Emerging Technology & AI, Governance & Enablement Lead

Code for America

21h•$128,945 - $157,850•Remote

About The Position

Code for America is looking for a talented Emerging Technology & AI Governance & Enablement Lead who will shape how our staff engages with emerging AI tools by building the infrastructure, fluency, and trust that allows people say "yes" safely. As AI becomes more embedded in how organizations work, this role will ensure that Code for America does so in a manner aligned to organizational values and workforce obligations. This work will directly reduce risk, improve staff capacity, and enable programs to deliver greater impact. About the role: The Emerging Technology & AI Governance & Enablement Lead is responsible for helping Code for America adopt emerging AI technologies responsibly. A core part of this role is authoring and stewarding the organization's AI Acceptable Use Policy and giving teams the confidence to experiment with emerging technologies while maintaining high standards of responsibility. This person sits at the intersection of IT, Security, Strategic Operations, and People Operations — translating complex, fast-moving AI capabilities into practical tools, policies, and programs that staff across all disciplines can understand and use. This role works in close partnership with our Security Engineering IT, and People Operations functions — including on policy matters that govern employee conduct and the organization’s obligations to its workforce. The Emerging Technology & AI Governance & Enablement Lead is a builder and a connector: part policy author, part trainer, and part internal consultant, and will be a foundational hire as the organization builds out its broader technology infrastructure. This role will report to the VP of Engineering and is expected to travel no more than 5% of the time. Code for America is based in California and can employ those who reside full-time within the United States. This is a remote position.

Requirements

5–8+ years of experience in a role spanning IT, compliance, security, learning & development, or organizational change — ideally with exposure to more than one of these areas
Demonstrated experience drafting, publishing, and managing the lifecycle of acceptable use, technology, or information security policies — including socializing policy with non-technical audiences and driving organization-wide adoption
Demonstrated experience with AI tools (e.g., large language models, AI-assisted productivity tools) and a strong understanding of emerging best practices in AI governance, data privacy, and acceptable use
Familiarity with the intersection of technology policy and employment practices, including acceptable use, and workforce implications of AI tool deployment.
Experience with security audits and compliance evidence gathering
Strong written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated experience developing and communicating technology governance frameworks to non-technical audiences
Experience designing and facilitating training, workshops, or enablement programs at an organizational scale
Ability to assess and screen vendors/contractors for security and compliance risk
Proven ability to work cross-functionally, build relationships across disciplines, and move work forward without formal authority
Experience with change management principles and practice — including stakeholder communication, adoption strategies, and managing transitions
Comfort operating in ambiguity — experience with and comfort in building something from the ground up
Tenacity and adaptability; able to navigate relationships and technical challenges and unblock themselves and their team
A deep commitment to Code for America's mission of making government services work well for the people who need them most

Nice To Haves

Experience in nonprofit, civic tech, or government-adjacent organizations
Familiarity with security concepts (e.g., data classification, third-party risk, SOC 2 or similar frameworks) sufficient to collaborate substantively with Security Engineering
Experience building or managing a champions/ambassador network or community of practice
Background in instructional design or adult learning principles
Familiarity with IT service management or help desk contexts
Experience supporting or reporting to executive leadership on technology strategy

Responsibilities

Own the full lifecycle of Code for America's AI Acceptable Use Policy: drafting foundational policy from the ground up, socializing it across the organization, driving adoption, and revising it on an ongoing basis as tools, risks, and best practices evolve
Advise on the employee-facing implications of AI tool deployment, including acceptable use boundaries, monitoring practices, and policy provisions that intersect with employment law and workforce relations — working in close coordination with People Operations and Legal.
Write governance frameworks and policy documents in accessible, plain-language formats — ensuring that staff at all levels and across all disciplines can understand and act on guidance, not just compliance and IT teams
Serve as an internal consultant to teams in the early stages of exploring, piloting, or refining AI-assisted workflows — guiding experimentation with a "yes, and here's how to do it safely" orientation
Document and share learnings from team-level pilots to build organizational knowledge and surface replicable patterns
Act as a liaison between IT/security and non-technical program and operations teams, translating between contexts and representing staff needs when governance or tooling decisions are being made
Partner with People Operations and Legal on the development and ongoing review of AI-related employment policies, including policies that govern employee conduct, monitoring, and use of AI tools in the workplace — ensuring governance frameworks are informed by and aligned to employee relations considerations.
Lead change management for AI-related transitions — helping staff understand not just what is changing, but why, and what it means for their work
Partner closely with Security Engineering to ensure AI governance and enablement work is integrated with the organization's broader security posture
Collaborate with compliance stakeholders and legal/People Operations as needed to assess AI tool risk, data privacy implications, and organizational policy alignment— including implications for employee relations and workforce obligations.
Monitor the evolving AI governance and security landscape and proactively recommend policy and control updates as new tools, risks, or regulations emerge
Maintain the vendor inventory, conduct lightweight third-party security reviews on new tools, and escalate higher-risk reviews to the Security Engineering team
Coordinate security awareness programming, including staff training and onboarding modules
Design, launch, and continuously improve a suite of AI enablement resources: training sessions, onboarding guides, office hours, self-serve resource hubs, and practical playbooks
Facilitate workshops and learning sessions for staff across all levels and disciplines, explaining technical concepts in accessible, jargon-free ways
Build and steward an internal AI Champions network — recruiting, supporting, and coordinating peer advocates across departments to drive adoption and share learnings
Develop onboarding materials for new staff and role-specific enablement resources for teams with specialized AI use cases
Other duties as assigned

Benefits

Laptop provided
A one-time $700 payment for remote environment setup; $200 stipend (in first paycheck) and up to $500 reimbursement, in accordance with our equipment policy
Cell phone and/or internet reimbursement of $50 per month
$500 annual (per calendar year) stipend towards professional development; prorated at time of hire
Up to $500 of professional development funds can be rolled over each year, up to a maximum of $1000
Training / guidance for staff required to utilize AI as part of their role, plus opportunities for employees to gain AI-related skills to support job and career growth
100% employer match on the first 3% of contributions to 401k
Additional 50% match on contributions between 3% and 5% for employees with 3+ years of service (max employer contribution of 5%)
At least one no cost health insurance option for full-time employees for employee-only coverage
A minimum of 80% of the cost of dependent coverage for health insurance
Open personal time off (subject to manager approval)
A minimum of 14 paid holidays
Org-wide closure from Christmas Day through New Year's Day
Paid sick time; up to 96 hours annually
17 weeks of paid parental and family leave
3 weeks of paid sabbatical after 5 years of service