Director of the Future of Government Talent Program

Position Summary:

Are you a future-focused leader eager to reimagine the talent structures of the federal government If so Democracy Forward Foundation (Democracy Forward) is hiring a Director of the Future of Government Talent Program to join our team.

The next era of effective government depends on the teams behind ithow theyre structured how they work and whos on them.

Democracy Forward is launching a bold multi-year initiative to reinvent how the federal government organizes and deploys its talentand were seeking a visionary and operationally grounded Director of the Future of Government Talent Program to lead this work.

This is a chance to lead a systems transformation effort that will design the teams skills and staffing models our federal government needs to delivernow and in the decades ahead. By building modern talent and team structures across government functions this initiative will help ensure the government is ready with the people and capacity to deliver results when it is ready to build and hire.

This position is full-time. Democracy Forwards office is located in Washington DC. While this position offers flexibility to work remotely it requires regular in-office presence eight (8) times per month (averaging 2 times per week) to effectively support the nature of the role. Remote candidates within the United States will also be considered. If a candidate is outside of the DC area travel to DC is expected 1-2 times per quarter.

The Director of the Future of Government Talent Program will report to the Director of Democracy Works 250 and work closely with staff and fellows on the Civil Service Strong team.

Our North Star:

Democracy Works 250 is designing the teamsand finding the peoplethat will power a modern federal government.

This initiative will create the talent models and actually find the people needed to equip government with agile and interdisciplinary teams that can deliver on the policies and programs Americans expect. By transforming how government organizes its people we aim to transform how government shows up for the people it serves.

Key Responsibilities:

Below are the key areas of responsibility for this role. The specifics of each responsibility may vary based on the needs of the organization and department.

Design Interdisciplinary Future-Ready Government Teams:

• Lead a team of fellows to redesign process across key federal functions (e.g. HR procurement regulation customer experience technology AI public engagement).
• Build and manage a small internal team of HR and technical experts supporting cross-functional design and research.
• Support organizational leadership in cultivating a culture of accountability inclusivity and excellence including through providing real-time support and skills-development for your team.
• Convene and collaborate with external domain experts (AI regulatory HR tech etc.) to co-design staffing models that reflect how modern delivery actually works.
• Ensure new team models are agile tech-enabled interdisciplinary and built to solve real problems not replicate outdated org charts.

Build a National Strategy to Source and Prepare Talent:

• Develop and implement a strategy to identify and recruit mission-ready talent from federal alumni and state/local leaders to private-sector innovators and community-rooted practitioners.
• Define the skills values and lived experience needed for 21st-century public service and shape the strategies that bring those people in.

Oversee Development of a Civic Talent Platform & Training Curriculum:

• Lead the development or procurement of a digital platform to match individuals with redesigned teams and government missions.
• Lead partnership development with organizations to provide training on key cross-cutting skills for future talent.

Co-Design with Communities and Institutions:

• Build and manage partnerships with academic institutions public interest orgs workforce programs and civic tech networks.
• Lead co-design sessions with partners across the ecosystembringing in the lived expertise of those who know what functional teams must look like (e.g. regulators procurement specialists technologists).

Bridge Strategy Across Projects:

• Align the talent initiative with the other projects in Democracy Works 250: federal oral history project personnel policy and agency redesigning efforts.
• Collaborate with legal research and communications partners to test refine and package talent transformation and recruitment efforts.
• Contribute to and collaborate across other DW250 projects.

Who You Are:

A Builder with Bold Imagination:

• You design what doesnt yet exist and know how to lead a team and partnerships to get there.

Fluent in Talentfrom Government and Beyond:

• You understand the complexity of public sector hiring and the dynamism of modern private-sector team structures and you can translate across both worlds.

A Strategic Recruiter and Workforce Planner:

• You know how to define the teams a mission requires find the people to staff them and remove the barriers that keep good people out of government.

Collaborative and Equity-Driven:

• You bring humility inclusion and shared ownership to every partnership. You believe better government starts with better peopleand better systems to support them.

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team we encourage you to apply.

• 10 years of experience in workforce development organizational design talent strategy or public sector innovation.
• Experience managing small high-capacity teams in cross-functional and collaborative environments.
• Deep understanding of both federal hiring systems and modern mission-aligned talent models.
• Demonstrated ability to build distributed strategies and work across technical policy and community-based teams.
• Excellent project management facilitation and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Well-developed collaborative and interpersonal skills including demonstrated self-awareness commitment to diversity and inclusivity and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This role will require occasional travel for team retreats conferences and partner convenings.
• This role may involve sitting for extended periods and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed.

The salary range for this position is $150000 - $170000 plus excellent benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Democracy Forward Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; LGBTQIA people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia.

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work returning to work after a gap in employment or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar. Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying.

Democracy Forward is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application interview or otherwise participate in the hiring process please direct your inquiries to or .