City AI Officer bei City of Seattle, WA

About the Department

Come shape how an exceptional City uses artificial intelligence to create impact and opportunity!

The City of Seattle is creating the civic technology foundations that help our community thrive through our One Seattle vision and initiatives.

As the largest city in the Pacific Northwest and the 17th largest in the nation, the City manages an extensive array of services and infrastructure. With a budget of over $8 billion and 13,500 employees, we serve 816,000 residents and over 50,000 businesses across 83 square miles. That is 860,000+ thousand reasons to excel every day. 

We are proud that Seattle is a hub of innovation and culture. The City aspires to reflect that spirit in our municipal services. For our Seattle Information Technology team, we play a role in enabling smart, equitable, and responsive services for City employees, Seattle residents, and local businesses. We work to unleash our community through technology solutions, infrastructure, and well-executed projects that are secure and resilient. We invest in open access to City information, privacy and responsible technology use, digital access, collaboration, customer service, and strategic planning, and we are a leader in local government progress toward responsible AI adoption. These are Seattle’s values in action. 

Our work is powered by people who share a mission of public good and care about being great in their professional fields together. We foster a culture of collaboration, continuous growth, shared high standards, and a flexible and empowering workplace for all team members. We are looking for a leader who adds to our values of Mission, Growth, and Partnership to advance how we are using AI responsibly in Seattle’s services, helping our employees in their work, and growing opportunities across the City’s people and partners. 

Join us in making Seattle as connected and innovative as the community we serve!

The City AI Officer (CAIO) reports directly to the City’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and drives three workstreams: (1) Citywide learning and skilling of AI to create effective and responsible uses; (2) AI-related standards and architecture for use, sustainment, and value; and (3) delivery of value for staff and the community with superior partnerships. The CAIO will work across 39 departments and offices and with City partners to ensure City of Seattle values build into AI-related work, delivering positive measurable outcomes in the positive impacts for staff, residents, and businesses. The CAIO will work with the CTO, Privacy and Engagement Division, and Communications Team to engage and perform outreach in order to maintain Seattle values in the City’s AI work and to keep community trust as the City also complies with and influences applicable laws and regulations. 

Due to the speed of advances, Seattle’s CAIO must effectively manage policy, projects, and procurements, then operationalize the changes introduced by those efforts. As such, the duties of the CAIO requires cultural, organizational, and change-management expertise demonstrated in their past work and communications. Due to the nature and pace of the work in the City AI Plan and related 2^nd-Generation AI Policy, the CAIO must have deep knowledge of AI technologies from build-up, including vendors, models, deployment, sustainment and support, costing, skilling staff, project management, and communicating related advanced concepts across audiences of all levels. Championing AI in the City of Seattle is first about people and change, then technology. 

This position will work under CTO supervision, develop and implement significant programs and projects, within organizational policies and reports major activities to executive level administrators through meetings and reports. They are typically responsible for the development, implementation, and support of solutions, operations, and innovation at scale; and extend the One Seattle vision into culture and impact. This successful CAIO candidate must be exceptional at driving work across diverse teams, including technical (Security and Infrastructure, Business Solutions, Data Enablement, Technology Support, Privacy and Engagement) and municipal service departments (CARE, Construction and Inspection, Economic Development, Fire, Housing, Police, Transportation, etc.), and providing oversight for aligning application portfolios with business needs, ensuring effective service delivery, staff and resource success, as well as driving strategic application modernization efforts.

Position Duties

Essential Functions

Develop and Lead Citywide AI Strategy: Create, articulate, and execute a comprehensive AI vision that aligns with the City’s One Seattle priorities. Translate complex AI concepts into actionable strategies that advance public services, operational efficiency, and community outcomes.

Build and Govern Responsible AI Practices: Establish and operationalize AI governance frameworks, guardrails, and transparency standards to ensure ethical use, privacy protection, regulatory compliance, and measurable public benefit across all City AI initiatives. Learn while teaching, as AI research, practices, controls, and product environment all continue to evolve. 

Drive AI Implementation and Value Delivery: Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of AI initiatives—from use-case identification through pilots, scaling, and sustainment—embedding structured change management, success metrics, and ROI tracking in every project.

Lead and Develop a High-Performing AI Workforce: Recruit, mentor, and grow a cross-functional AI team, while raising technical proficiency across City departments through training, workshops, and partnerships with universities, industry, and community organizations.

Serve as the Principal AI Advisor to City Leadership: Advise the Mayor, City Council, CTO, and department heads on AI investment priorities, governance decisions, and emerging opportunities, ensuring that AI solutions strengthen trust, equity, and community engagement.

Represent the City as a National AI Leader: Represent the City in regional and national forums on civic technology and AI, championing Seattle’s responsible AI approach, forging partnerships, and attracting innovation opportunities that benefit staff, residents, and businesses.

Minimum Qualifications

NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered for the required qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum three (3) years full-time experience leading enterprise AI, ML, NLP, and/or data science initiatives, preferably with some application to public sector and/or regulated environments, with record of successful product release, iteration, and support.
• Minimum five (5) years full-time experience and demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across departments to design, deploy, and scale impactful AI solutions.
• Minimum five (5) years experience and demonstrated ability to successfully lead a combination of major projects, procurements, and policy/practice development through to implementation.
• Minimum three (3) years experience leading AI practices for bias mitigation, explainability, compliance, training, and operational review of AI/ML systems, tools, and similar/equivalent.
• Minimum three (3) years experience and deep understanding of ethical AI principles and policies, privacy frameworks, cybersecurity protocols, and regulatory compliance in AI systems.
• Minimum three (3) years experience with cloud-native AI infrastructure (AWS, Azure, Oracle), MLOps, DevSecOps integration, cloud-native architectures, third-party AI platforms, and similar/equivalent.
• Minimum three (3) years experience showing effectiveness conveying complex AI topics to executive, legal, and labor audiences.

Desired Qualifications:

• Graduate Degree in Artificial Intelligence, Symbolics, Machine Learning, or a related discipline.
• Public Sector Experience: Experience in local government, civic technology, or mission-driven organizations delivering complex services at scale.
• Partnership Building: Demonstrated ability to develop and manage strategic partnerships with academia, industry, and community stakeholders.
• Startup Experience: Record of starting and scaling technology company(ies) in AI and/or advanced analytics, with evidenced value creation.

• National Thought or Innovation Leadership: Experience representing an organization in national forums, conferences, or industry collaborations on AI or data ethics.

Other Qualifications

The City will examine all applicants in two weeks. Apply soon!

Salary

The full salary range for this position is $60.10 - $90.16 per hour.

Benefits

The City offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at:https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans. Additionally, we provide free public transportation options.

Telework Expectations

This position offers flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. At this time, hybrid telework schedules have a minimum requirement of three days onsite per week. Individual schedules are based on operational needs and agreement between the employee and their supervisor.

Application Process

• Submit complete City of Seattle online application
• Upload your current resume, AND
• Include a cover letter that addresses your knowledge, experience, and interest related to this position

You must submit both a resume and cover letter. If you do not submit these documents, your application may not be considered. Please ensure that BOTH documents have successfully been uploaded before submitting your application.

Who May Apply

This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The City encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experience.

Background Check

This hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle's Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

Why Join the City of Seattle

The City of Seattle recognizes that every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our views and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in the Race and Social Justice Initiative by working to dismantle racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and provide equitable processes and services. 

Accommodations

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

For more information regarding this recruitment or if you require an accommodation, please contact Julie Hugill at [email protected] or Naomi Recania at [email protected].

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