Director of Risk Management (0941) - Risk Management, Office of City Administrator

City and County of San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Director of Risk Management is the executive leader of the City and County of San Francisco’s Office of Risk Management and the City’s principal advisor on risk management, insurance, and contractual risk transfer. Reporting to the City Administrator, the Director develops and executes a comprehensive Citywide risk management strategy to support informed decision-making, protect public resources, strengthen organizational resilience, and enable effective public services. The Director provides strategic leadership across a decentralized organization with more than 50 departments and a broad range of operations, infrastructure, assets, and services. The role establishes Citywide risk management policies, standards, frameworks, and practices while partnering with departments that manage risks within their own operations. The Director advises senior City officials on significant and emerging risks and opportunities, and leads the continued modernization of the City’s approach to risk management. The position also directs the City’s insurance and risk-financing programs, including commercial insurance, self-insurance, and insurance strategies for capital projects. It leads relationships and negotiations with insurers, brokers, consultants, third-party administrators, and other professional service providers for the City’s insurance portfolio, which has an annual budget of $50 million. In partnership with the City Attorney’s Office, the Director establishes insurance requirements, indemnification provisions, and contractual risk-transfer standards, and advises departments on related contracts, procurements, leases, permits, claims, and other matters.

Requirements

Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
Four years of managerial experience in risk management, commercial insurance, public finance, internal audit, regulatory compliance, or law.
All qualifying managerial experience must include supervising professional staff.

Nice To Haves

Executive-level strategic leadership and ability to operate effectively in a large, complex, decentralized organization.
Ability to design, implement, and continuously improve enterprise risk management frameworks and programs.
Exceptional analytical ability and judgment in complex, high-profile, sensitive, or rapidly evolving situations.
Executive presence, effective communication skills, and political and organizational acumen.
Ability to build trusted relationships with executives, elected officials, attorneys, finance professionals, City departments, insurers, brokers, consultants, and other stakeholders.
Experience leading organizational change, modernization, and continuous improvement.
Ability to lead collaboratively and influence outcomes without direct authority.
Integrity, discretion, professionalism, and commitment to public service.
Understanding that public-sector risk management enables informed decisions, protects public resources, and supports responsible pursuit of opportunities that advance the City’s mission.

Responsibilities

Lead the City’s enterprise risk management strategy, including identification, assessment, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting of significant and emerging risks.
Establish Citywide risk policies, standards, frameworks, and performance measures, and integrate risk considerations into major decisions and initiatives.
Serve as the City’s principal risk advisor to the City Administrator, Mayor, Board of Supervisors, City Attorney, commissions, department heads, and other senior leaders.
Advise and coordinate with departments on complex risks and promote consistent risk management practices across the City.
Direct the City’s insurance and risk-financing programs, including commercial insurance, self-insurance, and insurance strategies for capital projects.
Lead negotiations and manage relationships with insurers, brokers, consultants, third-party administrators, and other professional service providers for the City’s insurance portfolio.
Partner with the City Attorney’s Office to establish Citywide insurance requirements, indemnification provisions, and contractual risk-transfer standards.
Advise departments on complex contracts, procurements, leases, permits, claims, and other matters involving insurance or risk transfer.
Lead, facilitate, negotiate, and settle insured claims in collaboration with insurer claims representatives, legal counsel, City departments, and the Office of the City Attorney.
Monitor legislative, regulatory, legal, insurance-market, and other developments affecting the City’s risk profile and recommend appropriate action.
Lead the day-to-day operations of a core team and contribute to organizational change, modernization, and continuous improvement.