Innovation Officer - San Mateo Medical Center (Departmental Promotional Only)

Full Job Description

San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC) established its Health Futures Lab over 2 years ago. The program has successfully launched its exploration into new care models that better serve the patients of SMMC.

The organization is now seeking an exceptional leader to both continue and expand the work that has begun.

We are looking for an Innovation Officer (Health Services Manager II) who is excited to shape the future of healthcare delivery by transforming the San Mateo healthcare ecosystem, with a profound focus on bringing care and services to our most vulnerable populations.

We hope that what we are able to do here can contribute to the national movement for profound innovation in healthcare.

SMMC has been on an evolving journey of continuous improvement since 2009 and has come to recognize that improvement work is vital to optimizing systems that exist today.

At the same time, there is also a need to fundamentally re-envision the model of care to meet patients where they are and meet needs that we don’t yet know about.

To this end, the Health Futures Lab is where we incubate innovative care models based on deeper and more comprehensive understanding of patient and community needs.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The role of Innovation Officer requires a visionary and dynamic individual who can navigate the complexities of healthcare, inspire a culture of creativity and innovation, and possess the following qualifications and skills:

• Extensive experience and deep knowledge of innovative practices, with a proven track record of driving transformative change.
• Prior healthcare experience preferred but not mandatory.
• With a focus on asking powerful, generative principles-based questions that take us on fundamentally different journeys.
• Strong leadership skills to effectively engage and work with various stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Excellent communication and ability to inspire; adept at articulating goals and frameworks, as well as supporting broader
• innovation capabilities. Exceptional ability to build trusted relationships and synergizing diverse perspectives through collaboration.
• Expertise in supporting individuals and teams in trying new behaviors, mindsets, and innovative approaches.
• Proven capability in project management, successfully delivering outcomes and efficiently managing resources.
• Forward-thinking, with the ability to develop effective innovators and spark a culture of creativity.
• Ability to navigate and thrive within the structural constraints of a civil service organization, while challenging the status quo and driving innovation.
• Familiarity with the healthcare industry, its complexities, and current landscape of innovation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

TEAM LEADERSHIP AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• Build and lead a small high-performing team of innovators, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment that encourages experimentation and risk-taking
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the Health Futures Lab, ensuring effective resource allocation and successful project execution
• Work with external funders and stakeholders to promote long-term financial self-sustainability.

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
• Collaborate closely with the CEO and key leaders to develop a comprehensive strategy for advancing innovation at San Mateo Medical Center.• Create programs and initiatives to raise awareness and encourage participation in the Lab from all groups within SMMC
• Manage and deliver innovation projects that exemplify the Lab's agenda, driving tangible outcomes that improve healthcare delivery

TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE BUILDING
• Identify and mentor high-potential individuals within SMMC to become future innovation leaders, cultivating a pipeline of talent to sustain and expand the innovation culture
• Nurture a culture of continuous learning, curiosity, and open-mindedness, encouraging staff to embrace new behaviors, mindsets, and innovative practices
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and serve as a trusted partner to different stakeholders, fostering a collaborative environment to drive innovation across the organization

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION
• Create compelling narrative media assets to effectively communicate the mission and impact of the Health Futures Lab to key stakeholders within and outside San Mateo County Health
• Foster strong support and collaboration by engaging diverse stakeholder groups, including staff, providers, patients, community partners, and policymakers
• Serve as the primary innovation advisor to the CEO, providing strategic guidance and insights on innovation-related matters at the board and leadership levels

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public administration, and program management, including planning, implementation and evaluation and reporting.
• Principles and methods of community health services, including current trends in education, research, treatment, prevention, rehabilitation, environmental health or related services.
• Laws, codes and regulations governing community health care and knowledge of County, state and federal legislative developments applicable to contemporary health issues.
• Organizational, personnel and fiscal management within a multi-faceted, community-based program setting.
• Community resources and public/private services and funding sources.

Skill/Ability to:

• Identify and analyze complex community health issues and problems.
• Plan, organize, and coordinate programs and services on a comprehensive, County-wide level to meet community needs.
• Integrate a variety of activities and services to achieve program goals, objectives, and priorities.
• Apply principles and techniques of community organization.
• Speak effectively to diverse audiences, including clinical, professional, civic and citizen groups.
• Maintain cooperative working relationships with other program managers and staff, other agencies and the community; enlist and mobilize community support for programs.
• Prepare complex and detailed written reports, program policies, procedures and contracts.
• Train staff and coordinate activities of contractors, volunteer groups and staff.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

Additional Information

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the San Mateo County Health with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

The examination will consist of an interview (weight: 100%).

Depending on the number of applicants an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or a screening committee may select those applicants whose education and/or experience appear to best meet the needs of the position based solely on the information provided in the application materials.

Because of this screening process, all applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination.

All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the “Apply” button.

If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply.

Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form.

A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Deadline to Apply: Monday, April 27, 2026, by 11:59PM PST
Application Screening: Week of April 27, 2026
Combined Panel/Departmental Interviews: TBD

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to hire, support and retain employees who reflect our diverse community.
We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.