Chief Innovation Officer (Open Until Filled)

Chief Innovation Officer

The City of Richmond is looking for a Chief Innovation Officer! Next review of applications will be on November 3, 2025. Are you a forward-thinking leader with a passion for driving innovation in local government? Do you thrive on finding creative solutions, building collaborative partnerships, and turning bold ideas into practical results for the community? The City of Richmond is seeking a Chief Innovation Officer to guide strategic initiatives, improve service delivery, and strengthen community impact. This is an exciting opportunity for a thoughtful and results-driven professional to partner with City leadership, employees, and the community to shape a more efficient, responsive, and forward-looking government.

The Chief Innovation Officer will lead Citywide efforts for innovation, continuous improvement, and data-informed decision making. The incumbent will be responsible for identifying and implementing strategies that enhance operational efficiency, internal processes, and service delivery through collection and analysis of data. The Chief Innovation Officer will collaborate with departments to develop and manage initiatives that apply data and innovation to improve City operations.

Annual salary for this classification is as high as $180,151 at the top of the range. Additionally, City-paid benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid vacation, holidays, administrative leave days, sick time, CalPERS retirement contribution, life insurance, disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, annual professional development reimbursement, four weeks of paid parental leave, and more! All benefit information can be found in our Benefits Summary.

Position Description and Duties

The Chief Innovation Officer is responsible for the overall planning, administration, and oversight of the City's innovation initiatives and data collection efforts. The incumbent has responsibility for integrating data analytics and innovative practices to inform policy and operational decisions. The position fosters a culture of innovation, promotes transparency and accountability, and requires significant collaboration with City departments and various stakeholders. The incumbent reports directly to the City Manager and will use considerable judgment and independence in managing their work. The Chief Innovation Officer is exempt from the classified service, and the incumbent is an at-will employee who serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority.

The ideal candidate is a :

• Strategic Thinker able to connect big-picture vision with practical implementation.
• Collaborative Leader builds partnerships across departments, agencies, and community stakeholders.
• Creative Problem-Solver uses data, technology, and new approaches to tackle challenges.
• Change Champion comfortable leading organizational transformation.
• Equity-Focused ensures innovation efforts promote fairness and inclusion.

The City of Richmond is the City of Pride and Purpose, and we value these traits in our employees! The following list is intended to be illustrative in nature and does not necessarily represent the entire range of work duties expected of employees within the job classification.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Education and Experience :

Desired Qualifications :

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement : It is the City's policy that all persons hired on or after October 18, 2021, must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, including the booster. New employees will be required to provide proof of full vaccination or have an approved medical or religious accommodation before employment may commence. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact Human Resources.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Ability for Successful Performance of Job Duties :

Application and Selection Process

To Apply : Interested individuals must apply online by fully completing the City of Richmond Employment Application. Candidates must attach a resume and cover letter to their application and provide answers to supplemental questions for the application to be considered complete. In your cover letter, please tell us :

Incomplete applications or those lacking in sufficiently detailed information will be rejected. Resumes or prior applications will not be accepted in lieu of a thoroughly completed application. All communication regarding this recruitment will be via email. Each applicant must apply with a monitored email address.

Qualifying Phase : All submitted resumes and cover letters will be evaluated based on job-related qualification criteria, including desirable qualifications and the hiring department's specific needs. Only the candidates who best align with these qualifications and departmental requirements will be invited to proceed in the selection process. The next review of applications will be on November 3, 20