KAP 2026-2027 - American Governance Program Manager - Foundation for American Innovation

The Foundation for American Innovation champions the technology, talent, and ideas essential to American prosperity, security, and flourishing. We are builders, hackers, and scholars advancing an optimistic vision of the future—aligning technology with human ends to forge a more perfect union between innovation and the American republic.

To support this mission, FAI is seeking a program manager to join the team. Reporting to the director of American Governance, this person will work with the team’s director and scholars to develop effective policy products, manage relationships with partners, identify new areas of growth, and ensure the team’s smooth running. The program manager will be an essential source of accountability and knowledge on the American Governance team and a driving force behind the team’s success.

This is a full-time position based in Washington, DC.

• Program Ownership: You will work closely with every member of the American Governance team to oversee project development and implementation, facilitate new relationships and strengthen existing ones, and provide general “shot-spotting” for the team’s goals.
• Team Coordination: You will track the team’s progress on multiple projects of varying durations and intensity and ensure clarity and accountability from team members. It will be your responsibility to ensure that the team members carry out their responsibilities and that everything happens when it should.
• Cross-Team Coordination: You will be the team’s main representative to FAI’s other departments, working with Growth to raise money for your team, Operations to facilitate team budgeting and administrative compliance, and External Relations to promote your team’s work and plan events.
• Stakeholder Engagement: You will support external relationships with policymakers, donors, and coalition partners by managing meeting prep, follow-ups, and CRM hygiene.
• Grant and Impact Tracking: You will help ensure that grant deliverables are met on time and assist in measuring and communicating the impact of your team’s work.

You will be a good fit if you are:

• Proactive: You see what should happen next, and you execute. You don’t wait to be told what to do. You can prioritize projects in line with broader goals, scope them tightly, and keep them on schedule. You are comfortable pushing back when proposed work is poorly defined or of low value.
• Collaborative: You know how to situate yourself within a team and are comfortable acting as a conduit between internal and external stakeholders. You are a clear and responsive communicator with strong writing skills. You have a proven record of making others more effective.
• Focused on the Details: You notice opportunities and errors before anyone else and have a constant eye for how things can be improved. You understand the minutiae of your team’s policy priorities, relationships, and deliverables.
• Situationally Aware: You have a working knowledge of Washington, DC, and the policy-making process. You are aware of the main factions and schools of thought in major policy debates. You don’t need to be an expert in your team’s policy issues, but you are eager to learn more and start carefully following the discussion across both DC and the tech industry.
• Excited about FAI’s Mission: You are enthusiastic about FAI’s mission of aligning technology with human ends to forge a more perfect union between innovation and the American republic, and especially about the American Governance team’s role in that mission.
 
To Apply
Please include resume and cover letter detailing how you heard about about this role and why are you interested in this role specifically, as well as salary expectations and when you can start in role, if hired.