, from research and community engagement to ideation, prototyping, and implementation. This role requires strong analytical and facilitation skills, sound judgment, and the ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives in a fast-paced environment. The Director will work closely with the Mayor, senior City leadership, department heads, external experts, and community organizations to ensure the i-Team delivers meaningful, measurable impact on key mayoral priorities. Reporting to the Mayor's Chief of Strategy and Performance, the Director of Innovation will drive proactive problem-solving, strengthen the City's capacity to innovate, and ensure that solutions are grounded in resident needs, rigorous research, and a commitment to equity. This position plays a central role in shaping how San Francisco approaches its most pressing challenges and sets a new standard for what modern, effective city government can look like.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience managing a team of 5 or more people.
Seven or more years of experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in government, nonprofit, or private sector environments.
Demonstrated experience driving work from problem definition through implementation, including managing stakeholders, navigating ambiguity, and delivering measurable outcomes.
Experience working across multiple stakeholders or systems, including senior leadership and external partners.

Nice To Haves

Ten or more years of experience in public policy, service delivery, organizational transformation, or related fields, including at least five years of people management experience.
Experience leading multiple teams of 10 or more.
Experience leading or contributing to innovation, transformation, or service improvement efforts, including applying human-centered design, data analysis, and policy tools in practice.
Strong understanding of how government operates, including the ability to navigate organizational, operational, and political dynamics.
Experience developing and implementing research-driven solutions that translate insights into real-world outcomes.
Experience building or scaling programs across departments or organizations.
Experience leveraging and coordinating cross-sector resources, including public, private, and philanthropic partners.
Exercises independent judgment and takes ownership, stepping in to move work forward even in the absence of clear direction.
Demonstrates a strong bias toward action, balancing urgency with thoughtful decision-making in complex and high-stakes environments.
Communicates with clarity and intention, translating complex ideas into actionable insights for diverse audiences, including senior leaders, frontline staff, and community stakeholders.
Leads with curiosity and discipline, seeking to understand root causes through data, research, and lived experience before jumping to solutions.
Builds trust quickly and navigates relationships with empathy and credibility, especially across departments, communities, and stakeholders with differing perspectives.
Prioritizes and executes effectively in complex environments, focusing on the highest impact work and maintaining momentum under pressure.
Demonstrates strong emotional intelligence and sound judgment, particularly when navigating ambiguity, conflict, and competing priorities.
Brings a systems mindset, connecting work across silos and understanding how policy, operations, and service delivery intersect.
Committed to continuous learning and field building, proactively sharing knowledge, tools, and best practices to strengthen organizational capacity.
Values the mission of public service and is motivated by improving outcomes for residents, with a strong commitment to equity and community impact.

Responsibilities

Lead Large-Scale Transformation: Drive complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from research and design through implementation, producing meaningful and measurable changes across city departments and community partners.
Manage a multi-million-dollar grant portfolio: Strategically manage a multi-million-dollar grant portfolio to sustain team operations and drive impact.
Build and Develop a High-Performing Team: Recruit, manage, and grow an exceptional innovation team, fostering a culture of curiosity, rigor, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Engage Senior Stakeholders: Build and maintain strong working relationships with senior government officials, community organizations, and private sector leaders, aligning priorities and keeping work moving forward.
Make Decisions Under Ambiguity: Exercise clear, timely judgment in complex environments with competing stakeholder input, stand behind those decisions, and communicate them with confidence and transparency.
Manage Up and Across: Proactively align the Mayor, City leadership, and other senior stakeholders around shared priorities while maintaining focus and momentum for the team.
Navigate Political Complexity: Anticipate organizational and political friction, manage it proactively, and keep the team moving forward with awareness and discretion.
Embed Innovation Across City Government: Ensure the i-Team operates as a true partner to city departments, integrating work into existing structures rather than operating in isolation.
Lead a city-wide Open Innovation Challenge with community stakeholders and philanthropic partners.
Prioritize Ruthlessly: Focus the team's energy on the highest impact work, make tough calls about what not to pursue, and maintain discipline around scope and feasibility.
Apply Innovation Methods: Deploy design-based innovation methodologies across the full project lifecycle, including research, synthesis, ideation, prototyping, and testing, selecting the right tools and frameworks for each challenge.
Manage Complex Projects: Own initiatives from design to completion, setting clear milestones, maintaining accountability, and delivering results on time.
Communicate with Clarity and Impact: Translate complex ideas into compelling narratives for diverse audiences, from frontline community members to the Mayor, through exceptional written and verbal communication.
Champion Resident-Centered Impact: Center the needs of San Francisco residents in every phase of the work, maintaining an unwavering commitment to improving lives and delivering equitable outcomes.