Associate Program Director

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Act as the main project leader for assigned initiatives, responsible for ensuring successful delivery across scope, timeline, budget, and results.

• Collaborate with the Program Director and other cross-functional leaders to shape and manage project-level strategies, translating program priorities into actionable delivery plans and success metrics.

• Oversee project planning from kickoff to close-out, ensuring roles, decision-making rights, and expectations are clearly defined for both internal teams and external partners.

• Guide cross-disciplinary teams through uncertainty by establishing direction, facilitating decision-making, and maintaining progress towards outcomes.

• Make informed delivery trade-offs when facing constraints (e.g., scope, timeline, staffing), clearly communicating options, risks, and recommendations.

• Track progress against objectives and adjust plans as necessary in response to delivery realities, partner needs, or changing constraints.

• Ensure that project work is consistently aligned with Code for America’s values, user-centered principles, and impact objectives throughout the execution process.

• Elevate insights from project execution — including risks, opportunities, and learnings — to support decision-making by the Program Director and enhance portfolio-level understanding.

• Manage the complete project management lifecycle for significant initiatives, driving scope definition, strategic planning, cross-functional implementation, and reporting.

• Translate program objectives into clear scopes, milestones, and practical work plans across various disciplines.

• Coordinate project timelines, dependencies, and task execution with cross-functional teams.

• Facilitate effective cross-functional collaboration (e.g., between Programs, Product, Design, Engineering, Research).

• Proactively identify delivery risks early and collaborate with the Program Director to resolve issues before they escalate.

• Identify project-level staffing and resource needs, including skill gaps, capacity risks, or upcoming transitions that may affect delivery.

• Utilize tools and practices (e.g., trackers, templates, standups) that enhance team-wide delivery methodologies.

• Ensure delivery decisions are grounded in feasibility, capacity, and the context of partners.

• Guarantee that deliverables are on time, within budget, and in alignment with our values and impact goals.

• Implement Code for America’s program delivery standards through a robust project management framework across all projects, including:

• Facilitating clear project kickoffs and establishing a shared understanding of goals and roles.

• Ongoing management of risks and opportunities.

• Ensuring consistent partner communication and accountability.

• Maintaining thorough documentation and knowledge sharing.

• Conducting retrospectives and fostering continuous improvement practices.

• Extract insights, learnings, and best practices from projects to align portfolio strategy with on-the-ground realities.

• Develop the processes, resources, and internal team configurations necessary for effective partnerships, service delivery, and achieving direct impact and systems change goals.

• Collaborate with Program Directors to address resource risks and plan for continuity.

• Record lessons learned and contribute practices, templates, or insights that enhance delivery across projects and the portfolio.

• Engage in retrospectives and cross-project learning initiatives to minimize duplication and improve delivery consistency.

• Assist in the creation of philanthropic proposals related to your projects and manage associated funding streams.

• Lead external delivery discussions with partners regarding timelines, expectations, roles, risks, and emerging opportunities.

• Maintain trustworthy relationships based on shared goals, transparency, and accountability.

• Ensure that implementation aligns with program goals, keeping delivery connected to the partner’s operational reality.

• Manage delivery reporting and check-ins, including updates for funders, progress memos, and data-driven storytelling.

• Serve as the partner’s primary contact for inquiries, escalations, and progress updates — aiding in the translation of technical and product milestones into a shared understanding, while collaborating with Code for America technical staff on managing technical relationships and/or vendors.

• Identify opportunities for future collaborations with the state and foster relationships to facilitate new work.

• Note: The Associate Program Director role includes people management responsibilities but may not have direct reports at this time.

• Hire, develop, motivate, and lead individuals to ensure they are productive, successful, and fulfilled team members, whose contributions align with the organization's vision, mission, and goals.

• Collaborate with the broader Programs team to engage and expand learning for future initiatives.

• Participate in relevant cross-organizational working groups to offer expertise and perspectives on positioning our work and considering organizational strategy amid inevitable changes in the external government landscape.

• Other responsibilities as assigned.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 7 years of experience leading complex projects in civic technology, consulting, government, or similar environments, with proven accountability for delivery outcomes.

• Strong understanding of public benefits implementation and administration, especially SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, EITC, CTC, or other anti-poverty programs.

• Demonstrated history of engaging with cross-sector stakeholders (public, nonprofit, private), ideally involving product development, data utilization, policy, and collaborative implementation.

• A problem solver and strategic thinker comfortable utilizing frameworks and data to guide the team's analysis and address multifaceted challenges.

• An effective oral and written communicator capable of clearly articulating concerns, reasoning, and decisions to internal teams and external partners.

• Thrives in a dynamic environment, embraces continuous change, and is open to adjusting perspectives based on new information or constructive feedback.

• A collaborator who values honesty and transparency, builds relationships, seeks input, addresses conflict, and facilitates decision-making.

• Strong analytical and communication capabilities.

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

• Capacity to excel in ambiguous situations and tackle under-defined challenges.

• An interest in emerging AI tools and a commitment to their ethical and effective use.

• A deep dedication to Code for America's mission of enhancing government services for those who need them the most.

🏝️ Benefits

• Leadership and colleagues who share a strong work ethic and values, fostering respect and care for one another.

• A collaborative, cross-functional, diligent, and joyful work environment.

• Provision of a laptop.

• A one-time payment of $700 for remote work setup; a $200 stipend (included in the first paycheck) and reimbursement of up to $500, in accordance with our equipment policy.

• Monthly reimbursement of $50 for cell phone and/or internet expenses.

• An annual stipend of $500 for professional development (prorated at hire time).

• Up to $500 of professional development funds can be carried over each year, with a maximum of $1000.

• Training and guidance for staff required to utilize AI as part of their role, along with opportunities for employees to gain AI-related skills for career growth.

• Employees receive a 100% employer match on the first 3% of their contributions.

• Employees with over 3 years of service benefit from an additional 50% match on contributions between 3% and 5%, leading to a maximum employer contribution of 5%.

• At least one no-cost health insurance option available for full-time employees for individual coverage.

• A minimum of 80% coverage for dependents.

• Code for America employees are permitted to work remotely from anywhere in the US.

• Open personal time off (subject to manager approval), a minimum of 14 paid holidays, and an organization-wide closure from Christmas Day through New Year's Day.

• Paid sick leave up to 96 hours annually.

• 17 weeks of paid parental and family leave.

• A 3-week paid sabbatical after 5 years of service.