Career Opportunity

PEX - Chief Innovation and Information Officer - San Francisco Public Library (0932) - 165485

Recruitment: RTF0165473-01155340

Published: August 31, 2026

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

About:

Application Opening: Monday, August 31, 2026
Application Deadline: This recruitment may close at any time, but not earlier than 5:00pm on Friday, September 11, 2026. 
Recruitment ID: 165485; RTF0165473-01155340

Learn more about this position at Chief Innovation and Information Officer Brochure.

Appointment Type: 
This is a Category 18 Permanent Exempt position, special project-based position limited to no more than 3 years in duration. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process, is considered "at will" and shall serve at the discretion of the Department Head.

The San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) connects our diverse communities to learning, opportunities, and each other. The library system includes the architecturally significant Main Library, an anchor institution in the city's Civic Center, 27 neighborhood branch libraries that serve all neighborhoods throughout the city, two administrative buildings and four bookmobiles. With a collection of more than  5 million physical and digital items circulating 15 million times annually, SFPL is the highest-rated City department in San Francisco.

The library embraces its role as the most democratic of institutions, providing safe and welcoming facilities for all. Through a robust array of services and programs that serves 4.6 million patrons annually, the library is dedicated to advancing literacy and learning, serving as a cultural amplifier, acting as a catalyst for community engagement, guiding patrons as a thoughtful navigator, and providing essential resources to support healthy, equitable communities. For more information about SFPL, please visit www.sfpl.org.  

SFPL must build a culture, space and workplace that is accessible and welcoming to all current and future employees and to actively build an environment in which all people regardless of background, identity, or ability, can be equal participants. In this way, our staff at all organizational levels can reflect the communities we serve. A safe, equitable public library is an actively anti-racist public library. Creating an inclusive public library means aligning with the lived realities of people of color. SFPL is committed to advancing racial equity for our workforce and community, and will actively engage in anti-racist practice programs, and collection development in carrying out the Library's mission. 

Role description

SFPL seeks a Chief Innovation and Information Officer (CIIO), a visionary and mission-driven technology executive ready to shape the future of digital public services in libraries. This role is ideal for tech leaders who want to build systems that serve equity, access, and impact at scale. Technology is core to SFPL’s operations, equity agenda, and patron experience; this role leads the digital backbone of San Francisco’s library system.

The CIIO is the Library's highest IT leadership role, with full ownership of the enterprise-wide IT strategy and its integration with the Library's broader mission and business strategy. As a core member of the executive leadership team, the CIIO balances technology and business leadership, ensuring IT capabilities drive meaningful outcomes for patrons, staff, and the communities we serve. The CIIO brings both current knowledge and future vision to shape service delivery, operational performance, and the Library's long-term digital direction. The CIIO establishes enterprise technology standards, governance, and prioritization processes and provides executive oversight for major technology decisions across the Library. This role reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and serves on the Library’s Management Team, including regular engagement with the City Librarian, Library Commission, and other key City stakeholders such as the Department of Technology (DT) and the Committee on Information Technology (COIT).

We welcome candidates from the public, non-profit, and private sectors who are eager to bring their expertise to a civic mission and lead digital transformation at scale.

Strategic Leadership at the Executive Level

The CIIO role has evolved beyond technology management. Today's CIIO drives enterprise outcomes as a strategic executive partner. The most impactful persona is the Business Digitalization Leader: a CIIO who leads digital initiatives, shapes strategy at the executive level, and champions innovation grounded in mission and business need. At the San Francisco Public Library, this means delivering seamless, equitable experiences for patrons and empowering staff with the tools and capabilities to serve their communities with excellence.

Core Responsibilities

Visionary Leadership: Develop and implement a forward-thinking IT strategy that aligns with the library's mission and goals.

• Develop and launch a 3-year IT strategic plan and roadmap that establishes vision, priorities, and execution sequencing aligned with SFPL's service model, enterprise strategy, and Vision 2030 — completed and in active use within the first 12 months.
• Deliver IT capabilities with unwavering reliability, sustainability, cost-efficiency, and robust security, while maintaining the agility to adapt to evolving business objectives, goals, and strategies.
• Define the IT operating model to foster a service-oriented, digital-ready culture across the organization.
• Provide strategic direction on emerging technologies and how they can be integrated across library divisions to modernize the service experience and drive digital transformation.
• Lead innovation efforts that leverage digital capabilities to create and deliver new value for patrons and staff.

Solution-Focused Orientation: Identify and implement technology solutions that address the needs of our patrons and staff, ensuring seamless and efficient library services.

• Oversee the strategic direction, design, development, operation and support of IT systems and programs that fulfill business needs, including enterprise architecture management, application management, security and risk management, and infrastructure and operations support management.
• Direct the design of the IT operating model and governance processes, collaborating across divisions to build scalable, cost-effective digital solutions that achieve core business goals. This leader ensures fiscal resilience by evaluating the feasibility of all initiatives and identifying strategic efficiencies to maintain mission-critical services during budget restrictions.
• Own and lead enterprise-wide technology budget planning, ensuring alignment with service priorities and long-term digital strategy. Partner with division leaders to develop and align their technology budgets, ensuring divisional input and ownership in the process. Direct the development and oversight of the annual operating and capital expenditure budgets for IT, ensuring technology investments remain consistent with the Library's strategic objectives and within approved financial plans.
• Enhance IT's capabilities by leveraging a multitude of internal and external resources. Direct the development of the IT sourcing strategy and provide executive oversight for strategic vendor and partner relationship management.
• Lead technology procurement, contract strategy and vendor accountability for the Library, including competitive solicitations, contract performance oversight, renewals, and alignment with City purchasing requirements and fiscal controls.

Collaborative Approach: Work closely with library staff, City stakeholders, and the community to understand and address IT service needs, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

• Build strong cross-organizational partnerships with Library leadership, divisions, and the Department of Technology, positioning IT as a trusted, proactive partner embedded in enterprise planning and decision-making.
• Collaborate with Public Services leadership to co-develop and lead patron-centered initiatives, prioritizing public-facing innovation that enhances the Library experience and advances equitable access to services and resources.
• Promote democratized digital delivery (co-create, co-deliver, co-manage) "by design" with more digitally savvy executives. Offer to lead efforts to establish new team structures (fusion teams), support hiring and development of technology talent, and create and deliver new support approaches from the IT function.
• Serve on enterprise planning and policy-making committees. Drive the development of enterprise technology standards, governance processes and performance metrics to ensure IT delivers value to the enterprise. Manage risks through the effective design, delivery and management of I&T capabilities for the enterprise.
• Board-level engagement: Serve as a key partner to commissions, committees, and boards, presenting IT strategies, initiatives, and performance metrics while ensuring alignment with governance and strategic goals. Actively engage in new projects and initiatives to maintain continuous IT alignment, with the long-term goal of fully embedding technology considerations into the Library's divisional strategic planning processes.
• Partner with HR to develop a forward-looking IT workforce strategy that integrates AI readiness, targeted training, and organizational realignment to ensure staff capabilities evolve alongside the Library's mission.

Technical Expertise: Oversee the operational staff responsible for managing and maintaining IT infrastructure, ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices.

• Provide leadership, coaching and direction to the IT leadership team and staff.
• Lead workforce planning, succession development, performance management, and organizational change within a public-sector environment, including experience navigating civil service structures, labor considerations, and evolving service delivery needs.
• Build a cohesive IT leadership team capable of managing all operational responsibilities effectively and independently.
• Lead the transition of IT staff from a task-based approach to a service-oriented model, strengthening business acumen, communication, and decision-making capabilities across the team.

Compliance and Security: Ensure the library system's IT operations comply with relevant regulations and security protocols, safeguarding patron data and information systems.

• Establish and enforce security standards, access controls, and compliance frameworks across all IT systems and platforms.
• Direct enterprise business continuity, disaster recovery, and major incident response planning for library technology systems, ensuring clear escalation protocols, service restoration capability, and continuity of critical public and staff-facing operations.
• Ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of the Library's technology infrastructure in alignment with industry best practices.
• Lead cybersecurity awareness and training efforts across the organization; ensure all library systems, vendors, and staff practices align with City cybersecurity policies, NIST-based frameworks, and evolving threat mitigation strategies to reduce cyber risk exposure.

How to qualify

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND

Experience: Six years or more years of verifiable experience in digital transformation or Information Technology, of which three years MUST include supervising IT professionals.

Education Substitution: Additional years of supervisory experience in Information Technology may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for- year basis.

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.) Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Knowledge of public-sector technology compliance requirements, including information security, privacy, accessibility, records management, and the responsible stewardship of patron and City data.
• Demonstrated success in executive team collaboration, CxO partnerships, and business initiative leadership
• Experience in a senior IT leadership role, preferably within a public or library setting
• Experience leveraging emerging technologies to drive business outcomes and foster innovation
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative and solution-focused mindset.
• A Master's degree in Business Administration, International Business,  Information Systems, Innovation and Technology Management, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience working with an executive team, including the CEO, CFO, CMO, CHRO and other CxOs to contribute to the overall strategic direction of the organization.
• Strategic planning: Experience in participating in executive-level strategic planning sessions, providing insights on how technology can drive organizational objectives and service optimization.
• Digital transformation: Experience leading significant digital transformation initiatives within a public sector or government environment, successfully integrating technology into core service delivery and administrative processes, resulting in measurable improvements in operational efficiency, equitable access, and community outcomes.
• Cross-functional projects: Experience in managing and executing cross-functional projects that required collaboration with various disciplines, demonstrating the ability to align IT initiatives with business needs.
• Innovation programs: Proven track record of spearheading innovation programs that leverage emerging technologies to develop, enhance, and expand the range of services delivered to the public, improving accessibility, equity, and the overall patron experience.
• Large-scale IT projects: Demonstrated success in leading large-scale IT projects, from inception through completion, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope and within budget.
• IT operations management: Extensive experience in managing IT operations, ensuring the reliability, security and scalability of IT infrastructure and services.
• Vendor and partner management: Managed relationships with key technology vendors and partners, negotiating contracts and ensuring the delivery of high-quality services and solutions.

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate for this position will have the strong ability to align IT initiatives with organizational goals and manage organizational change. They will have financial acumen to manage IT budgets and optimize costs effectively. Lastly, will have the ability to define and meet performance metrics that reflect the organization's mission and strategic priorities.

Verification of Education and Experience:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications listed in the job ad. Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process.

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.

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. Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.”

Selection Procedure: The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. 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 be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview.

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
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen

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).

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.

Human Resources Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please send your inquires to Christian Molina, Senior Human Resources Analyst at christian.molina@sfpl.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.