Project Leader, Technology

Project Leader, Technology

Location: Flexible within the U.S. but requires access to a major U.S. airport for travel.   
Position Type: Full-time  

About Us
Partners for Public Good (PPG) is a nonpartisan team of doers who work alongside state and local governments to strengthen the operational systems—procurement, staffing, budgeting, and technology—that determine whether policy turns into results for residents. We go in alongside government staff through implementation, not just as advisors who deliver recommendations and leave, but as practitioners who stay until something has actually changed. Through our implementation work, applied research, and the Procurement Excellence Network—a practitioner community of more than 3,000 government professionals—we translate what we learn from individual governments into knowledge and tools that travel across jurisdictions. When government works, communities thrive.

Role & Organizational Impact
Reporting to the Assistant Director, Technology, PPG is seeking a Project Leader, Technology to oversee execution across a new suite of technology pilot and implementation projects for state and local government.

PPG is expanding our government transformation efforts to internal operations functions beyond procurement, including budgeting, human resources, and information technology (IT). They will manage new efforts to support state and local technology adoption and all that goes with it: project management, product management, vendor management, technical training and capacity building, and technology evaluation. Through their work, they will fill crucial human capacity gaps in back office modernization and boost the tech confidence of public servants who are navigating the disruptions and possibilities of AI.

At PPG, Project Leaders manage individuals or small teams responsible for the delivery of projects, stepping in to coach and support execution as needed. Project Leaders may attend conferences or other events to speak publicly about project work, and are encouraged to develop public-facing tools, templates, and publications about promising practices derived from projects.

Responsibilities
Service Design and Strategy

• Strategize the future of PPG’s Technology Delivery Portfolio with the goal of best serving the most pressing needs for government’s back-office operations in partnership with the Assistant Director, Technology.
• Translate initial program design into program scopes, timelines, specific roles/plans for team members and partners.
• Design evaluation frameworks, metrics, and feedback mechanisms to measure the Technology Portfolio’s success and scalability.

Execution and Project Leadership

• Oversee the day-to-day execution of technology support and capacity building services, maintaining high-quality deliverables, and clear communication.
• Monitor resources, budget, time, external relationships, and risks throughout a project/product/pilot’s lifetime.
• Track progress on work and elevate timely risks or challenges to leadership
• Develop and manage high-quality project documentation for sustainability, replication, and external storytelling.
• Manage ongoing relationships and performance of any contractor providing specialized support on projects.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Building

• Develop and execute a government partner engagement strategy for the Technology Portfolio, in partnership with the Assistant Director, Technology.
• Regularly produce outbound materials in the form of blogs, talks, webinars, etc.
• Represent PPG at conferences and events, presenting insights from project work.
• Build strong relationships with government leaders, nonprofit partners, government technology companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups.

People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of high-performing Associate(s), fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Train team in core PPG capabilities, including analytical thinking, project management, stakeholder management, and communications.
• Support staff in growing their procurement expertise by designing learning opportunities in the realm of government technology, staying abreast of new products, functionality, IT partnerships, innovative IT procurements, and creative IT staffing/operational choices in the field.
• Positively shape organizational culture, promoting equity, transparency, and accountability across PPG operations.

Who You Are

We’re looking for candidates who are:

• Goal-oriented, mission-driven managers. You have an intrinsic drive to forward the goals of PPG and the Technology Portfolio. You are eager to make big wins for your colleagues and clients. You know how to energize a diverse group of stakeholders toward a shared goal.
• Entrepreneurial builder and innovators. You are excited about experimenting with technology, embracing rapid demonstration projects, getting things done, and incorporating feedback to iterate quickly.
• Strong communicators. You excel in verbal, written, and visual communication. You make technical or complex concepts accessible and engaging for a range of audiences.
• Change managers. You recognize that true change requires culture shifts, capacity-building, and empowerment, in addition to better processes. You build trust and momentum, bringing stakeholders along with you while moving with urgency. You know how to lead groups through change effectively.
• Adaptable and collaborative colleagues. You thrive in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment where every project is unique, and we often have to dive in and learn quickly. You care for your colleagues and are quick to pitch in when someone needs help. You are comfortable giving and receiving direct feedback.
• Mission aligned. You are motivated by the opportunity to help state and local governments harness core operational functions so that every resident has a government they can count on, every day.

Qualifications
Core Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent years of professional experience will be considered in lieu of formal education.
• Three or more years of government technology experience or related work experience. At least two years of people management experience – ideally leading multidisciplinary teams implementing software or piloting, refining, or prototyping new AI tools.
• Knowledge and/or professional experience touching one or more categories of government IT operations (e.g., data analytics, generative AI, software modernization, product management, core IT service delivery, cybersecurity).
• Excellent writing and editing skills, including the ability to produce compelling, well-written, and error-free work products.
• Strong project management skills, with track record of independently managing projects and establishing priorities among multiple simultaneous deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of or certifications in product management methods and practices.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Visio) and the Power Automate Platform.
• Comfort with Zoom, MailChimp, Miro and/or other outreach or virtual collaboration tools.
• Proficient in generative AI like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.
• Demonstrated ability (through coursework, projects, or work experience) to build AI agents, chatbots, or automations using platforms such as Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Platform, ChatGPT, Claude, or similar tools.
• Basic understanding of prompt engineering, AI agent design, and knowledge management concepts.
• Comfort with using (and managing the performance of others that use) generative AI in day-to-day work and deliverable creation.
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed at least six times per year.

Experiential Qualifications:
We believe a variety of experiences can equip individuals to excel in this role. While we expect applicants to bring many of the qualifications listed below, we encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.

• Meaningful knowledge of state and local government operations across topics like permitting, licensing, budgeting, or human resources.
• Familiarity with local, state, or federal government, information technology and the products or partners in the field.
• Familiarity with public sector AI – the market of vendors, use cases, and good public sector governance.
• Experience collaborating closely with engineers, developers, and other technical roles on collaborative projects.
• Understanding the unique capacity needs of public sector leaders and challenges public sector entities face in project delivery and operations.
• Team oriented with the ability to build strong relationships and develop trust with colleagues, external collaborators, and funders.

Additional Information:
Deadline to Apply: PPG will review applications on a rolling basis. All applications received by the deadline of August 14, will be considered. We encourage candidates to apply by August 7 for more immediate consideration.

Compensation: The salary for this role is $123,360 plus benefits. We offer a comprehensive, people-first benefits package to support the well-being of our team and their families. We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, with multiple plan options to fit individual needs as well as access to health and flexible savings accounts. Paid time off includes: 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 3 personal days, 2 floating holidays, 12 paid holidays, and a winter recess. We also provide an employer match for retirement savings, paid parental leave, and access to backup care for caregiving needs. To support remote work, we offer work-from-home stipends or shared office space options.

Start date: The desired start date for this role is September 2026.

This position is grant-funded. Employment is contingent on continuation of funds and organizational needs, at PPG’s sole discretion.

Physical Demands: This position requires sitting, talking, listening, reading, and writing for up to 8 hours per day. Certain situations may require lifting items up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job duties.

Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity
Partners for Public Good is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Partners for Public Good is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals in the hiring process, including but not limited to those with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact info(at)partnersforpublicgood.org.

Originally posted on Himalayas