Director Public Benefit Innovation Fund

Position description

The Center for Civic Futures (CCF) provides trusted spaces for government leaders to learn, test, and act. Through pilots, partnerships, and shared insight, we help decision-makers move ideas from exploration to evidence, and evidence into practice.

Duties

The Center for Civic Futures (CCF) seeks a dynamic and entrepreneurial Director of the Public Benefit Innovation Fund (PBIF) to lead the strategy, execution, and continuous learning of this flagship initiative. The Director will build and steward an ecosystem that connects government innovators, civic technologists, and philanthropic partners to advance modernization across public benefits delivery systems.

This role will identify opportunities and problem statements where innovation can meaningfully improve outcomes for families and communities, serving as a matchmaker and linchpin between government agencies seeking collaboration and the civic tech ecosystem eager to contribute. The Director will oversee the full lifecycle of the Fund, ensuring that PBIF delivers measurable impact, shared learning, and ongoing improvement across the field. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in public sector innovation, grant or program management, and ecosystem building. They thrive in collaborative, cross-sector environments and are skilled at balancing systems-level vision with hands-on implementation.

CCF is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that aligns government leaders and partners to minimize the potential risks associated with Al while maximizing the transformative opportunities it presents. We equip government leaders with the tools, knowledge, and expertise they need to make thoughtful decisions about where and how to deploy AI and other emerging technologies to address their most pressing service delivery challenges.

Digital Harbor Foundation is dedicated to fostering learning, creativity, productivity, and community through education with a vision of digital equity for everyone. Driven by our sincere belief that access to opportunity is a basic right, we take bold yet practical actions to support making a better future now. Through a portfolio of projects focused on developing leadership within communities, we support those closest to challenges to take deliberate actions based in design thinking approach, backed by data analysis, grounded in a practice of collective impact, and driven by a commitment to racial equity.

Role and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the strategy, design, and ongoing development of the Public Benefit Innovation Fund.
• Identify opportunities and problem statements for innovation in partnership with government, civic tech, and philanthropic collaborators.
• Shape learning agendas and strategic priorities that strengthen the broader field of public benefits modernization.
• Partner with the Senior Director of HHS Partnerships to ensure the Fund aligns with CCF’s mission and portfolio

Program Management & Impact

• Manage all Fund operations, including open calls, proposal review, grantee selection, and investment oversight.
• Oversee budget management for the Fund, ensuring responsible and transparent use of resources.
• Lead performance management for grantees, ensuring timely reporting, learning capture, and continuous improvement.
• Design and maintain systems for measuring impact across both individual projects and the collective ecosystem.
• Direct and manage technical assistance programming, engaging CCF fellows, senior advisors, and partner organizations to deliver high-quality support.
• Ensure operational excellence, transparency, and accountability in all Fund activities.

Partnerships, Ecosystem & Philanthropy Engagement

• Build and sustain relationships with HHS agencies, civic tech organizations, philanthropic funders, and ecosystem partners.
• Serve as a bridge and matchmaker between government and civic tech collaborators, fostering alignment and mutual value.
• Support fundraising and sustainability efforts for the Fund by cultivating relationships with funders, identifying new investment opportunities, and helping shape funding proposals and calls for collaboration.
• Engage national thought leaders and thought partners across the civic tech and public benefits fields, sharing learnings and uncovering new collaboration opportunities.
• Represent CCF and the Fund publicly at conferences, events, and convenings, amplifying its visibility and reach.

Cross-Program Collaboration

• Work closely with other CCF programs and initiatives to identify opportunities for shared learning, joint research, and co-developed tools.
• Facilitate internal knowledge exchange to ensure CCF’s collective insights are integrated and leveraged across projects.
• Serve as a connector, ensuring alignment and mutual reinforcement among CCF’s broader portfolio of work.

Team & Culture

• Supervise and mentor a coordinator-level team member supporting Fund operations.
• Foster a collaborative, mission-driven team culture grounded in learning, curiosity, and accountability.
• Model CCF’s values of collaboration, connection and authenticity in all internal and external interactions.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time or new ones may be assigned, with or without notice.

Qualifications

Education and Experience Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in public sector innovation, grantmaking, philanthropy, or civic technology.
• Demonstrated success managing innovation funds, accelerator programs, or complex multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Proven experience in budget management, including forecasting, monitoring, and reporting.
• Experience supervising and mentoring staff, consultants, or fellows.
• Experience designing and leading technical assistance programs that leverage diverse expertise and partnerships.
• Deep understanding of public benefits systems (e.g., SNAP, TANF, Medicaid) and the ecosystem of civic tech and policy organizations that support them.
• Proven ability to engage philanthropic funders and sustain program funding.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and relationship management skills.
• Strong project management and organizational abilities, with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Collaborative, adaptive team player who thrives in dynamic, mission-driven environments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ecosystem Builder & Connector – Builds and nurtures a vibrant network of government partners, civic technologists, funders, and thought leaders. Identifies shared challenges and creates opportunities for collaboration that generate practical, scalable solutions.
• Strategic Program Architect – Designs and manages all aspects of the Fund, from open calls to performance management. Translates insights from the field into strategies that drive collective impact and sustained innovation.
• Matchmaker & Facilitator – Acts as the connecting point between government agencies and civic tech partners, aligning needs with capabilities and ensuring all collaborators have the context, support, and tools to succeed.
• Performance & Impact Manager – Implements systems to track and assess progress across grantees and the broader Fund portfolio. Measures both individual project outcomes and collective ecosystem impact, using data and feedback to inform ongoing improvement.
• Technical Assistance Strategist – Designs and manages the Fund’s technical assistance programming, engaging a diverse network of CCF fellows, senior advisors, and partners to support grantees. Ensures assistance is relevant, coordinated, and tailored to each project’s context and needs.
• Adaptive Innovator – Thrives in an evolving environment, balancing long-term strategy with agility to seize emerging opportunities in technology, policy, and service delivery.

Application instructions

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