Senior Manager, City Experience, What Works Cities (WWC)

Organization: Results for America 

Role: Senior Manager, City Experience, What Works Cities (WWC)

Location: Flexible, within the United States

Organization Overview

Results for America (RFA) is the leading, national nonprofit organization helping policymakers at all levels of government harness the power of evidence and data to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the “new normal,” so that, one day, all government leaders use rigorous evidence and quality data to inform important policy and funding decisions. We believe that data-driven and evidence-based policy decisions should be used to increase the impact of the over $2 trillion that governments spend annually to open opportunities and advance economic mobility. 

Team Overview

At Results for America, one of our flagship local initiatives is What Works Cities (WWC), a Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded initiative that helps city governments across the country improve residents’ lives by using data and evidence effectively to tackle pressing challenges. To accomplish this, we work directly with city leaders and staff through coaching and implementation support, a range of online and in-person learning opportunities, and a growing professional network. This support is guided by What Works Cities Certification, the first-ever international standard of excellence for data-driven, well-managed local government. 

What Works Cities Certification assesses cities based on their data-driven decision-making practices, such as whether they are using data to set goals and track progress, allocate funding, evaluate the effectiveness of programs, and achieve desired outcomes from contracts with outside vendors. The program also measures whether cities are publicly and transparently communicating about their use of data and evidence. By aspiring toward Certification and implementing the best practices outlined in the program’s criteria, cities across the country are more effectively delivering results for residents. What Works Cities Certification also serves as an international recognition program, which celebrates and accelerates the use of data and evidence in local governments by rewarding achievements and providing a clear path to excellence. Since our launch in 2015, we have helped more than 300 cities make progress on their most pressing issues, from health and public safety to homelessness and blight. 

Scale Overview

With the upcoming 10-year anniversary of What Works Cities, the initiative is entering an exciting phase. The initiative will continue to scale throughout North, Central, and South America, adding to the milestone of 100 Certified cities total, while exploring other regional markets. The initiative is designing new and innovative ways for cities to engage and build capacity within the WWC network, from starting their path towards Certification to deeper engagement with Certified cities. The focus will be on how to ensure the What Works Cities Standard and its corresponding Criteria and best practices related to good, well-managed local government are elevated globally, embedded into key institutions, as well as continue to refine its model based on consistent research and evaluation. 

Position Overview

Results for America is seeking a dynamic professional with a passion for improving the performance of city government with strong research, analytical, and interpersonal skills to join the WWC City Experience team. Working with certified cities, the Senior Manager will play a crucial role in guiding a portfolio of cities through the assessment process, evaluating cities’ practices against the What Works Cities Standard and supporting cities’ progress towards achieving Certification. This position will also support the development of WWC content to help cities advance on the Standard of Excellence in consultation with WWC leadership and, where needed, outreach and recruitment efforts (i,e pitching or attending conference) to bring cities into the WWC Initiative and efforts to scale WWC throughout target regions.

Travel up to 30% annually will be required for city visits and/or attendance at external convenings.

This is a full time, exempt position, based in a home office anywhere within the U.S.

Position Reporting Relationship

The Senior Manager, Certified Cities, What Works Cities reports to the Director, Certified Cities, What Works Cities.

Position Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Senior Manager include but are not limited to: 

• Program Implementation and Support (45%)
  • Assessment
    • Manage a portfolio of Certified Cities through the full What Works Cities Certification lifecycle, including onboarding as a Certified City, assessment reviews, and strategic planning toward Recertification and continuous improvement
    • Conduct thorough reviews of Certification assessments for Certified Cities, ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment with the What Works Cities Standard; benchmark local government practices and analyze supporting documentation
    • Lead direct engagement with cities, including briefing calls, customized support, site visit planning, and debrief sessions with city staff and executives to co-create action plans and identify measurable outcomes
    • Collaborate with city staff and executives during site visits to identify data-driven impacts and outcomes, and contribute to public recognition efforts for Certified cities
    • Monitor each city’s progress toward Recertification or leveling up, tailoring support and maintaining strategic oversight of their advancement, while identifying trends and implications across the broader portfolio of cities
    • Contribute to the development of Certification standards and tiers, and lead research and analysis initiatives to enhance the Certification process and framework
  • Technical Assistance 
    • Lead a portfolio of Certified cities through a coaching model designed to support cities to maintain strong and “level up” building data practices on a path towards Recertification 
    • Actively engage and connect a portfolio of cities on WWC resource supports 
    • Provide tailored technical assistance to support sustainability of practice during mayoral transitions
  • Relationship Management 
    • Routinely connect with an assigned portfolio of Certified Cities on status updates 
    • Support a high-quality experience for all cities participating in the Certification program, including proactively engaging with cities and responding in a timely manner to all city inquiries and assessment submissions
      
      
• Research and Impact Program (40%) 
  • In close consultation with the Director, Certified Cities, help design and operationalize the measurement of the Certification program’s impact and the related data-driven outcomes occurring within the portfolio of Certified cities
  • Conduct analysis on Certification data to identify trends and support program improvement and to support impact, story-telling, and / or research, both internally and externally
  • Generate, in consultation with WWC’s Communications team, communication materials related to the Certification program’s impact for key stakeholders, including but not limited to: slide decks, reports, and data visuals  
  • Manage directly impact-related data collection efforts for the Certified Cities Team and respond to internal and external data requests for a variety of uses
  • Support the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the resident outcomes framework
    
    
• Team-wide Contributor (15%)
  • Staff Management & Development
    • Support team-wide training on the Standard
    • Manage the recruitment and supervision of Certified Cities team intern(s)
  • Outreach 
    • Attend conferences to meet with city practitioners and staff to promote the What Works Cities Recertification process
  • Content and Resource Development
    • Support the Curriculum team with content development for the WWC Community Forum geared toward Certified Cities
    • Assist with the development and maintenance of the repository of Leading Examples for all Certified cities, to be made publicly available and shared with governments

Experience, Competencies, and Qualifications 

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications, as well as an alignment with Results for America’s mission and organizational values:

Experience & Qualifications:

• 8 - 10 years of relevant work experience and Bachelors degree
• Substantive experience working with local governments, a knowledge of their structures and constraints, and a commitment to driving innovation and improvements in the effectiveness of local governments
• Significant experience with customer service and relationship-management
• Experience working in the nonprofit/philanthropic sector is a plus
• Tech stack: Salesforce, Tableau, Google Suite, MS Office, Asana, Slack, WhatsApp 
• Demonstrated track record of successful project completion and results from production even in ambiguous environments, taking initiative to solve problems, and cultivating strong, mutually beneficial partnerships 
• A commitment to Results for America’s mission and vision, and
• Respect for Results for America’s organizational values.

Competencies/Skills:

• Required: Strong research, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills;
• Required: Experience with statistical software such as SAS, R, or Python 
• Ability to independently manage multiple projects at one time & achieve goals
• Ability to prioritize and delegate work laterally to direct reports, interns, and/or consultants   
• Strong, versatile presentation, oral, and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across entire org and with group of internal & external stakeholders
• Exhibit a strong work ethic and solid organizational skills, including attention to detail, time management, and multitasking skills 
• Self-starter with the ability to manage a portfolio of cities independently towards clear goals while managing assigned project workflows  
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-team/department initiatives
• An analytical mindset with critical thinking and proactive problem-solving skills, and
• Spanish or Portuguese speaking & writing skills valued.

Salary and Benefits

Results for America offers a compensation package that includes:   

• A competitive base salary commensurate with relevant work experience; and
• A benefits package that includes choice in medical plans; dental/vision coverage; paid time off; a 403b retirement plan with employer contribution.  

The salary range for this position is $95,693 - $114,365.

New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role.   

How to Apply

• To apply for this position, please complete and submit all information in the application/application link. 
• RFA is an equal opportunity employer that values/celebrates diversity and that follows a policy of making all employment decisions and personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, partnership status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses or stalking, military status, veteran status or any other category protected under federal, state or local law.
• Applicants for employment with RFA must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.