About the Opportunity

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. 

Job Summary:

The Governance Lab (GovLab) and its partner project The Burnes Center for Social Change at Northeastern University design and implement practical solutions to society’s hardest challenges. We develop innovative, participatory, and equitable approaches to solving problems using new technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), to upgrade our institutions, strengthen governance, and deepen democracy. 

Our team of passionate changemakers advance:

●Research - Smarter Crowdsourcing: We are pioneering the integration of AI and collective intelligence to design and implement solutions to policy challenges. This initiative builds on 20 years of experience designing, building, and running equitable online engagements with institutional partners.

●Training - InnovateUS: InnovateUS trains public professionals in AI, digital, data, and community engagement skills. We believe that upskilling helps public professionals deliver more effective and equitable policies and services. Building on and renamed from the GovLab Academy, we have been training public professionals since 2012.

●Building - AI for Impact: In the AI for Impact Co-op Program, students work full-time building AI projects with government and civic partners. In this pioneering “product-based learning” program, teams wield AI as a tool for transformative innovation, turning ideas into measurable impacts in collaboration with the communities they are serving and under the expert guidance of seasoned professionals. This program builds on our 20 years of experience building civic technologies with governments, civil society organizations, and communities.

●Conversation and Policy Entrepreneurship - Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI: The GovLab has a long track record of work on governance innovation, especially on policy, tools, methods, and strategies for forging institutions that are more participatory and more effective. To this end, we conduct research, write policy ideas, and run convenings designed to explore the complex relationship among AI, democracy, and governance.

The AI Fellow and Partnerships Manager will play a crucial leadership role in helping these GovLab/Burnes Center initiatives connect and partner with aligned organizations and networks. We are seeking a mid-career emerging leader with experience in and passion for artificial intelligence, governance innovation, the professional public-sector workforce, online learning, and/or civic technology to engage with aligned organizations, lead outreach to relevant networks, and develop outreach and partnership strategies that can help us grow our impact across our AI programming and resources. 

In this role, you will work closely with other Gov Lab/Burnes Center leaders and team members, including those teammates who lead programming, evaluation, state government partnerships, and communications. In this role, you will be a full-time employee of Northeastern University and you will report to Gov Lab/Burnes Center Director Beth Noveck with a dotted line to InnovateUS lead Henri Hammond-Paul.

You will tap into existing networks, make new contacts, and maintain partner relationships based on trust, reciprocity, and mutual understanding, spotting opportunities for collaboration and partnership between GovLab/Burnes Center, its InnovateUS and AI for Impact projects and other organizations. You will also stay up to date on relevant policy developments, new research, relevant announcements, and promising programs at the intersection of the public sector, AI, innovation skills, and government service delivery, to bring fresh perspectives into our work, help inform future programming,  and help ensure that our work is responsive to the needs of the public sector, evidence-based, and equitable.

Qualifications:

• At least 4-5 years of relevant experience in areas such as: service delivery, operations or policy implementation at any level of government; governance innovation; civic technology; or online learning. 
• Experience working in or with government agencies is preferred.
• Excellent relationship management skills, such as those developed through experience in prior business development, sales, or customer service roles. This includes a strong and demonstrated capacity for active listening, empathy, persuasion, and creative problem solving. 
• Demonstrated ability to conceive of, design, and/or implement new initiatives with one or more partner organizations.
• Experience setting up, maintaining, and/or improving relationship and contact management processes within a team or organization.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with public-speaking experience.
• Proficiency with Generative AI.
• Proficiency with productivity and collaboration tools such as Google Workspace, Trello, Slack, and Airtable.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team. Experience managing teams, either directly or indirectly, will benefit you in this role as the GovLab/Burnes Center team grows.

Job Responsibilities:

Outreach & Partnership Development (35%):

• Recommend strategy and tactics for external outreach and partnerships to GovLab/Burnes Center leadership, and implement agreed-to approaches.
• Represent GovLab/Burnes Center interests and provide remarks and presentations related to GovLab/Burnes Center programming through various networks of government innovation professionals, civic technology organizations, “good government” organizations, labor unions and management associations, academic collaboratives, and industry associations, among others. This includes attending in-person events and conferences where you can make new connections across these networks, and supporting GovLab/Burnes Center leadership’s attendance at such events.  
• Spot opportunities to connect GovLab/Burnes Center mission and work to the work, goals, and initiatives being led by other organizations (and vice versa).
• Make the case to potential partners for collaboration.
• Ensure potential partnerships support and align with GovLab/Burnes Center mission, goals, and strategy. 
• Support GovLab/Burnes Center leadership in preparing for and following up on presentations and proposals to current and potential future program funders. 

Partnership Implementation & Relationship Management (35%):

• Serve as a day-to-day point of contact for multiple external partners in nonprofit organizations, networks, labor unions, management associations, “good government” groups, industry, and academia, including by interacting with both senior-level points of contact and your working-level counterparts. 
• Draft and negotiate memorandums of understanding and other agreements with partners, tapping into legal support where necessary. Coordinate internal review of these agreements. 
• Support successful  implementation of partnership initiatives in cooperation with other teammates. This can include direct participation on program and project delivery teams, where your skillset and expertise align with those programs and projects and as your availability allows. 
• Develop outreach emails, presentations, and other collateral, and draft regular updates to engage and inform current and potential partner and funder organizations, to ensure consistent communication cadence with clear data and insights from our online programming for public-sector professionals.

Intelligence Gathering (15%):

• Spot trends and insights related to training, professional development, and other support for public professionals related to AI, data, technology, and innovation skills.
• Track and synthesize federal policy and legislative developments related to the use of AI and technology by the public sector workforce. 
• Keep an eye out for technological developments and industry announcements relevant to our work, particularly as it relates to AI and related tools., and share those developments with the broader GovLab/Burnes Center team. 
• Follow the progress of relevant initiatives led by GovLab/Burnes Center partner organizations, looking out for collaboration opportunities. 

Additional Info:
If this role sounds like it might be a fit for you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the expressed qualifications. 

To express your interest in applying, please email a resume and cover letter to jobs@theburnescenter.org.  Please include in your cover letter examples of partnerships or collaborative initiatives that you have designed, implemented, or otherwise directly supported. 

Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for benefits information.   

To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.

Position Location: Based in Boston, remote work is possible.  Occasional travel, such as for events or conferences. 

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.  

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff.  Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion. 

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other  characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.