About U.S. Digital Response
U.S. Digital Response (USDR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps governments and organizations respond quickly and efficiently to support the critical needs of the public.
Leveraging an amazing internal team along with a network of pro-bono technical experts, USDR addresses and uncovers solutions for common, systemic challenges that public servants are facing. We operate with humility and deep respect for our partners and believe that modern and resilient technology applied in the public interest can deliver people-centered services at the speed of need.
Since March 2020, USDR’s projects have impacted people in 42 U.S. states and territories. We've built deep partnerships with over 345 government and nonprofit partners, strong expertise across more than 425 projects, and repeatable processes to solve some of the most pressing challenges in order to help state and local governments meet the critical needs of people today, while building digital resilience to withstand the crises of tomorrow.
Learn more about our last year in our 2023 annual impact report.
About the GenAI Program
For over 6 months, USDR has been working with governments to understand their needs related to generative AI (GenAI). Our gen AI team has explored use cases in areas such as benefits access and delivery, language translation, permitting, and data analysis. We have found that governments are at different levels of maturity, from those taking their first steps with using common tools to those experimenting with prototypes.
USDR is now poised to scale its GenAI efforts and serve more governments with a clear offer. From light-touch ‘rapid response’ interventions, to prototype builds, to platforms that can be shared across government, we stand ready to accelerate public sector adoption of GenAI - but need the right leader with both government experience and tech understanding to guide our partners and our organization in a responsible way.
The Gen AI Product & Delivery Manager will lead USDR’s GenAI portfolio, collaborating with USDR programs to explore how GenAI can be helpful to governments as well as the org itself. This role is about strategic execution to help make the most of this moment and determine USDR’s ongoing role in the ecosystem.
Responsibilities
You’ll shape and represent USDR’s gen AI strategy and point of view (20%)
- Generate excitement within USDR, with our government partners, and within our ecosystem, for the potential of GenAI and its responsible adoption
- Shape USDR’s strategy for how to best support governments on their journey to leverage GenAI with USDR’s assets
- Shape USDR’s point of view on gen AI and share at conferences and ecosystem events as our AI evangelist
- Support fundraising and partnership development efforts by attending meetings with funders and leading on grant applications or partnership proposals showcasing the potential of gen AI in the public sector
- Document and share case studies of GenAI applications in public sector with the broader public interest tech ecosystem
You’ll lead USDR’s government partner-facing GenAI technical assistance (70%)
- Conduct scoping and discovery calls of GenAI use cases with state and local partners, often with executives and technology leaders with cross-department, government-wide mandates
- Advise government partners on specific topics, e.g. GenAI UX, ethics, security/privacy, infrastructure, tech stack, procurement, hiring, and integration into operations
- Identify patterns and develop hypotheses of the most impactful use cases for government use of GenAI by collaborating with government partners
- Filter insights gained from interactions with government partners, and use these insights to inform USDR’s POV on GenAI and the product roadmaps of prototypes and more permanent products
- Be the guardian of government and user needs and make sure these needs are baked into any GenAI products developed by USDR
- Work closely with USDR’s Volunteers Team to ensure we have a volunteer pool with the right skills to meet governments’ GenAI needs
You’ll ensure we practice what we preach (10%)
- Collaborate with USDR’s internal teams to build our org capacity to leverage GenAI in service of supporting government partners
- Advise on opportunities to build our org capacity with respect to GenAI
We're excited about you because you have…
- 7+ years working with state and/or local governments, at least 5 of which in a senior program management or leadership role
- Experience interacting and communicating effectively (presenting, meeting) with people at all levels of government, from the most senior, to juniors and interns
- Proven ability to advocate for best practices and convince others of better ways to solve problems
- 5+ years experience with technology projects and/or products and knowledge of the different project management methodologies and approaches in government, including waterfall and agile
- Experience with what it takes to get things done in government, including but not limited to procurement, hiring, and partnerships
- Strong and demonstrable experience with GenAI, and a belief that government should adopt this technology where appropriate
- Clear understanding of the limitations of GenAI and the risks and ethical considerations
- Knowledge of design approaches in government, including user research, user experience, and interaction design
- Facilitation skills and ability to develop well scoped projects
- Empathy and active listening skills
- Ability to maintain humor during the hard moments
- Or any combination of education, experience, and measurable performance that demonstrates the capability to perform the duties of the position.
Desirable skills and experience
- Direct experience of design approaches in government, including user research, user experience, and interaction design.
- Direct experience of leading a technical team
What you’ll get:
- A competitive salary, consistent with similar roles in other tech nonprofits in major U.S. metropolitan cities. The annual salary range for this role is $185,000 - 205,000 depending on experience.
- Full health, dental and vision benefits (USDR pays 100% of the cost for our employees and 80% of the cost for their dependents).
- 401K with a matching contribution of up to 3 percent of your pay with $1 for each dollar you contribute and for more than 3 percent and up to 5 percent of your pay with $0.50 for each dollar you contribute.
- An equipment reimbursement for the purchase of a computer and peripheral devices of up to $2,000 along with a Work from Home allowance of $100 each month to support employees as they navigate working from home.
- A discretionary budget of $500 per year per employee for learning and development along with an organization-wide L&D budget to support individuals and teams with work-related learning and development expenses
- A supportive community where everyone can thrive and find a balance between working hard to make a difference and taking care of themselves. This means that we are committed to a fully remote work environment (for US-based employees) along with flexible schedules and time off policies that work with your life.
Equal Employment Opportunity
U.S. Digital Response is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, political party affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We encourage and welcome all interested potential applicants, regardless of background or prior experience volunteering with U.S. Digital Response, to apply.
All USDR staff members work remotely in support of flexibility, wellness, and work-life balance. At this time, USDR is only hiring candidates who reside in the United States, and who have and maintain active U.S. Work Authorization.
