Director of Data Strategy, Analytics, and AI Integration

Director of Data Strategy, Analytics, and AI Integration

FLSA: Exempt

Salary: Based on qualifications and experience

Purpose of Classification:

As the Director of Data Strategy and Analytics for the City of Sandy Springs, you'll play a leading role in driving a culture of data and the strategic use of data within the City to provide actionable insights that shape our business decisions. The Director of Data Strategy and Analytics will be the cornerstone of our data initiatives and ensure the alignment of data strategies with our adopted priorities. The Director of Data Strategy and Analytics will work closely with other City Departments to advance various data initiatives.

Essential Functions:

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Work with key stakeholders to understand their needs and articulate a vision for an internal data platform & process that serves those needs.
• Spearhead the analysis of complex data sets to uncover trends, generate insights, and identify business optimization opportunities across all areas of the City.
• Forge strong partnerships with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to define and track key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring that insights and recommendations drive actionable business outcomes.
• Champion the development and enforcement of data governance and quality standards to ensure the integrity and privacy of our data assets.
• Integrate various sources of data into a holistic data foundation upon which business insights can be built.
• Provide strategic involvement in data infrastructure planning and proactive guidance and decision making.
• Lead the evaluation and adoption of cutting-edge data technologies, tools, and methodologies (including GenAI, LLM or other innovative tools) to maintain a competitive edge in data analytics, automation, and strategy.
• Provide data-driven reports and presentations to the executive team, highlighting insights, trends, and recommendations that guide strategic planning and decision-making.
• Act as a key strategic advisor to the executive team, leveraging data-driven insights to impact decision-making on key performance drivers. Develop a long-term strategy for executive dashboards as well as self-service reporting layers that answer key business questions.
• Nurture our growing analytics function, helping City Staff deepen their understanding of and impact on the business, and fostering a culture of empowerment, data democratization, accountability, innovation, and excellence. You will be instrumental in cultivating a data-centric culture, empowering decision-making across all levels with actionable data intelligence.
• In partnership with other City Departments, develop and execute a comprehensive data strategy aligned with business objectives, ensuring the effective capture, storage, analysis, and utilization of data assets.
• Insights and Storytelling: Utilize the latest analytics techniques to extract actionable insights from large and complex datasets, coupled with automation and self-service capabilities, to drive informed decision-making across all levels of the organization. Develop ways of communicating the meaning behind the data so that employees, City leadership, and the general public can leverage these insights.
• In partnership with other City Departments, implement a plan to create user interfaces to allow the public to easily interact with key City data. Lead the development of user-friendly front-end interfaces that provide City customers the tools they need to access and interact with City data.
• Create predictive models and forecasting methodologies to anticipate trends and business performance, enabling proactive decision-making.
• Architect and lead the implementation of a comprehensive data strategy that aligns with and accelerates the City's strategic objectives and adopted priorities.
• Develop a scalable, long-term vision for the City of Sandy Springs' data that delivers data governance and sources, data collection and integration, data storage and management, data processing and analysis, data visualization and reporting, and security best practices to ensure data integrity and accuracy.
• Oversee the City's digital ADA compliance program to implement the Department of Justice's updated rule for the implementation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by the April 24, 2026 deadline.
• Define the roadmap for cross-functional teams to extend the existing data infrastructure, enable solutions such as predictive modeling, AI-driven insights, and real-time high-scale user facing analytics. This role not only requires experience partnering with technical leadership but also a strategic mindset to align data capabilities with business objectives, driving innovation.
• Build a framework to create a future data strategy and analytics team, promoting a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Minimum Qualifications:

A visionary individual with a passion for public service, innovation, and making a positive impact on the community. A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in Public Administration, Data Science, Planning, Political Science, Finance, or a related field is required. Master's or Ph.D. is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in data strategy, data governance, data analytics, data operations, or a related field, with a track record of success in data-driven decision-making.
• 3+ years of experience in a management role, with demonstrated ability to manage and develop high performing data teams.
• Seasoned leader with a demonstrated track record of creating and articulating data strategy and building strong cross-functional teams and relationships.

Specific License or Certification Required: None.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all City or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver's license.

Performance Aptitudes:

• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to synthesize and integrate data for predicting, anticipating, and planning for future events impacting the organization. Includes determining strategic and tactical decisions at the highest organizational levels of authority and responsibility.
• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to function in a director capacity for a major organizational unit requiring significant internal and external interaction.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize consulting and advisory data and information, as well as reference, descriptive and/or design data and information as applicable.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations involving basic algebraic principles and formulas, and basic geometric principles and calculations.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or synthesis functions; to deal with several concrete and abstract variables; and to analyze major problems that require complex planning for interrelated activities that can span one or several work units.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in critical and/or unexpected situations involving moderate risk to the organization.

ADA Compliance:

Physical Ability: Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation.

• Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
• Environmental Factors: Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

The City of Sandy Springs is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.