Director, City Experience Team, WWC

Organization: Results for America

Role: Director, New Cities, City Experience - What Works Cities
Location: Flexible, within the United States 

Organization Overview

Results for America (RFA) is the leading, national nonprofit organization helping policymakers at all levels of government harness the power of evidence and data to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the “new normal,” so that, one day, all government leaders use rigorous evidence and quality data to inform important policy and funding decisions. We believe that data-driven and evidence-based policy decisions should be used to increase the impact of the over $2 trillion that governments spend annually to open opportunities and advance economic mobility. 

Team Overview

At Results for America, one of our flagship initiatives is What Works Cities (WWC), a Bloomberg Philanthropies–funded initiative that helps city governments across the country improve residents’ lives by using data and evidence effectively to tackle pressing challenges. To accomplish this, we work directly with city leaders and staff through coaching and implementation support, a range of online and in-person learning opportunities, and a growing professional network. This support is guided by What Works Cities Certification, the first-ever international standard of excellence for data-driven, well-managed local government.

What Works Cities Certification assesses cities based on their data-driven decision-making practices, such as whether they are using data to set goals and track progress, allocate funding, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and achieve desired outcomes from contracts with outside vendors. The program also measures whether cities are publicly and transparently communicating about their use of data and evidence. By aspiring toward Certification and implementing the best practices outlined in the program’s criteria, cities across the country are more effectively delivering results for residents. Since our launch in 2015, we have helped more than 300 cities make progress on their most pressing issues, from health and public safety to homelessness and blight.

What Works Cities is now entering an exciting new phase. The initiative will continue scaling across North, Central, and South America, surpassing the milestone of 100 Certified cities while also exploring other regional markets. WWC is also developing innovative ways for cities to engage and build capacity from those just beginning their Certification journey to those deepening their work as Certified cities.

Position Overview

The Director, New Cities is accountable end-to-end for the What Works Cities New Cities portfolio, which incorporates strategic, operational, and people leadership responsibilities. This role leads the New Cities team and is responsible for supervising the Certification journey for cities new to the What Works Cities Network - from outreach and onboarding through assessment, coaching, and recognition. 

The Director ensures fidelity to the WWC Standard while driving a high-quality, consistent, and supportive experience for new cities across diverse contexts and levels of data maturity.

This role requires strong judgment, program and people leadership, and the ability to translate data and evidence into actionable strategy, learning, and impact across What Works Cities and Results for America.

This is a full-time, exempt position, based in a home office anywhere within the U.S. 

International Travel up to 40% annually may be required.

Position Reporting Relationship

The Director, New Cities will report temporarily to the SVP and Managing Director, WWC & permanently to the Executive Director, City Experience, What Works Cities.

Position Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Director include but are not limited to:  

Portfolio Strategy & Program Leadership (40%)

• Advance and translate the City Experience and WWC-wide strategies into clear priorities, guidance and workflows for the New Cities teams.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities across the portfolio and elevate insights to City Experience and WWC leadership.
• Serve as the internal decision-maker for complex or high-stakes Certification determinations.
• Contribute to initiative-wide discussions on criteria evolution, assessment calibration, and Certification model refinement.
• Actively maintain a portfolio of cities as well.
• Ensure fidelity, rigor, and consistent application of the WWC Certification Standard.

People Management & Team Development (30%)

• Directly