Senior Program 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 Senior Program Manager who will lead and manage complex workstreams, build strong partnerships, and drive systems change. We are currently hiring for multiple positions within the speciality areas of: Client and Community Partner Outreach & Tax Benefits. About the role: The Senior Program Manager will play a crucial role in driving Code for America’s mission to transform how governments deliver public benefits. This position requires a blend of strategic program and project management, excellent communication and follow-up, and strong collaboration across technical and non-technical collaborators. The ideal candidate will lead and manage complex workstreams, build strong partnerships, and drive systems change. Key responsibilities include: overseeing work planning and project management, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration with product and technical colleagues. This role demands strong organizational and leadership skills, sound judgment under ambiguity, and a commitment to improving how government services reach and work for the people who need them most. This role will report to the Associate Program Director 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: Program Development and Management Leverage a strong understanding of the big picture, meticulous attention to detail, and strong communication skills to own the execution of complex workstreams. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including government agencies, community organizations, and product teams, to translate high-level priorities into actionable plans, ultimately supporting our teams in achieving timely and high-impact delivery. Collaborate across disciplines to identify meaningful metrics to track the success of projects and workstreams and make data-informed decisions. Support your colleagues in navigating fast-changing and ambiguous environments by proactively identifying, resolving, and/or escalating roadblocks within your workstream. Track, learn, synthesize, and share relevant policy and process context for your team, as needed. Drive best practice development within your workstream and share learnings with cross-functional partners. Identify risks, opportunities, and strategic tradeoffs, and escalate them to leadership. Subject-Matter Expertise & Specialities:Specialty Program Development and Management: Every program team member at Code for America has a specialty area for which they act as a subject matter expert in contexts and conversations across the organization. This can be a specific subject-matter expertise, a focus on one or more of the specialty areas below, or a combination of both. The expectation is that this specialty work represents the noted portion of the role, not all areas at once. Subject matter and speciality areas include: Examples of subject-matter expertise include: Tax benefits (Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, etc) and the VITA program Safety net benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid Criminal record clearance Examples of specialty areas include: Partnership management: Build and sustain relationships with strategic partners across government, non-profit, and/or private sectors to advance workstream outcomes and create conditions for systems change. Capture data and stories to support fundraising and storytelling, collaborate internally and externally to identify and execute best practices for program delivery, and communicate program goals, priorities and strategy clearly to external stakeholders. Product and Design: Work alongside cross-functional peers to provide insight into product roadmaps, ensuring features, design, and content align with policy requirements and stakeholder ecosystems. Translate program and partnership priorities, risks, and opportunities to internal teams; communicate the rationale behind Code for America’s technical and design decisions externally; and support research by providing subject-matter expertise and connections to external experts. Client and community partner outreach: Build broad buy-in for benefits delivery that removes barriers to access, ensuring programs reach and effectively serve as many people as possible. Maintain ecosystem relationships with mission-aligned organizations to extend the reach and relevance of program delivery within the workstream, track outreach activity systematically with strong attention to detail, and share community insights with internal teams to inform continuous improvement. Travel and Visibility Participate in program activities across the country – either to speak about the work or to meet with prospective partners – with travel up to 15% time, depending on the speciality area. Present program findings and advocate for policy change within Code for America and with external audiences. Other duties as assigned About you: A strong fit for this role is someone who thrives at the intersection of program delivery, partnership, and policy — someone who can hold the details of a complex workstream while also stepping back to see how it connects to systems change. At least 5 years of experience in program development or related fields (policy, direct service, outreach, product management) with increasing responsibility. Experience working with social safety net programs, tax benefits, government agencies, or non-profit organizations. Strong project management skills, with a focus on execution, risk mitigation, opportunity spotting, and clear communication. Experience building and managing effective partnerships. Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability to build consensus, create clear and powerful presentations and documentation, and influence diverse stakeholders. Analytical skills and comfort working with data. Ability to thrive in a dynamic, results-oriented environment with a commitment to continuous learning. Ability to navigate ambiguity and effectively manage multiple projects and priorities. Willingness to travel up to 15% of the time to partner sites, government offices, and program locations, depending on specialty area. 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: Experience with human-centered design methodologies. Experience working in close collaboration with product and technical teams, with the ability to serve as an effective bridge between program partners and internal delivery teams. Demonstrated ability to navigate difficult conversations with colleagues and partners in order to advance high-impact work. Personal or professional experience with tax benefits like EITC/CTC, the criminal legal system, or social safety net programs (SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, etc.). What you’ll get - Salary: 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 $94,350 - $115,500 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% 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