Lead Product Manager

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.

Code for America is looking for a talented Lead Product Manager who will drive meaningful outcomes for the people and government partners we serve through our Safety Net, Tax Benefits, Criminal Justice products and/or rapid response work.

When building Code for America products, you'll develop meaningful products for individuals across the country, making it easier to access critical benefits and services, while also helping agencies deliver better digital services to the public in a way that lasts.

About the role:

As a lead Product Manager at Code for America, you will set product direction and strategy for a product or project and lead a cross-functional team in delivering it. You’ll solve complex problems and deliver user-centered products and services, drawing on deep expertise in product management, stakeholder management, agile delivery and modern software development. You’ll work across the matrix: day to day with your project team and program partners, and within the Product discipline to grow shared practices.

This role will report to the Director of Product and is expected to travel no more than 15% 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.

In this position you will:

• Product strategy and direction

• Develop and own the product strategy and roadmap for your product or project.

• Partner with your program lead and cross-disciplinary team members to define the overall strategy for your project.

• Make tradeoff decisions that balance user needs, partner expectations, scope and timeline within your project.

• Stakeholder alignment

• Communicate product vision and strategy clearly to your team and internal stakeholders.

• Drive alignment with government partners and other external stakeholders on product vision and strategy, partnering with program and other discipline colleagues as needed.

• Contribute to scoping future opportunities in your product area in partnership with program leads.

• Delivery and team leadership

• Lead a multidisciplinary team (which may include design, research and engineering) to test and deliver solutions that work for the people who need them most.

• Work with fellow product managers and discipline leads to make sure your project delivers on its strategy and advances Code for America’s goals.

• Identify and escalate risks with program and discipline leads, and determine mitigation strategies.

• Develop and refine team processes with engineering and other leads so the team can focus on the right work and deliver efficiently.

• Mentor other product managers and establish strong product practices within your team.

• Model constructive communication: listen actively, give and receive feedback directly, address disagreements within the team promptly, and make space for differing perspectives.

• Model constructive communication within the team environment

• Practice active listening and create space for team members to raise concerns and share feedback

• Give and receive feedback constructively, and foster an environment where differing perspectives are welcomed

• Other duties as assigned

Engage in ad hoc projects and initiatives as required by the organization's evolving needs.

About you:

This role is a great fit for a product manager who builds user-centered solutions in complex, multi-stakeholder environments and is skilled at aligning partners around delivery.

• 7+ years of product management experience.

• Proven ability to lead high-quality product development with agile methods, improving products iteratively through delivery cycles.

• Proven ability to interpret and use user research, usability testing and data analytics to make and validate product decisions.

• Strong product judgment: knowing when to prototype or build, when to experiment, and when to change direction.

• Experience writing and reviewing product strategy documents and feature specs, and giving thoughtful feedback to the team.

• Strong communication skills and experience managing internal and external stakeholders, including incorporating feedback when it serves the product, the project and the people we serve.

• Ability to make tough tradeoff decisions and facilitate productive conversations at key decision points.

• Ability to manage day-to-day delivery while connecting short-term progress to a longer-term vision.

• Ability to identify product issues and advocate to address them, whether through resourcing, scope or requirement changes.

• Ability to connect your team’s work to Code for America’s strategy and make recommendations that improve team outcomes.

• 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.

It’s a bonus if you have:

• Medicaid, public benefits, or insurance experience.

• Product advisory or consulting work with government, civic tech, or a highly regulated industry.

• Experience working directly with state or county government partners.

What you’ll get -

Salary:

Code for America’s salary bands are shared upfront as a part of our commitment to transparency and fairness. As part of our hiring practices, we target the 2nd quartile midpoint of the respective salary band for all new hires.

Offer targets and salary bands vary based on market / geographic location. The offer targets for this role range from $128,945 to $157,850 , annually. Your Recruiter will discuss compensation in more detail & answer any related questions, during the initial Recruiter phone screen.

Benefits and Perks:

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.

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