On Wednesday, June 14 our team fielded open questions on Twitter about this position, working at The OGF and more. If you check it out and have additional questions, ask away! Ask us on Twitter @OpenGovFdn and use #OpenGovJobs. We look forward to hearing from you.
We're glad you found us and this opportunity to join The OpenGov Foundation Team! Please make sure to review the entire job posting before beginning your application. We're excited to hear from you.
About The OpenGov Foundation
The OpenGov Foundation (www.opengovfoundation.org) is a fiercely apolitical non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving those who serve the people in America’s legislatures. Our mission is to create a 21st Century Congress where elected officials and staff can meaningfully engage at scale with those they represent, and where citizens can see, shape and understand the critical decisions that affect their lives, their families and their businesses.
Founded inside Congress and launched in January 2013, The OGF team and our open-source products have supported governing better— together— in more than 50 communities, states and countries, from the City of Chicago to the United States of America. We possess an unmatched experience in legislative transformation, open source software development, and change management, and accomplish our mission by partnering with legislatures and the communities they represent in order to bridge the real gaps that exist in our democracy.
At The OGF, we believe that when government reflects the views of the people, democracy works. We build the products, services and policy to make that possible.
Our Programs
The three main programs of The OGF are:
The OpenGov Foundation is seeking an experienced, creative and detail-oriented civic leader to serve as Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff (Deputy ED/CoS). We are looking for a confident, empathetic, hyper-organized, and proven leader to help scale the organization and facilitate long-term delivery on our mission through effective day-to-day execution.
As Deputy ED/CoS, you will work closely with the Executive Director, Director of Product and “friends and family”— Directors, Advisors, key partners & funders— to take The OGF’s strategic planning, programs, and business processes to the next level. You will lead the development and refinement of success metrics and ensure team-wide execution and organization-wide alignment towards our goals. You will be the Master Translator of The OGF vision, mission, and theory of change into actionable programs, products people love and a contagious spirit that attracts collaborators and changes institutions and perspectives. As we enter our fourth year of improving the cultures, systems and processes of representative government, you will be one of three senior leaders of The OGF and the chief architect of the singular team and business organization required to accomplish our critical mission.
The Deputy ED/CoS role is uniquely positioned and vital to the success of The OGF, and that demands deep trust, complementary talents and interests, and a strong working relationship with the Executive Director. You will be the ED’s Thought Partner-in-Chief, comfortable challenging his or her thinking and assumptions and ensuring timely execution of the organization’s priorities. With you on board, the team will remain aligned and keep delivering against goals even while the ED represents the organization at events, works with partners, and fundraises. For a window on our thinking, we invite you to read this Harvard Business Review article.
Since this role is integral to the growth and future success of The OGF, it is difficult to comprehensively list explicit job responsibilities. That said, your responsibilities will likely include…
If you’ve made it this far, you might have what it takes to thrive as our Deputy ED/CoS. We do not care what you look like, who you love, where you grew up or went to school, how you identify your gender (if at all), or for whom you vote; however, we do care deeply about you. We want you to grow with The OGF, to build new skills and gain life-changing new experiences alongside the richly diverse people and places we are lucky to serve.
Are you kind, inclusive and empathetic? Experienced with success and failure? A proven and proactive organizational leader, team-builder and consummate facilitator? Do you think strategically, anticipate the potential future impact of trends and indicators, and responsively adjust your “plan of record” accordingly? Do you geek out about details, facts, and figures? Humble, self-aware and flexible? Do you love to share the credit when things go well yet feel comfortable assuming responsibility when things do not go as planned? Are you an excellent communicator who can inspire colleagues and collaborators with a compelling vision, make your case convincingly and memorably, while carrying yourself always with confidence and compassion? Is courage your middle name, giving you the strength to take on challenges, take charge as necessary, overcome resistance, speak truth to power and question authority?
If you are aggressively nodding your head with a smile plastered across your face, you may be the Deputy ED/CoS we are seeking. We are thrilled that you found us, and that we found you.
What We Need From You to Move Forward
Please submit the following personal and professional information we need to consider you for our team here:
We hate black holes. So you’re not in the dark, here’s what will happen after you submit your application.
Our Commitment to A Diverse, Inclusive and Equitable Workplace
We are committed to equal employment opportunity. We will never discriminate against team members or those seeking to join our team on any legally recognized basis including— but not limited to— race, religion, color, sex (with or without sexual conduct and including pregnancy and sexual orientation involving transgender status/gender identity, and sex-stereotyping), national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other protected class under federal, state or local law, as well as gender identity, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, gender expression, mental illness, socioeconomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, or clothing.
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. This may include providing reasonable accommodation where appropriate in order for an otherwise qualified individual to perform the essential functions of the job. We invite you to read our full Code of Conduct and team manual on GitHub.
Get to Know The OGF & Where We’ve Been
Over the last four years, we’ve had the chance to support legislative transformation efforts and meaningful engagement at scale all over our great country. As we focus on re-launching The OGF in and around Congress, we wanted to share with you up front both our organizational policies and governing documents— all open on GitHub for maximum transparency, trust and reuse— as well as our current team, Board and Advisors and latest news.
We believe in practicing the openness we preach, and strive to set the highest possible open bar for civic-focused organizations— non-profit and for-profit alike.
We're glad you found us and this opportunity to join The OpenGov Foundation Team! Please make sure to review the entire job posting before beginning your application. We're excited to hear from you.
About The OpenGov Foundation
The OpenGov Foundation (www.opengovfoundation.org) is a fiercely apolitical non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to serving those who serve the people in America’s legislatures. Our mission is to create a 21st Century Congress where elected officials and staff can meaningfully engage at scale with those they represent, and where citizens can see, shape and understand the critical decisions that affect their lives, their families and their businesses.
Founded inside Congress and launched in January 2013, The OGF team and our open-source products have supported governing better— together— in more than 50 communities, states and countries, from the City of Chicago to the United States of America. We possess an unmatched experience in legislative transformation, open source software development, and change management, and accomplish our mission by partnering with legislatures and the communities they represent in order to bridge the real gaps that exist in our democracy.
At The OGF, we believe that when government reflects the views of the people, democracy works. We build the products, services and policy to make that possible.
Our Programs
The three main programs of The OGF are:
- Leading the partnership developing Article One, a product that will connect for the first time the Congressional phone system and the engine of meaningful engagement at scale— each office’s constituent management system. Article One means no busy signals, full voicemail boxes or communications “black holes” for constituents, a more informed and engaged district supporting their Members of Congress, and far less time staff time wasted on the phone;
- Embedding industry-leading user experience experts and process researchers in Congressional offices to measure — quantitatively and qualitatively— the systems, relationships and opportunities that add up to Congress. This first-of-its-kind systems research, user stories and operational data will inform The OGF’s current and future product development efforts, support smarter institutional decision-making and procurement, and radically enhance the efforts of both non-profit and for-profit partners doing business with Congress and legislatures across America;
- Advocating for a Congressional Digital Service (CDS) inside the Federal Legislative Branch, supporting its sustainability and success with a broad coalition of technologists, open government advocates, funders and engaged citizens called the CDS Network.
The OpenGov Foundation is seeking an experienced, creative and detail-oriented civic leader to serve as Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff (Deputy ED/CoS). We are looking for a confident, empathetic, hyper-organized, and proven leader to help scale the organization and facilitate long-term delivery on our mission through effective day-to-day execution.
As Deputy ED/CoS, you will work closely with the Executive Director, Director of Product and “friends and family”— Directors, Advisors, key partners & funders— to take The OGF’s strategic planning, programs, and business processes to the next level. You will lead the development and refinement of success metrics and ensure team-wide execution and organization-wide alignment towards our goals. You will be the Master Translator of The OGF vision, mission, and theory of change into actionable programs, products people love and a contagious spirit that attracts collaborators and changes institutions and perspectives. As we enter our fourth year of improving the cultures, systems and processes of representative government, you will be one of three senior leaders of The OGF and the chief architect of the singular team and business organization required to accomplish our critical mission.
The Deputy ED/CoS role is uniquely positioned and vital to the success of The OGF, and that demands deep trust, complementary talents and interests, and a strong working relationship with the Executive Director. You will be the ED’s Thought Partner-in-Chief, comfortable challenging his or her thinking and assumptions and ensuring timely execution of the organization’s priorities. With you on board, the team will remain aligned and keep delivering against goals even while the ED represents the organization at events, works with partners, and fundraises. For a window on our thinking, we invite you to read this Harvard Business Review article.
Since this role is integral to the growth and future success of The OGF, it is difficult to comprehensively list explicit job responsibilities. That said, your responsibilities will likely include…
- Communicating The OGF’s goals, objectives, strategy, and tactics, and creating feedback loops to assess effectiveness of the organization’s strategic plan on an ongoing basis. You will be the Keeper of Metrics;
- Designing and implementing more efficient, effective and agile internal processes and business operations for The OGF. We strive for maximum shared consciousness and fully empowered execution by everyone, from Board of Directors through to each and every team member;
- Providing day-to-day oversight and delegation of duties to ensure incremental progress on The OGF's strategic, project and fundraising plans;
- Ensuring full alignment and organization-wide accountability, from the Board to the ED to the interns, and that the day-to-day work of The OGF team stays connected to our timelines and goals;
- Through regular operations and financial planning, determining the resources The OGF needs to keep the lights on and organization thriving, then taking the lead on recruiting and retaining the talented, inclusive and ridiculously engaging people needed to execute on our mission.
- Supporting the ED and the Board of Directors in their fundraising efforts and in ensuring the fiscal health of the organization;
- Managing service-provided contracts and contractors at the outset. As the team grows, building and managing teams focused on operations, communications and engagement, the CDS Network, research, and product marketing and sales;
- Building a strong culture that reflects our core values of empathy, true partnership, openness and collaboration with staff, outside contractors, partners and The OGF “friends and family”.
If you’ve made it this far, you might have what it takes to thrive as our Deputy ED/CoS. We do not care what you look like, who you love, where you grew up or went to school, how you identify your gender (if at all), or for whom you vote; however, we do care deeply about you. We want you to grow with The OGF, to build new skills and gain life-changing new experiences alongside the richly diverse people and places we are lucky to serve.
Are you kind, inclusive and empathetic? Experienced with success and failure? A proven and proactive organizational leader, team-builder and consummate facilitator? Do you think strategically, anticipate the potential future impact of trends and indicators, and responsively adjust your “plan of record” accordingly? Do you geek out about details, facts, and figures? Humble, self-aware and flexible? Do you love to share the credit when things go well yet feel comfortable assuming responsibility when things do not go as planned? Are you an excellent communicator who can inspire colleagues and collaborators with a compelling vision, make your case convincingly and memorably, while carrying yourself always with confidence and compassion? Is courage your middle name, giving you the strength to take on challenges, take charge as necessary, overcome resistance, speak truth to power and question authority?
If you are aggressively nodding your head with a smile plastered across your face, you may be the Deputy ED/CoS we are seeking. We are thrilled that you found us, and that we found you.
What We Need From You to Move Forward
Please submit the following personal and professional information we need to consider you for our team here:
- Your name, contact information and online presences (example: Twitter, GitHub, LinkedIn);
- A current CV or resume;
- Three professional references from within the last 5 years (note: we will not contact any of your references without your permission);
- At least two public links to projects, products or major deliverables that you led;
- A short cover letter expressing your interest in the position, detailing your current work situation (i.e. when you could start with The OGF and any details that will help us help you navigate an exit) and any additional personal or professional information you would like us to consider.
We hate black holes. So you’re not in the dark, here’s what will happen after you submit your application.
- You will receive a confirmation that you have successfully submitted your application materials right after you click submit.
- We will review your application materials and get back to you within 5 business days with a request for a brief-ish introductory call (approximately 30 minutes) or an indication that we’re going to go in a different direction.
- After the introductory call, we will probably have followups for each other— questions, additional information, etc. We will do our best to get you answers within 1-3 business days.
- At that point, we will schedule an hour-long in-person meeting and/or Hangout with the ED and Director of Product.
- Should the in-person meeting go well, we will schedule a full team conversation of approximately 30 minutes, while connecting you with a couple of our directors and advisors for short calls of approximately 15-20 minutes.
- If we have open questions following those discussions, or if we remain curious about particular skills and attributes, we may suggest additional follow-up conversations, ask you to demonstrate your skills through an illustrative exercise, or request to speak with your professional references.
- If all goes well, we’ll make you an offer!
Our Commitment to A Diverse, Inclusive and Equitable Workplace
We are committed to equal employment opportunity. We will never discriminate against team members or those seeking to join our team on any legally recognized basis including— but not limited to— race, religion, color, sex (with or without sexual conduct and including pregnancy and sexual orientation involving transgender status/gender identity, and sex-stereotyping), national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other protected class under federal, state or local law, as well as gender identity, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, gender expression, mental illness, socioeconomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, or clothing.
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. This may include providing reasonable accommodation where appropriate in order for an otherwise qualified individual to perform the essential functions of the job. We invite you to read our full Code of Conduct and team manual on GitHub.
Get to Know The OGF & Where We’ve Been
Over the last four years, we’ve had the chance to support legislative transformation efforts and meaningful engagement at scale all over our great country. As we focus on re-launching The OGF in and around Congress, we wanted to share with you up front both our organizational policies and governing documents— all open on GitHub for maximum transparency, trust and reuse— as well as our current team, Board and Advisors and latest news.
- Click here to meet The OGF Team, Board of Directors and Board of Advisors.
- Click here to browse our blog posts and stories about our work.
- Click here to see our projects and code on GitHub.
We believe in practicing the openness we preach, and strive to set the highest possible open bar for civic-focused organizations— non-profit and for-profit alike.
- Click here to for our internal legal, governing and foundational documents;
- Click here for our employee handbook and staff policies;
- Click here for our tax filings (in both PDF and open data formats), as well as our audited financial statements;