[Hiring] Chief Technology & AI Officer @U.S. Digital Response

Role Description

USDR is seeking a Chief Technology & AI Officer to own the strategic vision and technical leadership for how USDR approaches digital transformation and AI — working in close partnership with our program leaders, who own execution in their respective domains. This is a doer role on our executive team, not an advisory role. The right person relieves capacity across the organization by owning hard problems end to end — getting genuinely hands-on with programs and the org rather than weighing in from the sidelines.

• Provide product and technical leadership across USDR’s programs to help governments deliver (30%)
• Lead go-to-market strategy for USDR’s shared tooling, partnering with product managers across the organization to grow our reach and deepen our impact with government partners.
• Shape how we expand and evolve our offerings, including USDR’s Elections Administration Platform and AI tooling.
• Bring technical and product judgment to how we position, package, and scale what we build so that it reaches and serves the government partners who need it in a sustainable way.
• Strengthen org-wide service delivery and impact measurement, partner on efforts like how we measure our impact so we can demonstrate the value of what we deliver.
• Serve as an effective bridge between technical and non-technical worlds, representing technology in plain terms.

• Leading responsible AI integration and impact with government partners (30%)
• Define how USDR adopts and deploys AI responsibly, both inside our own operations and in the tools and prototypes we build for and with government, to determine where USDR can have the greatest impact.
• Contingent on funding: develop, hire, and lead USDR’s new partner-facing AI team, an effort you will begin early to test hypotheses.
• Put in place the AI-related policies, tooling, and guardrails that let us move quickly while staying credible and trustworthy as a partner to our partners.
• Build USDR’s internal AI fluency - developing the policies, tooling, and overall learning culture for adopting and integrating new technology responsibly.
• Partner with our Volunteers Team and programs to determine what opportunities AI presents for recruiting and engaging volunteers on technical engagements.

• Setting USDR’s long-term technology infrastructure direction (20%)
• Lead strategic decision making on technology policy, principles, and operations to deliver reliable, secure, and sustainable infrastructure.
• Manage and partner with our Tools & Ops Lead to guide how we deliver, driving internal adoption of tools that streamline how we work across the organization.
• Partner with Volunteers Team and programs to set the platform and infrastructure approach that we need to support our partners.
• Build org-wide technical fluency through documentation, training, and clear standards, so teams can make sound day-to-day technology decisions on their own.

• Owning and delivering on org-wide priorities as part of an Executive Team of doers, not advisors (20%)
• Lead and enable teams across the organization to deliver for our government partners by helping set the strategic direction of USDR and guide how that strategy is implemented.
• Shape USDR’s long-term strategic direction around platforms and infrastructure, helping the organization assess emerging technologies, decide what to build, what to maintain, and where to invest for durable impact.
• Play a key role in managing organizational change initiatives, ensuring they are implemented smoothly, with clear change management that builds alignment and trust with our incredible team.
• Participate in fundraising and development conversations to provide technical credibility and a clear articulation of your take on USDR’s unique value.
• Travel 1-2x/quarter for internal meetings and in support of fundraising.

Qualifications

• You believe that governments can deliver for communities big and small.
• You believe in our vision of a future where communities trust governments to deliver, and you can build trust and credibility with public sector partners across the political spectrum.
• You've built, shipped, and brought technology to market.
• You've led engineering, product, or digital service teams directly - not just advised - and you've led go-to-market for products, ideally with governments as the customer.
• You’ve built and led multidisciplinary teams.
• You’ve led responsible AI adoption.
• You set standards and build capability.
• You bridge technical and non-technical worlds.
• You effortlessly role model the values in our USDR Community Oath.

Requirements

• Or any combination of education, experience, and measurable performance that demonstrates the capability to perform the duties of the position.

Benefits

• A competitive salary, consistent with similar roles in other tech non-profits in major U.S. metropolitan cities. The annual salary range for this role is $250,000 - $277,500, depending on experience and expertise.
• Full health, dental and vision benefits (USDR pays 100% of the cost for our employees and 80% of the cost for their dependents on most plans).
• 401K with a matching contribution of $1 for each dollar you contribute up to 3% of your salary, and $.50 for each dollar you contribute on 3-5% of your salary.
• Full paid parental leave for up to 4 months for new parents regardless of gender, caregiver status, or family structure.
• An equipment reimbursement for the purchase of a computer and peripheral devices of up to $2,000, along with a Work from Home allowance of $100 each month.
• A discretionary budget of $400 per year per employee for work-related learning and development.
• A supportive community where everyone can thrive and find a balance between working hard to make a difference and taking care of themselves.

Company Description

U.S. Digital Response (USDR) works alongside state, local, and tribal governments to modernize how they deliver digital services and better meet the public's needs. We envision a future where communities trust governments to deliver.