Career Opportunity

Director, Department on the Status of Women (0961)

Recruitment: RTF0157756-01076282

Published: July 07, 2025

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

About:

The San Francisco Department on the Status of Women is seeking a new Executive Director.

Compensation and Benefits:

The City and County of San Francisco (‘City’) offers a competitive salary and benefits program. The annual salary range for this position is between $167,336 and $213,512. The salary is dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate. The City may offer a salary above this range based on documented and substantiated recruitment and retention issues or the candidate’s exceptional skills. A special approval process is necessary for appointment above the normal salary range.

The City offers flexible benefit plans with pre-tax elections that include: medical and dental insurance; San Francisco Employee Retirement System (mySFERS.org); deferred compensation plan; long-term disability plan; life insurance; paid management training program; 12 paid holidays per year; 5 floating holidays; 10 to 20 vacation days per year depending on years of service; and 5 days of paid executive leave per year. Please follow this link to review a summary of benefits available for this position: https://sfdhr.org/MEA-Miscellaneous-Benefit-Summary

Equal Opportunity:

The City and County of San Francisco is an Equal Opportunity/ADA Employer and encourages women, people of color, and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, medical condition or pregnancy, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Position:

The San Francisco Department on the Status of Women’s mission is to promote equitable treatment and foster the advancement of women and girls throughout San Francisco through policies, legislation, and programs.

• Reduce gender-based violence
• Promote safer workplaces for women
• Increase women’s economic empowerment

San Francisco Department on the Status of Women plays a central role in leading the transformation of  San Francisco into a fully gender equitable city. The Executive Director will lead the City’s efforts in incorporating a strong gender lens in city government’s internal operations and policies, as well as  external policies and programs, to better serve women and girls. The Executive Director will build close partnerships and collaborate with the Mayor’s Office, the Board of Supervisors, city agencies, and other stakeholders, to build a more diverse and efficient city government through gender-responsive policies and programs. The Executive Director will collaborate with the Director of the Human Rights Commission to identify operational efficiencies to strengthen the departments’ collective mission and expand community impact.

Role description

Reporting directly to the Commission on the Status of Women for performance plans & appraisals, the Executive Director is responsible for providing the leadership and direction necessary for the successful management of the department consistent with the strategic plan set by the Commission on the Status of Women. The Executive Director will focus on developing and managing new initiatives as well as enhancing, strengthening and managing existing programs. They will continue to develop and maintain external relationships, while overseeing communications, social enterprises and public education. The Director will lead interagency efforts to develop and revitalize underserved communities and to ensure gender equity, and accessibility to all citizens.

Skills and Experience of the Ideal Candidate:

• Ability to foster and maintain relationships at all levels and with key constituencies using excellent oral and written communication skills to generate consensus
• Ability to develop and communicate a shared vision of future needs
• A proven track record of collaboratively and harmoniously working with other City departments, elected officials, local, regional, and state governments, commissions/boards, outside agencies, residents, and other key stakeholders in achieving goals and objectives
• Demonstrated ability in effectively leading and managing organizational development and cultural change; leading and balancing a bold vision with strategic planning and tactical implementation
• Highly effective communicator with a high degree of emotional intelligence and maturity who demonstrates cultural competence, active listening, and responsiveness
• Committed to staff development and supporting staff in carrying out their responsibilities
• Knowledgeable of legislative processes and gender equity principles, women’s rights policy work
• Strong advocate for gender-equitable policies
• Knowledgeable of commercial youth sexual exploitation and youth homelessness
• Sensitivity to and belief in empowering domestic violence survivors and/or human trafficking survivors

Essential Duties:

1. Coordinates and directs the activities of the Department on the Status of Women; supervises the development and implementation of key initiatives of the Strategic Plan and collaborates with other affected local, state, federal and international departments or agencies in such development and implementation; formulates work program, assigns, schedules, and reviews the program of work; prepares and administers departmental budget and directs the maintenance of necessary records and reports.
2. Directs the development of gender-based violence prevention programs and other City initiatives to address women’s needs, which includes research, analysis, design, writing, and editing of reports.
3. Acts as an advisor to the Commission; convenes the Board of Supervisors, the Mayor, Commission, other City departments, public agencies and civic organizations to discuss policy issues, and provide education.
4. Directs staff in researching issues facing women and girls, gathers data and insights on gender equity within the City, and identifies resources and development of action plans.
5. Prioritizes and aligns programs and initiatives to new strategic direction and pivoting to changes in law and society.
6. Develops annual program and project budgets in collaboration with program staff and manages the efficient and effective use of the agency’s resources.
7. Identifies and mitigates risks, seeks opportunities for enhancing resources, and financial capital to ensure ongoing implementation of objectives.
8. Builds strategic partnerships with City Departments, elected officials, outside agencies, and other key stakeholders and represents the Department and Commission at interdepartmental committees.
9. Directs the preparation of agenda for regular and special Commission meetings and reports; explains, advises and recommends action on all calendar and policy matters before the commission.
10. Values ethics, integrity and transparency.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Possession of a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university.
2. Six (6) years of managerial experience in gender equity policy and/or legislation, or the promotion and protection of women’s rights, all of which must include supervisory experience.
3. Substitution: Additional work experience as described above may substitute for the required degree on a year-for-year basis up to two (2) years. One year of experience is equal to 30 semester units/45 quarter units.

Desirable Qualifications:

Possession of an advanced degree such as a law degree, Master’s degree or higher in women’s studies, social science, political science, law, public policy, management, business, or a related field with a focus on gender studies, human rights, or women’s rights.

What else should I know?

Application and Selection Process:

This position is considered open until a final selection has been made. Candidates must apply by August 1, 2025.

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through our online job portal. Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen to apply.

Please include the following items with your online application: 

• Cover letter with your reasons for applying; and
• Comprehensive resume

Please note that a resume itself will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

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.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up to date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses: @sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com.

After we receive these application materials, we will invite only the most highly qualified candidates to interview. We plan to conduct interviews in August/September and will forward the names of the top candidates to Mayor Daniel Lurie. We expect to conduct detailed background checks and to make an offer by August/September. This timeframe is preliminary and subject to change. Please direct your confidential inquiries and questions regarding this career opportunity to Tina Lim at tina.lim@sfgov.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.