Program Director

Code for America believes government can work for the people, by the people, in the new 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 transparency and fairness, 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.

About the role

Code for America's Program Directors lead portfolios of work that sit at the intersection of technology, policy, and government service delivery. At the core of this role is the belief that government services can and should work better for the people who depend on them most — and that achieving that requires sustained, expert leadership over complex, multi-stakeholder programs.

As a Program Director at Code for America, you will own a portfolio of approximately four to six projects and the teams that deliver them. Your portfolio may include work across areas such as Safety Net benefits access (including multi-benefit enrollment and Medicaid and SNAP delivery), Tax programs, or Criminal Justice initiatives, depending on organizational need and your area of expertise.

You will be externally facing, building and sustaining relationships with federal agencies, state-level leadership, county partners, and/or community-based organizations, while supporting your direct reports in doing the same. You will also work closely with other delivery colleagues to ensure our projects achieve their intended impact and that your portfolio is aligned with Code for America's strategy.

This role will report to the Senior Director of Safety Net and is expected to travel no more than 15%-25% of the time. Code for America is based in California and can employ those who reside full-time within the United States. This is a remote position.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio Oversight
• People Management
• Strategy & Operations
• External Relationships & Communications
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in program development, policy, or government service delivery, with demonstrated progression of responsibility; some experience working within or directly alongside government required.
• Familiarity with agile or iterative program delivery approaches, and experience collaborating with product and engineering teams.
• 3+ years of experience managing teams, including direct management of at least one people manager.
• Proven track record of owning complex, multi-stakeholder program delivery — from strategy through execution — in a government, civic tech, or social sector context.
• Deep familiarity with at least one of Code for America's program areas: Safety Net benefits access (including SNAP, Medicaid, or multi-benefit enrollment), Tax programs, or Criminal Justice; ability to credibly represent Code for America's approach with government partners in that area.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trusted relationships with federal and state agency leadership, county partners, and community-based organizations across political and institutional differences.
• Strong understanding of government service delivery structures, including the social safety net, and the policy landscape shaping program implementation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex program and policy information clearly & concisely to government partners, funders, and internal leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously, maintaining clarity and accountability across a portfolio with competing priorities.
• Willingness to travel 15–25% of the time to partner sites, government offices, and program locations.
• Curiosity about emerging AI tools and a commitment to using them responsibly and effectively.
• A deep commitment to Code for America's mission of making government services work well for the people who need them most.

Qualifications

It’s a bonus if you have:

• Experience contributing to cultivation or business development work, including advising on scopes of work, writing funding reports, and sharing program learnings with funders and partners.
• Experience working in or alongside civic tech organizations or technology-forward government reform initiatives.
• Experience with AI tools or technology-assisted service delivery in a government or social sector context.
• Proficiency in languages other than English.
• Experience managing philanthropic grant requirements, including reporting, learning documentation, and funder communication.

Pay

Code for America’s salary bands are transparent as a part of our commitment to transparency and fairness. As part of our hiring practices, we aim to target the midpoint of the 2nd quartile of the range for all new hires. Offer targets vary based on market / geographic location. The offer targets for this role range from $121,869 to $149,188, annually.

Benefits

This role includes a comprehensive benefits package including the following:

• Values: Leadership and teammates who share a strong work ethic and values, and who respect and care for one another. A collaborative, cross-functional, hardworking, and joyful environment.
• Employee Enablement Support:
  • Laptop provided
  • A one-time $700 payment for remote environment setup; $200 stipend (in first paycheck) and up to $500 reimbursement, in accordance with our equipment policy
  • Cell phone and/or internet reimbursement of $50 per month
• Professional Development:
  • $500 annual (per calendar year) stipend towards professional development; prorated at time of hire
  • Up to $500 of professional development funds can be rolled over each year, up to a maximum of $1000
  • Training / guidance for staff required to utilize AI as part of their role, plus opportunities for employees to gain AI-related skills to support job and career growth
• Retirement & 401k Plans:
  • Employees receive a 100% employer match on the first 3% of contributions.
  • Employees with 3+ years of service receive an additional 50% match on contributions between 3% and 5%, for a maximum employer contribution of 5%.
• Medical:
  • At least one no cost health insurance option for full-time employees for employee-only coverage
  • A minimum of 80% of the cost of dependent coverage
• Remote Work:
  • Code for America employees may work remotely across the US
  • Code for America employees main residence must be within the US
  • Full-time employees work 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday
  • Collaborative working hours: we aim to hold all internal meetings between 10 AM - 3 PM PT. We expect all Code for America staff to be available during these set working hours
• Time Off:
  • Open personal time off (subject to manager approval), a minimum of 14 paid holidays, and an org-wide closure from Christmas Day through New Year's Day
  • Paid sick time; up to 96 hours annually
  • 17 weeks of paid parental and family leave
  • 3 weeks of paid sabbatical after 5 years of service