APD - Innovation Strategist

City of Atlanta; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 63,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Atlanta seeks an Innovation Strategist within the Police Department's Chief Administrative Office, Special Projects & Strategy division, to develop and deploy creative solutions that improve core functions and drive efficiency. You will collaborate with stakeholders and design customized approaches to meet agency goals.

You will conduct qualitative and quantitative research, help scale innovations, craft communications, and support training on new digital platforms while working with a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field; additional years of experience may substitute the degree with 5–7 years of related work.
• 3 years of project management experience with a track record of proven results.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate projects through task management, organization, and disciplined follow-up.
• Support strategic relationships with user agencies, vendors, and partners.
• Conduct or support qualitative and quantitative research.
• Contribute to scaling APD innovations by studying industry developments and policy issues.
• Collaborate with a small team to keep projects on track toward milestones and long-term goals.
• Write online and print communications describing the work and promoting innovations.
• Contribute to a positive organizational culture with energy, learning, and engagement on project teams.
• Perform in-house strategic consulting to address goals and challenges faced by suppliers and user agencies.
• Identify opportunities for organizational growth through APD award identification and training planning.

Skills

Excellent communication

Strong organizational skills

Project management

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

3 years project management experience

Job description

Position open until 11/3/2026 Job Description Position open until 11/3/2026 Salary: $63,401.31 - $95,013.00 annually; commensurate with experience General Description And Classification Standards The Innovation Strategist supports the City of Atlanta's Police Department: Chief Administrative Office's Special Projects & Strategy division. This position is responsible for developing and deploying creative solutions to provide continuous improvement of the departments core functions. This position collaborates closely with stakeholders and utilizes deep industry knowledge, and designs customized solutions to address the specific goals and challenges faced by suppliers and user agencies. This optimization of APD's processes and operations enhances overall efficiency and profitability. Supervision Received Works under direct supervision and follows standardized procedures and written instructions to accomplish assigned tasks. Responsibilities Essential Duties and Responsibilities These are typical responsibilities for this position and should not be construed as exclusive or all inclusive.

• Coordinate projects through task management, organization, and disciplined follow-up.
• Employ strong interpersonal skills to support and coordinate strategic relationships with user agencies, vendors, and other critical partners.
• Conduct or support original qualitative and quantitative research.
• Contribute to the scaling of APD innovations by following industry developments and studying relevant consumer, industry, and public policy issues.
• Creatively problem-solve and collaborate with a small, results-oriented team to effectively keep projects on track toward both short-term milestones and long-term strategic objectives.
• Write both online and print communication that describes the work, supports policy efforts, and promotes dissemination of innovations.
• Contribute to a positive organizational culture through consistent high energy, appetite for learning, eagerness to support colleagues, and engaged participation on project teams.
• Flexible and willing to address project needs as they arise.
• Aptitude for analytic reasoning and the use of data to inform decision‑making.
• Perform innovation strategy solution‑based research & implementation of new digital platforms (conducting manager/team trainings)
• Perform in‑house strategic consulting (creating customized solutions to address the specific goals and challenges faced by suppliers and user agencies)
• Identify opportunities for organizational growth through APD award identification, and planning of employee training (offsite at conferences)
• May perform other duties as assigned.

The above statements reflect the general duties, responsibilities and competencies considered necessary to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the job and should not be considered as a detailed description of all the work requirements of the position. COA may change the specific job duties with or without prior notice based on the needs of the organization. Qualifications Knowledge Skills and Abilities This is a partial listing of necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job successfully, it is not an exhaustive list.

• Excellent communication skills.
• Exceptional organization skills, with the ability to track and support multiple complex projects with both flexibility and close attention to detail.
• Ability to work both collaboratively as part of a team and independently to achieve goals and timelines.
• Ability to develop solutions to problems creatively as they arise and the judgment to know when to call on colleagues or a supervisor for help.
• Ability to build relationships and work with a diverse range of partners.
• Ability to craft persuasive verbal and written communications for different audiences.

Minimum Qualifications Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field (Additional years of experience may be considered as a substitute for the required degree on an exceptional basis, with a minimum of five to seven (5-7) years of professional related experience).
• Three (3) years of project management experience with a track record of proven results.

Licensures and Certifications Certified Scrum Master, Project Manager Professional, Six Sigma Black Belt. Preferred Requirements None. Work Environment Required physical, lifting, and sensory capabilities are requirements to perform the job successfully. Typical environmental conditions associated with job. Lifting Requirements: Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. It is the policy of the City of Atlanta (“COA”) that qualified individuals with disabilities are not discriminated against because of their disabilities regarding job application procedures, hiring, and other terms and conditions of employment. It is further the policy of the COA to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. The COA is prepared to modify or adjust the job application process or the job or work environment to make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of the applicant or employee to enable the applicant or employee to be considered for the position he or she desires, to perform the essential functions of the position in question, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by other similarly situated employees without disabilities, unless the accommodation will impose an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the Human Resources Director for your department. The City of Atlanta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, ender identity, marital status, veteran’s status or national origin, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce.