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 clients by supporting and advancing our Safety Net, Tax Benefits, and/or Criminal Justice products and/or rapid response products.

When building Code for America products, you'll focus on developing meaningful products for individuals across the country, making it easier to access critical benefits and services.

When working on projects for the government, you'll help our partner government agencies deliver better digital services to the public, creating lasting impact.

About the role:

The Lead Product Manager will own and set direction and strategy for a product or project.

You’ll lead cross-functional teams to solve complex problems and deliver user-centered products and services using your expert skills in product management, stakeholder management, agile methodologies, and modern software development 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:

Setting product strategy for the product or program area

Partner with the Program manager and other cross-disciplinary team members to define the overall strategy for your project or program

Develop and own the product strategy and execution of a project or program are

Driving stakeholder alignment

Communicate product vision and strategy to your team with clarity and enthusiasm

Drive external stakeholder alignment with the product vision and strategy, partnering with internal cross-functional team members when appropriate

Executing on the product or service

Work closely with the PM team and others to deliver products and services that execute your program area’s strategy and promotes systems change

Help lead a talented multi-disciplinary team (which may include design, research, and engineering) to test and develop new solutions that work for underserved communities and increase our impact

Collaborate with other leaders to identify and escalate risks and determine mitigation strategies

Collaborate with engineering and other team leads to develop and evolve team processes that enable us to focus on the right things and execute efficiently

Collaborate with designers on the creation of prototypes and model

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

About you:

The position is a perfect fit for a mission-driven product manager who leads with empathy, thrives in complexity, and builds user-centered solutions. You excel at aligning stakeholders and delivering impactful digital services for historically underserved communities.

7+ years of product management experience.

Proven ability to lead high quality product development using an agile methodology - iteratively improving products through delivery cycles.

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

Strong product judgment - knowing when to prototype and when to code, when to experiment, and when to change direction.

Review and write effective product strategy docs and product/feature specs and give thoughtful feedback to the team.

Strong communication skills and experience and comfort with managing project stakeholders internally and externally; ability to incorporate feedback when it's best for the product, program, and the people.

Ability to make tough trade-off decisions and facilitate effective conversations at key inflection points

Have a handle on the day to day and an ability to forecast, plan, connect incremental short-term progress with a long-term vision.

Ability to identify product issues and advocate effectively to address these issues, whether by adding or changing resources or adjusting scope or requirements.

Ability to manage day-to-day delivery while connecting incremental short-term progress to a longer-term project vision

Ability to engage effectively on future possible opportunities and work for your product and/or project area, including helping to shape the potential work.

Understand how to tie your team's efforts to Code for America strategy, and make recommendations to your product or project team based on those factors in order to maximize team outcomes.

A passion for our mission of making government services better for people who need them.

It’s a bonus if you have:

Medicaid/healthcare/insurance experience (Medicaid strongly preferred)

Experience shaping future product opportunities or engaging in early-stage scoping conversations

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

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.

Employees with 3+ years of service receive an additional 50% match on contributions between 3% and 5%, for a maximum employer contribution of 5%

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