Job Description

Company Description

The San Francisco Police Department was established in 1849 and continually strives to become a more effective, inclusive and modern police department, while earning the trust and pride of those we serve and those who serve. Our goal is to reflect on current SFPD initiatives, assess best practices across the country, and evaluate the changing environment in policing and within the City to arrive at a strategy statement that the Department and our community can embody every day.

The San Francisco Police Department stands for Safety and Respect for All. We will engage in just transparent unbiased and responsive policing. We will do so in the spirit of dignity and in collaboration with the community. And we will maintain and build trust and respect as the guardians of Constitutional and human rights.

The San Francisco Police Department is committed to excellence in law enforcement and is dedicated to the people, traditions and diversity of our City. The department provides service with understanding, response with compassion, performance with integrity and law enforcement with vision. The department has grown into a nationally known police department providing law enforcement services to one of the most recognized cities in the United States.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening: December 18, 2025
• Application Deadline: Apply immediately, announcementmay close anytime after two weeks from posting date.
• Class & Compensation: $193,700.00 - $284,138.40
• Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt -This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.
• Work Location: SFPD Headquarters, 1245 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94158

Job Description

Reporting to the Deputy Chief of the Administration Bureau, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) serves as the San Francisco Police Departments senior technology executive and strategic leader for digital transformation. This position is responsible for modernizing the Departments technology, operational systems, data practices, and privacy and surveillance governance.

The CIO is responsible for stewarding the Departments full technology stack and enterprise architecture, ensuring systems are modern, secure, efficient, and cost-effective while supporting high-stakes public-safety operations and exercising final technology authority over major system, vendor, architecture, and deployment decisions.

This role oversees a portfolio of complex, mission-critical systems including the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, records and property management, case and investigations systems, human resource and recruitment platforms, cellular and radio communications, body-worn camera programs, e-citations, mobile data computers, and all other operationally essential public-safety applications. The CIO ensures these systems are integrated, reliable, secure, future-facing, and aligned with Citywide standards and law enforcement best practices.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead Department-Wide Digital Transformation

• Develop and execute a multi-year technology modernization roadmap that improves daily operational workflows and reduces administrative burden for officers and civilian personnel.
• Redesign and enhance core operational systems, focusing on automation, user-centered design, and removal of bottlenecks in reporting, investigative workflows, and recruitment/hiring processes.
• Establish enterprise architecture and long-term technology standards that support scalability, interoperability, and resilience across the department and enforce compliance with those standards across all technology initiatives.

2. Oversee Privacy, Surveillance Technology, and Responsible Innovation

• Lead the strategy and governance approach for privacy-sensitive and surveillance technologies, partnering with the Department of Technology, the City Attorney, civilian oversight entities, and community stakeholders.
• Ensure all surveillance tools, including ALPR, body-worn cameras, drones, fixed and mobile public-safety cameras, and real-time intelligence systems are deployed responsibly, with appropriate safeguards, transparency, and compliance.
• Develop policies, procedures, and review processes that balance innovation with civil liberties, cybersecurity, and public trust.

3. Own and Advance the Departments Data Strategy

• Develop a comprehensive data strategy that improves data quality, accessibility, and analytical capability across the Department in coordination with the citys Chief Data Officer / DataSF and the citys data standards.
• Expand the use of real-time and operational analytics, dashboards, and predictive tools to support command staff, investigative teams, field operations, and administrative decision-making.
• Partner with City leadership to expand transparency initiatives and strengthen the Departments role in citywide data governance and reporting.

4. Oversee the Real-Time Investigation Center (RTIC) and Operational Technology Ecosystem

• Provide executive direction and strategic oversight for the expanding Real-Time Investigation Center, ensuring responsible, effective use of cutting-edge tools such as drones, ALPR, public-safety cameras, LiveView Technologies, and integrated intelligence platforms.
• Ensure continuity of operations, security, and compliance for all systems supporting 24/7 real-time operations.

5. Executive Leadership, Governance, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Advise the Chief of Police, Assistant Chief, and Deputy Chiefs on technology policy, strategic risks, opportunities, and resource needs.
• Represent the Department before legislative bodies, oversight commissions, the Mayors Office, partner agencies, and the media on technology, data, and privacy matters.
• Serve as a key participant in cross-departmental strategy, procurement, and technology governance efforts including leading outcomes-based contracting and vendor performance to ensure technology investments deliver measurable operational value.
• Build strong working relationships with internal divisions, city departments, and regional partners.

6. Organizational Management and Budget Leadership

• Prepare and oversee the annual IT Division budget; allocate resources according to Department priorities, operational needs, and emerging threats or opportunities.
• Lead, mentor, and develop technical teams; establish clear performance expectations and promote a culture of innovation, service, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Resolve competing project demands by prioritizing work that delivers the greatest operational and public-safety impact.

7. Manage and Modernize the Departments Technology Architecture and Systems Portfolio

• Oversee the full technology stack for the Department, ensuring systems are secure, scalable, integrated, and aligned with operational needs.
• Maintain a clear, current understanding of the Departments enterprise architecture, including legacy systems, cloud environments, data integrations, and mission-critical applications.
• Develop and execute a modernization plan that optimizes system performance, reduces technical debt, and supports future innovation.
• Evaluate and rationalize the application portfolio to reduce redundant tools, improve usability, and optimize total cost of ownership.
• Implement architecture standards, lifecycle management practices, and security controls that improve system resilience and reduce risk.
• Partner with the Department of Technology and external vendors to ensure infrastructure, network, and application environments adhere to best practices in security, privacy, and performance.
• Leverage data and usage analytics to continuously improve system reliability, adoption, and operational value.

Performs other related executive duties as required.

Qualifications

This is not a routine IT administrative position. The CIO is responsible for mission-critical systems central to public safety and law enforcement operations, with a high consequence of error. Strategic judgment, discretion, and an advanced understanding of the intersection between technology, privacy, operations, and community trust are essential.

• Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, preferably in Computer Science, Information Systems, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience: Ten (10) years of progressively responsible full-time professional Information Technology experience, including six (6) years within a large IT organization performing major management duties.
  • Experience must include significant responsibility in:
    • Designing, implementing, or modernizing complex information systems and infrastructure
    • Leading large-scale IT projects and establishing division-wide goals, priorities, policies, and service levels
    • Managing resource allocation and developing new programs
    • Advising senior executives or department heads on technology strategy, risks, and policy implications
    • Representing an organization before oversight authorities or governance bodies

Desired Qualifications

• Deep expertise managing and optimizing a complex technology stack, including modernizing legacy applications, integrating systems across mul]]>

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