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 and active community of volunteers 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 Senior Director of Product who will lead, set and drive alignment on the product vision and overarching roadmap for the Safety Net Innovation Lab and lead in the Lab formulating short, medium and long-term strategies that will maximize the tangible and measurable impact that Code for America’s delivery work can have for people and for government. 

Code for America reached a voluntary recognition agreement with Code for America Workers United, affiliated with OPEIU (Office Professional Employees International Union, Local 1010), effective on October 22, 2021. We are currently engaged in negotiations towards our first collective bargaining agreement.

About the Role: 

The Safety Net Innovation Lab at Code for America is working with 15 states over 7 years on multiyear partnerships that will implement meaningful changes to the experience of applying for, using, and renewing benefits like Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and childcare assistance.

The Senior Director of Product will collaborate alongside the other members of the Safety Net Leadership team in overseeing the strategy, operations, and overall impact of the Lab. This will include effectively presenting and communicating product strategy internally and externally, managing the critical tradeoffs and decision points facing the Lab, and helping our cross-functional delivery teams successfully hit milestones towards the bigger picture impact goals.

The right candidate should be highly skilled in leading, motivating and managing a talented team of product managers by providing them the resources and support necessary for them to be successful in leading their teams. The candidate will also work closely with senior leadership in establishing a shared product vision of how Code for America’s work can lead to long term systems change across our broader portfolio through the products and services we build.

This role reports to the Senior Director of Product. This role can include travel up to 15% of time.

 

In this position you will: 

Drive the product vision for the Safety Net Innovation Lab (25%)

• Sell your vision for product upwards, downwards, laterally
• Communicate product direction and decisions regularly and with clarity
• Ensure each team in the Lab has a product vision and strategy aligned with Code for America’s org strategy and values
• Ensure our product strategies are aligned with program strategies

Lead and motivate high-performing product teams (25%)

• Ensure the teams have the resources they need to succeed
• Ensure the teams have a good understanding of client and partner needs
• Ensure (in partnership with engineering) each vertical team is delivering value to users at a high velocity
• Ensure each team is consistently delivering product artifacts (roadmaps, briefs, stories, etc)

Hire and manage a high-performing product management team (20%)

• Hire, train, and motivate a great team
• Fill key leadership positions on the team (managers, leads)
• Define career development paths and expectations
• Instill strong practices and techniques

Drive stakeholder alignment internally and externally (20%)

• Partner with the Senior Program Director and the Safety Net Leadership team to define overall strategy for the portfolio
• Collaborate with engineering and design to develop and evolve team processes that enable us to focus on the right things and execute efficiently
• Communicate product vi