Career Opportunity

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Recruitment: RTF0143361-01156013

Published: January 02, 2024

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Application Opening: Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Application Deadline:  Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close anytime, but no earlier than Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
Compensation Range: $205,244.00 - $261,872.00 (Range A)
Recruitment ID: RTF0143361-01156013

Appointment Type: Permanent-Exempt (PEX). This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive civil service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the appointing officer.

San Francisco Public Works (Public Works) has a far-reaching portfolio with a $453 million annual operating budget, an active capital portfolio that exceeds $3 billion and a workforce of 1,700-plus employees. The department operates around the clock, touching every neighborhood in San Francisco. The staff designs and manages the construction of civic buildings and streets; cleans and greens the right of way; maintains civic buildings; manages multi-million-dollar bond programs; trains people for jobs; keeps the right of way free of hazards; paves the roads; repairs bridges and public stairways; expands accessibility; and works at the forefront addressing some of San Francisco’s biggest challenges. With a mission to enhance the quality of life in San Francisco for residents, visitors and business owners, Public Works is committed to providing outstanding public service through an equity lens.

Please visit the “About Us” section of our website at https://www.sfpublicworks.org/about to learn more about the department’s core values, Racial Equity Initiative, leadership team, history, budget and more.

Public Works currently has a vacancy for the position of Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives (0954 Deputy Director IV) 

Role description

The Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives for San Francisco Public Works serves under the broad direction of the Director of Public Works and assists with developing and implementing the department’s strategic plan and ensuring that the goals, vision, mission and values of the department are aligned and advanced throughout the department. The role of the Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives is to responsibly carry out complex assignments from the Director of Public Works to accomplish the most vital goals. The ideal candidate will be able to research and analyze multifaceted municipal policy issues with a deep understanding of the City’s political landscape; the needs and demands of a diverse constituency, including residents, partner City departments, businesses, advocacy groups and organized labor; the legal and financial complexities of local government; and the evolving post-COVID economic environment. The Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives must be a supportive and cooperative colleague who can manage varied and complex assignments with minimal supervision. Strong communication skills are key.

The Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives must be a good listener who is curious, open to new ideas and a strong implementer of process and organizational changes. The ability to make tough decisions based on sound reasoning is essential to advance the strategic goals of the department and the City. The Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives must be able to implement difficult and unpopular decisions that may not always have full support from staff.

The Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives must rise to the highest ethical standards that uphold the tenets of good government and engender public trust.

You should be an eager and exceptionally well-informed champion of San Francisco Public Works, value public service and lead with heart, sound judgment and empathy in what often can be a high-demand, fast-paced work environment packed with both challenges and opportunities.

Important and Essential Duties:
As the Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives, your duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Work effectively with the Public Works Director and be able to independently develop critical policies and procedures and ensure implementation.
• Manage large, often cross-functional, organization-wide projects or initiatives.
• Work with the Executive Team to set strategic priorities, identify areas where leaders should direct their focus and set metrics for success, and then revisit those metrics regularly and evaluate progress based on them.
• Create and improve processes and operations within the organization.  Analyze current procedures, structures and policies to determine the overall effectiveness of bureaus within the department. Discuss operational objectives with managers to make informed recommendations to improve the bureaus. 
• Contribute to creating a high-performing organization by successfully engaging with staff, and managing key projects on behalf of the Executive Team.
• Serve as a strategy partner to the Director and the Executive Team, providing insight that is both analytical and qualitative on the organization’s operations and key decisions.
• Bring together important stakeholders and help drive decisions, ensure alignment with department and City goals and objectives and follow up on action items to ensure timely progress; track impact on department operations.
• Support the Director to ensure execution of the department’s collaboration with other City departments and government agencies to address challenging street conditions, including unhoused populations.
• Serve as liaison between Public Works and Commissions, the Mayor’s Office, the Board of Supervisors, government panels and agencies, community organizations and other stakeholders.
• Assist the Director in implementing and supporting the department’s Racial Equity Action Plan and empower racial equity leaders on staff to ensure that action items are performed, tracked and transparent.
• Support the strategic planning of the department’s organizational structure, staff assignments, service levels and administrative systems required to accomplish the department’s mission effectively and efficiently.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: 
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in related coursework such as public administration, public policy, business administration, engineering, architecture, or a related field.

Experience:
Six (6) years of managerial experience in the administration of large governmental organizations. All of the qualifying experience must include supervisory experience.

Substitution:
Qualifying experience as described above may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis, up to a maximum of two (2) years. (One year of work experience is equal to 30 semester or 45 quarter units).

Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Law degree or master’s degree in business administration, finance, public administration, public policy, or related field.
• Prior public sector management experience including familiarity with the public budgeting process, the public contracting process, construction and operational delivery, and working in a unionized, civil service workplace.
• Prior experience working within or in partnership with the City & County of San Francisco.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; experience with public speaking and making public presentations; strong group facilitation skills.
• Organized, self-directed, detail-oriented, and able to effectively manage competing priorities to meet external timelines.
• Able to maintain a professional and calm demeanor under pressure and high-stress situations
• Understanding of how to navigate relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders with diplomacy and emotional intelligence.

Verification of Education and Experience:
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. More information can be found at: https://sfdhr.org/information-about-hiring-process#verification

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. 

Note: Falsifying one's education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Selection Procedures:
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

The selection process will include an evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Depending on the number of applicants, the department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the department will move forward in the recruitment process.

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ):
Candidates may be required to complete an MQSQ as part of the employment application. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all of the steps in the selection procedure.

What else should I know?

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview 
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Lateef Taylor Lateef.Taylor@sfdpw.org

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.