Innovation Division Assistant Director

Austincc; Fairfax (VA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Fairfax County is seeking an Innovation Division Assistant Director to lead enterprise data and AI initiatives, aligning governance and strategy across county agencies. You will work with the Chief Director to drive transformation, partnerships, and workforce upskilling.

This hybrid role requires strong policy, technology, and leadership skills to reduce silos and advance county-wide digital capabilities. You will guide governance, ethical AI standards, and strategic investments while engaging

Qualifications

• Senior management experience leading enterprise technology strategy and governance.
• Experience coordinating cross-agency programs and multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to stand up organizational change and communities of practice.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and drive data and AI governance across Fairfax County agencies.
• Establish ethical frameworks, policies, and compliance standards.
• Design risk management for AI, LLMs, and ML integrations.
• Engage with agencies, vendors, and external experts to align strategy.
• Partner with academic and regional partners to build talent pipelines.
• Lead regional listening tours and stakeholder workshops.
• Build and lead Data and AI communities across departments.
• Mentor staff and foster data and AI literacy countywide.
• Oversee workforce training and upskilling initiatives.
• Coordinate Innovation Roadshows to showcase deployments.
• Advise executive leadership on trends and investment priorities.

Skills

Senior management experience

Enterprise technology strategy

Cross-agency governance

Multidisciplinary teams

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Job description

Fairfax County’s Innovation Division within the Department of Information Technology is seeking an experienced, forward-thinking technical leader to serve as the Innovation Division Assistant Director. In this high-impact executive role, you will work alongside the Chief Director of Innovation to become a principal strategist and senior advisor driving county-wide innovation, data, and enterprise AI transformation, overseeing the strategic outreach, community engagement, and governance frameworks that power our modern technology initiatives. Operating at the intersection of public policy and advanced technology, this position is responsible for eliminating departmental silos, establishing enterprise compliance standards, and directing the unified services that power our dynamic community.

We are looking for an ambitious, future-focused strategist who is excited to lead and expand Fairfax County’s digital footprint and cultivate an internal culture of innovation. If you are passionate about building robust regional partnerships, establishing ethical AI frameworks, and designing comprehensive workforce upskilling initiatives that build internal technical capability, this position offers the platform to truly make your mark at the highest level of county government. Join us to champion next-generation enterprise data and artificial intelligence, guide strategic technical investments, and lead Fairfax County’s innovation ecosystem into a more resilient, connected, and future-ready future.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate and drive the Enterprise Data and AI Governance Charter to establish a unified, secure, and highly mature data ecosystem across all Fairfax County agencies.
• Establish system-wide ethical frameworks, operational policies, and compliance standards to guarantee data, AI, and GIS assets are utilized responsibly while maintaining strict privacy and security.
• Design and enforce rigorous risk management protocols for emerging artificial intelligence technologies, large language models (LLMs), and advanced machine learning integrations.
• Engage proactively with internal county agencies, technology vendors, and industry experts to identify operational pain points and align central technology strategies with department goals.
• Partner directly with academic institutions and neighboring jurisdictions to drive collaborative research, leverage external expertise, and establish regional technical talent pipelines.
• Lead strategic regional listening tours and stakeholder workshops to gather feedback, promote user‑centric digital transformation, and advocate for modern technology adoption.
• Cultivate and lead a vibrant Data and AI community across Fairfax County, establishing collaborative networks that connect, support, and upskill technical practitioners across all departments.
• Foster an organizational culture of data and AI literacy by connecting, mentoring, and managing technology practitioners and enthusiasts across all county departments.
• Execute comprehensive workforce training and upskilling frameworks for Fairfax County employees to build internal technical capacity and guide organizational change management.
• Orchestrate internal and public Innovation Roadshows to showcase successful deployment use cases, demonstrate modern technical capabilities, and spark collaborative initiatives.
• Advise executive leadership and elected officials regarding emerging technology trends, long-term technical roadmaps, and strategic investment priorities.
• Perform other duties as required to support Innovation Division related efforts.

Note: This role is a hybrid model requiring at least 40% onsite work at the Fairfax County Government Center.

Employment StandardsMINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for “Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to”)

Possession of a bachelor's degree in computer science, or closely related field; plus, five years of progressively responsible experience in applying information technology to meet the needs of a government or business organization including two years of supervisory experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and credit check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated senior management experience leading enterprise technology strategy, cross-agency program governance, and multidisciplinary technical teams within a large organization.
• Extensive experience designing and implementing data governance frameworks, ethical AI policies, and regulatory compliance standards for cloud, database, or spatial platforms.
• Proven track record building and managing organizational change, specifically standing up technical Communities of Practice, enterprise training pipelines, or professional upskilling programs.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with diverse stakeholder groups, including executive leadership, elected officials, academic partners, vendor channels, and regional jurisdictions.
• Deep familiarity with emerging industry trends across the technology spectrum, including enterprise data frameworks, generative AI deployments, low-code application solutions, and GIS ecosystems.
• Proven experience navigating the unique operational, political, and compliance structures of a local, state, or federal government environment.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:Work is generally sedentary, performed in a normal office environment. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. [e-mail] EEO/AA/TTY.