Code for America believes government can work for the people, by the people, in the digital age, and that government at all levels can and should work well for all people. For more than a decade, we’ve worked to show that with the mindful use of technology, we can break down barriers, meet community needs, and find real solutions.

Our employees build and transform government and community tools and services, making them so good they inspire change. We merge the best parts of technology, nonprofit, and government to help support the people who need it most.

With a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and deep empathy for partners in government and community organizations and the people that our partners serve, we’re building a movement of motivated change agents driven by meaningful results and lasting impact.

At Code for America, you contribute to exciting work while learning and developing in a supportive and flexible environment. Our compensation and benefits are holistic and thoughtfully curated to represent our employees and our mission. Help us drive real generational change that lasts.

Code for America is looking for a talented Principal Solutions Architect who will collaborate with government partners and deliver technical guidance to transform the way government delivers services to communities in need.

As of October 27, 2023, Code for America has reached a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) with Code for America Workers United, affiliated with OPEIU (Office Professional Employees International Union, Local 1010). This position is not designated as part of Code for America Workers United.

About the Role: 

In this role, you’ll work with a team of designers, researchers, engineers, product managers, and policy experts across our program portfolios. You will spend time with key government agencies to build rapport with their technical team, understand their technical needs, and develop a shared understanding of the role that this program can play in helping them achieve their goals. This will involve identifying and designing technical solutions to improve access to their programs.

Solutions Architects at Code for America are an integral component of all of our program areas. There are currently three program areas at Code for America:

• Criminal Justice, which focuses on Automatic Record Clearance,
• Tax Benefits, which focuses on free trustworthy tax services and simplified tax filing,
• And the Social Safety Net. Focus areas in this portfolio include food benefits, integrated benefits applications, and training & capacity building.

This role will report to the Associate Director of State Solutions and may be remote or based in San Francisco optionally. This role can include travel up to 10% of time.

In this position you will:

• Solutions Development (30%)
  • Lead technical advisement, implementation, migration and integration projects for government safety net services.
  • Assist in project planning and drafting statements of work and technical requirements.
  • Build and maintain relationships and develop technical champions within government and partner organizations.
  • Implement proof-of-concept applications, software installations, and custom development projects.
  • Design and implement flexible open source solutions to challenges involving data quality, normalization and spread
• Strategic Leadership (30%)
  • Work closely with cross-functional government partners to clarify problems and understand system constraints, and offer feasible and high-value technical solutions that consider the needs of all stakeholders.
  • Provide technical perspectives and expertise in service of improved government services for government agencies, organizational stakeholders, and other key audiences.
  • Evaluate the technical landscape and partner capacity for prospective new state engagements, drafting assessments and recommendations.
  • Assist in documenting and communicating technical best practices and in the framing of government RFPs.
  • Estimate project scope and rough project plans for government initiatives.