ABOUT U.S. DIGITAL RESPONSE

U.S. Digital Response (USDR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort that helps governments and organizations respond quickly and efficiently to support the critical needs of the public. 

Leveraging a network of pro-bono technical expertise and modern, resilient technology, USDR addresses and uncovers solutions for common, systemic challenges that public servants are facing, leaving them better equipped to deliver services and support to millions of people nationwide.

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.

During our first 18 months, USDR built a year's worth of deep partnerships with over 200 government and nonprofit partners, strong expertise across more than 300 projects, real-world impact to 18 million people, and repeatable processes to solve some of the most pressing challenges of this pandemic year. 

Learn more about our last year in our U.S. Digital Response 2020 Highlights or by reading our recent press coverage.

ABOUT THE RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAM

USDR's Rapid Response program is expanding our in-house capacity to:

1. Quickly respond to the urgent needs of governments in crisis, and 
2. Develop and maintain a portfolio of services that we can repeatedly deploy to governments.

Born out of the COVID-19 crisis, Rapid Response at USDR has evolved to recognize and rise to unexpected challenges faced by governments, from standing up new vaccine delivery programs to handling new influxes of populations in need of government services. We've also identified repeat plays that can quickly add value to government operations and upgrade service delivery, from website and communication audits with a focus on equity to procurement advice and vendor evaluation. 

This role will be on the front lines of our response to government partners, working to scope partner asks into projects that USDR volunteers can deliver on and develop while also maturing a model for volunteer-powered services at USDR.

ABOUT THE ROLE

USDR partners often reach out with a complex problem or workflow and need a thought partner on a discovery sprint, vendor evaluation, or prioritization exercise. The Rapid Response Product Manager-in-Residence will define and own a portfolio of USDR offerings in this space. You'll work with multiple levels of government and non-governmental organizations, interfacing with executive-level agency stakeholders, individual engineers, and support personnel, and everyone in between.

In addition to gaining deep insights on specific problems facing these partners, you will identify trends across partners and opportunities for generalizing and honing USDR's value proposition in these partnerships.

You might be a good fit for this role if you're a senior product manager, cross-functional product leader, or delivery manager with mentorship or team leadership experience.

This is a full-time, paid, one-year position with benefits.

IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL:

• Work with new government partners to define the scope of their needs and USDR's proposed solutions in these spaces. This is a good role for a creative, user-focused product manager who is comfortable creating direction, not just taking direction.
• Define and shape the contours of USDR's offerings in this space for internal and external consumption, including what works and doesn't, what is needed from the partner, and clear criteria for saying “yes” to a proposed project. This information will be used internally to enable team volunteers to triage incoming asks and externally to shape the top of the funnel for government and NGO requests.
• Staff new projects with USDR volunteers and direct them in the implementation of the project. This is a hybrid hands-on technical and leadership role: in addition to leading the technical implementation of projects, you'll have the USDR community's resources at your disposal to manage. USDR's volunteers skew senior and can often commit 10-20 hours per week to the work, but they shine most with support and guidance from a lead who can set context for them, help them understand how their work fits into the big picture, and clear blockers out of the way.
• Collaborate with USDR's marketing and outreach teams to tell the story of USDR's work in this portfolio with a focus on growing the partner base for our repeat plays.
• Represent USDR on calls with our government and nonprofit partners Alongside the other Rapid Response Program Leads and volunteers, 
• Represent USDR and the values of our Volunteer Oath in your work.

QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL HAVE:

• 5+ years of experience in product management or development, working collaboratively with engineering, design and user research teams
• Strong work ethic, keen analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage complex projects and multi-task with excellent organization skills and a strict attention to detail.
• Awareness of privacy, security, and compliance practices, ideally with prior experience working in regulated industries. Experience in government is not required, but should have a strong interest in learning from and collaborating with government/NGO partners.
• Strong communication skills across a broad set of cross-functional stakeholders, including complex external partners (such as regulatory bodies, government entities, large enterprise customers)
• Experience in building diverse networks, partnerships, and long-term collaborative working relationships, and someone who is comfortable thinking outside the box and finding amicable solutions to reach end goals.
• Comfort with a fast-paced environment and changing requirements.
• Strong interest in supporting equitable, effective access to public services using modern technology, design, and research practices.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

• Applications will be accepted until the role is filled, but THE TEAM WILL BEGIN REVIEWING APPLICATIONS ON JANUARY 15TH. USDR will conduct an application and resume review, followed by a series of interviews with various members of USDR.

WHAT YOU'LL GET:

• The Technologist-in-Residence role is a one-year appointment at U.S. Digital Response. The position is expected to begin February 2022. There is no guarantee of continued employment beyond the one-year appointment.
• A competitive salary, consistent with similar roles in other tech non-profits in the Bay Area where USDR is headquartered. The annual salary range for this role is $120,000-$140,000, depending on experience.
• Full health, dental and vision benefits.
• A budget for team-level learning and development.
• A supportive community where everyone can thrive and find a balance between working hard to make a difference and taking care of themselves in a difficult time. 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, 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.