Contract: Program Manager, Talent Accelerator
Location: Flexible / Remote (HQ in NYC)
Type: Contract (20-40 hrs/week)
Reports To: Chief Program Officer
Start Date: May 15, 2026
OVERVIEW
Work for America is building the national talent infrastructure local governments need to deliver for their communities. We connect mission-driven people to government roles, modernize how cities hire, and help rebuild pride in public service.
In just 18 months, we’ve grown from a startup into a national organization working with 250+ governments. Now we are scaling a bold national strategy to transform how public service recruits, hires, and inspires talent at scale.
Work for America is seeking an individual Talent Accelerator Program Manager to support our Talent Accelerator program and fill in for the VP of Government Innovation while they are out on parental leave.
Work for America’s Talent Accelerator Workshops are short, practical learning experiences designed to help city HR and hiring teams make real, near-term improvements to their hiring systems. These workshops combine guided instruction, structured working time, and individualized coaching so participants leave with clear, usable outputs they can immediately apply.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Talent Accelerator: Spring 2026 Cycle Wrap-Up
The consulting Program Manager will join during the final weeks of the inaugural Talent Accelerator series. Initially, this person will work closely with the VP of Government Innovation to support a strong close; depending on timing, they may need to step in as the lead if the VP's leave begins before the series concludes.
Support close-out communications with participating cities, ensuring a strong, well-organized end to the cohort experience.
Coordinate with WFA's workshop delivery partner(s) to complete any remaining deliverables and formally close out the vendor engagement.
Collect, organize, and synthesize participant feedback into a clear summary of learnings to inform future iterations.
Coordinate with the WFA Communications team to capture stories, insights, and outcomes from the first cohort for external use.
Support the transition of program participants into an ongoing WFA relationship, including contributing to post-program engagement activities and facilitating follow-up touchpoints as needed.
Talent Accelerator: Fall 2026 Cycle Preparation
Develop and oversee an outreach plan for the second Talent Accelerator cohort, focused on data, with a target launch in fall 2026.
Lead recruitment outreach to prospective city partners, managing the pipeline from initial contact through onboarding.
Update program and recruitment-facing materials — including curriculum components, one-pagers, and pitch materials — to reflect learnings from Series 1 and the data focus of Series 2.
Coordinate with WFA's Civic Match, Communications, and other internal teams to align and execute outreach efforts.
Talent Accelerator Toolkit Development
Develop a toolkit based on the Process Mapping curriculum from the Spring 2026 Talent Accelerator workshop, designed for local government audiences and intended for external distribution.
Determine the appropriate format and scope in coordination with the Chief Program Officer; manage external vendor support for toolkit development if needed.
General Program Support
Operate in a fast-moving, startup environment with evolving priorities and high levels of autonomy.
Support the Chief Program Officer in meetings with government partners and other external stakeholders.
Coordinate across WFA pillars to ensure alignment and integration of Talent Accelerator work with broader organizational priorities.
Contribute to funder reporting and internal documentation of program progress and outcomes.
Depending on capacity and organizational need, there may be opportunity to collaborate with the Chief Program Officer on new programming initiatives.
TIME COMMITMENT
Anticipated time commitment is approximately 20 hours/week from May 15-June 15th, flexing up to approximately 40 hours/week from June 15th-September 15th.
QUALIFICATIONS
Work for America is seeking individual (not firm) applicants with the following experience and capabilities:
Experience managing or supporting cohort-based programs, workshops, or learning experiences
Experience with curriculum development or developing learning materials
Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and follow through on details
Ability to operate independently and step into ownership of a program midstream, exercising sound judgment in ambiguous situations
Comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving environment with shifting priorities
Experience working with external partners or clients (experience with government or public sector partners is a plus)
Strong communication skills, including the ability to manage relationships, coordinate across teams, and represent WFA externally
Ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative inputs (e.g., participant feedback, program learnings) into clear insights and outputs
Experience developing written materials such as reports, toolkits, presentations, or program documentation
Demonstrated interest in public service, civic innovation, or improving government effectiveness
Exposure to process improvement, operations, or data-related practices is a plus
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply here by April 17th, 2026 at 5pm Eastern time. The application requires a resume, relevant work sample, hourly rate, and two short answer questions in lieu of an RFP.
WORK FOR AMERICA’S VALUES
Hope with realism. We lead with ambition and optimism, but we are not naive. Our on-the-ground work keeps us clear-eyed when it comes to the challenges of what’s real and what’s possible.
Care and high standards. We move quickly when it matters, and slow down when it counts. We stay focused on the work in front of us, make space to rest, and hold our work to a high bar for the people and communities that rely on it.
Teamwork with empathy. We operate as one team. No task is too small, and we meet each other with humor and respect that strengthens real partnership.
Build for today and tomorrow. We fix what’s in front of us and design for what comes next, creating solutions that last while making room for new ideas to take root.
Honor public service. We believe in the power and promise of public service, and we honor the people who carry that promise forward every day.
QUESTIONS
WFA does not have the capacity to take informational interviews. For specific questions, email hiring@workforamerica.org.
