Chief Innovation Officer

Overview

The City of Richmond is looking for a Chief Innovation Officer!

First review of applications will be on October 9, 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.

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.

Ideal Candidate

• 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

Required KSA for Successful Performance of Job Duties

Knowledge of :

Skill in :

Ability to :

Additional Information

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 first review of applications will be on October 9, 2025.

About the City of Richmond

The City of Richmond lies on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, five miles north of Berkeley and seven miles northeast across the Bay from downtown San Francisco. A hub of multimodal transportation, many of our residents and businesses are located in Richmond because of its central location and easy access to the Amtrak / Capitol Corridor, BART, AC Transit, the ferry, and two freeways (I-80 & I-580). Residents, visitors, and employees enjoy Richmond’s numerous recreational opportunities, which include 32 miles of shoreline and over 3,000 acres of shoreline parks, more segments of the Bay Trail completed than any other city, several recreational boat harbors and yacht clubs, and thousands of acres of contiguous inland regional parks and open space. The City has substantial economic resources but is still affordable compared to other Bay Area cities. Our community is welcoming, diverse, and actively engaged.

Richmond is truly the City of Pride and Purpose!

Immigration Reform Control Act

In compliance with the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986, individuals offered employment by the City of Richmond will be required to show documentation of eligibility to work in the United States as a condition of employment.

Non-Discrimination Policy

The City of Richmond is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and prohibits discrimination against any applicant on the basis of race, religion, citizenship, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability or medical condition, genetic information, marital status, reproductive health decision-making, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and over), sexual orientation, or military or veteran status or any other basis protected by law.

Disaster Service Workers

California Government Code Title I, Sections 3100 – 3109, declare all public employees to be Disaster Service Workers subject to such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

This position receives benefits as provided by the agreement with IFPTE Local 21 Executive Management Bargaining Unit.

C1IO

#J-18808-Ljbffr