Government Works Weekly #62
Jobs, Events, and a Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of
Welcome to your weekly roundup of opportunities, events, and information about how government works—and how government can work better—to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities.
If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing with a friend or colleague that would also benefit.
Back from vacation and back to the regular weekly-ish newsletter format. Scroll all the way through for 21 upcoming events and 152 jobs and opportunities to help government work…
EYES & EARS – reading, podcasts, and other good stuff
ICYMI
Over the holidays, I posted jobs-only and events-only editions of the newsletter, check them out here:
Jump Start Your 2026 Job Search: Final Jobs Roundup of 2025 (31 Dec. 2025) – with 94 jobs and opportunities to help government work
Look Ahead to Events in 2026 (2 Jan. 2026) – with 60+ conferences, events, and webinars already scheduled for the new year
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
As regular readers know, I am not an NYC voter. So I had to resort to merely posting early and often about the Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. What attracted me from his initial campaign launch was his message about how government can be a tool for improving the lives of ordinary people.
So I was happy to see him continue with this theme in his inaugural address:
To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this—no longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.
For too long, we have turned to the private sector for greatness, while accepting mediocrity from those who serve the public. I cannot blame anyone who has come to question the role of government, whose faith in democracy has been eroded by decades of apathy. We will restore that trust by walking a different path—one where government is no longer solely the final recourse for those struggling, one where excellence is no longer the exception.
It is heartening to hear such a progressive message about the means and ends of government power, and I hope this is a frame that other politicians can pick up going forward. Government, when it is working well, should be an instrument for improving people’s lives, not just (and this used to go without saying) destroying your enemies, enriching your family, or handing out favors to your friends.
Some additional coverage of Mamdani that picks up on similar themes includes:
Understanding Mamdani’s Vision: His inauguration speech challenges the left to govern, Pamela Herd and Don Moynihan, Can We Still Govern?, 2 Jan. 2026.
The government that Mamdani envisions is one capable of doing big things. While Trump is transforming the federal government into a personalist vehicle of retribution and profit-taking, Mamdani is making the case that Americans remain capable of using their government to solve their shared problems.
Mamdani’s bold experiment in participatory democracy: NYC’s mayor seems to be trying to achieve what Barack Obama never could: turning his campaign movement into a de facto arm of his government, Gideon Lichfield, Futurepolis, 13 Jan. 2026.
On his second day as mayor he announced that Tascha van Auken, who built his 100,000-strong movement of campaign volunteers, will head a new Office of Mass Engagement designed to draft residents into decision-making and solicit feedback on government services and city programs.
Zohran Mamdani’s strong start: I feared disaster when he won the primary, but so far so good, Matthew Yglesias, Slow Boring, 6 Jan. 2026.
My preferred path forward for American politics would be for politicians who I like to take over the Democratic Party on an explicit program of moderation. But a plausible second-best scenario is one in which self-identified progressive factionalists take over and then become ruthlessly pragmatic because they want power. There are sporadic hints of this in things that Bernie Sanders and A.O.C. say and do, and I think Mamdani has been on this trajectory ever since it became clear that victory was within his grasp.
While this newsletter’s raison d’être is to provide nonpartisan resources to folks from all different political perspectives and geographies that are interested in strengthening the work of government, at a personal level I am a U.S. citizen from the Bernie & A.O.C. social democratic side of things. So I wish Mayor Mamdani the best in turning his poetry into prose.
EVENT HORIZON – webinars, conferences, and other human things
16-25 JANUARY 2026
16 JAN: The Permanent Problem Book Launch Party [Niskanen Center + IFP]
16 JAN: 2025 State of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Report Launch [UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose]
16 JAN: America’s Next 250: A Toolkit To Be Part of What’s Next [National Issues Forums Institute + Stories Change Power]
19 JAN: Stop/Start - Making Public Service Reform Stick in Scotland [Centre for Public Policy]
20 JAN: The Risks That Crony Capitalism Poses to Our Democracy
20 JAN: Report Launch: China’s Development Playbook: A Test for European Democracy Support [European Democracy Hub]
21-23 JAN: Conference on Policy Process Research 2026
21 JAN: Staffing the government: An analysis of Trump’s personnel strategy across his two terms [Brookings]
21 JAN: Prediction Isn’t Intelligence: How Predictive Models Really Work in Government [InnovateUS]
21 JAN: Book Talk: Why Politicians Lie About Trade [Quincy Institute]
21 JAN: Designing Democracy’s Front Door [Vital Voices]
22 JAN: Making Democracy Interesting: Tips from TV, Podcasts, Science Fiction, and Online Creators [Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation]
22 JAN: What Shapes Government Decision-Making? [Centre for Public Policy, University of Glasgow]
22 JAN: Insights into Beneficial Ownership and Economic Crime [Centre International de Criminologie Comparée]
22 JAN: LPL January Democracy Conversation with Shannon Hiller, Executive Director of the Bridging Divides Initiative [Local Policy Lab]
22 JAN: Building the Infrastructure American Data Needs [Data Foundation]
22 JAN: Using Civic Technology to Facilitate Meaningful Engagement [NCDD]
23 JAN: Using Generative AI to Improve Everyday Workflows for Public Professionals [InnovateUS]
23-24 JAN: Political Tech Summit
24 JAN: Rewiring Democracy with Bruce Schneier and Nathan E. Sanders in conversation with Cindy Cohn [Electronic Frontier Foundation]
24-25 JAN: Nuestra América: Emergency Call to Action [Progressive International]
APPLY YOURSELF – jobs, internships, and other ways to get involved
POLICY + PROGRAM
Executive Director, FACT Coalition [D.C. / deadline 27 Feb.]
Director, Committee for the First Amendment [Remote]
Senior Policy Advisor, Care, Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality [Hybrid]
Policy/Senior Policy Analyst, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget [D.C.]
Program Manager, Civic Nation [Remote]
Program Officer, Economy and Society Initiative, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation [Menlo Park, CA]
Congressional Accountability Program Director and National Deputy Director for Program, Battleground Alliance [Remote]
Policy Counsel and Campaigns and Policy Coordinator, UFCW [D.C.]
Policy Counsel / Policy Advisor for Democracy Reform and More, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington [D.C.]
Citizen Engagement Associate and Legislative Manager, Issue One [D.C. / Hybrid]
Policy Manager, Immigration Court Observation Project, The Advocates for Human Rights [deadline 30 Jan.]
Chief Program Officer, NextGen America [Remote]
Housing Program Manager, Center for Public Enterprise [Remote]
US Policy Manager, Global Shield [deadline 15 Feb.]
Multiple Positions, Democracy Forward [D.C.]
Program Associate, Voting Rights and Elections Program, Brennan Center for Justice [NY]
Policy Researcher, AI Futures Project [D.C. or Berkeley, CA]
Associate Program Director, Code for America [Remote]
Political Associate, Indivisible [Remote]
Policy Analyst, Searchlight Institute [D.C.]
Policy Director, Humans in Control [Remote]
Multiple Positions, Public Citizen [D.C.]
Campaign Advisor, New Politics [Remote]
Congressional Relations Specialist and Research Assistant (Domestic Social Policy) and Analyst in Emergency Management, Congressional Research Service [D.C.]
STATE + LOCAL
Managing Director, Government Affairs, National Association of Counties [D.C.]
State Engagement Senior Policy Counsel, Center for Democracy & Technology [Remote / deadline 23 Jan.]
Associate, Tribal Funding, Children’s Funding Project [Remote]
Director, State Advocacy, International Rescue Committee [Remote]
Voting Rights Associate Director, Wisconsin Conservation Voters [preferred deadline 31 Jan.]
Municipal Policy Campaigns Manager, Welcoming Neighbors Network [Remote]
Campaign Director, Housing California [Remote]
National Deputy Director for Districts, Battleground Alliance [Remote]
Communications Director, ACLU of Montana [deadline 1 Feb.]
Civic Engagement Director, Pennsylvania Voice [Remote PA]
Project Director, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative, Pew Charitable Trusts [Philly]
Policy Manager, ARLA – Accelerate Resilience L.A. [Remote / L.A.]
Director, California Gubernatorial Transition Project, Partnership for Public Service [Remote CA]
Policy and Operations Associate, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators [Hybrid D.C. / deadline 30 Jan.]
Multiple Attorney Positions, Earthjustice [AK, TX, MT, LA, and many other states]
Legislative Fiscal Analyst, Maine Legislature’s Office of Fiscal and Program Review [deadline 23 Jan.]
Texas Political Editor and More, Courier [Austin / Remote]
COMMS + OPS
Chief Development Officer and More, Public Rights Project [Flexible location]
Managing Director of Partnerships & Organizing, Civic Nation [Remote]
Senior Vice President, Partnerships & Engagement, Coleridge Initiative [Remote]
Senior Director of Philanthropy, American Promise [Remote]
Director, Engagement and Coalitions and Director of Special Projects, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget [D.C.]
Executive Assistant, Civilla [Detroit]
Special Assistant to the CEO and Director, Finance, Future Caucus [Hybrid / D.C.]
Executive Assistant to the President and Digital Strategist, Brennan Center for Justice [NY]
Chief of Staff and Director of Major Gifts, Fairvote [Silver Spring, MD]
Operations Assistant (Part-Time), Transparentem [Remote]
Senior Administrative Associate, Reproductive Rights, State Innovation Exchange [priority deadline 23 Jan.]
Press Secretary, Searchlight Institute [D.C.]
Strategic Communications Manager, Center for the Study of Social Policy [Remote]
Communications Assistant, National Council on Teacher Quality [Remote]
Senior Associate, Strategic Communications, Rights and Resources Initiative [D.C.]
Managing Director of Narrative & Communications, The Solutions Project [Remote]
Digital Content Producer Desk, NextGen America [Philly / Remote]
Digital Communications Associate, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees [D.C.]
Digital and Social Media Manager and Administrative Assistant, Executive Office, Center for Global Development [D.C.]
Digital Strategies Manager, National Women’s Law Center [D.C.]
Digital Content Specialist, MADRE [deadline 6 Feb.]
Social Media Manager, More Perfect Union [Remote]
Rapid Response Writer, Freedom Forum [Remote]
Senior Reporter, OpenSecrets [Remote]
Local Reporting Network Fellow, ProPublica [deadline 5 Feb.]
Weekend Journalist, Democracy Docket [Remote]
ACADEMIA
Chief Operating Officer (Deputy Director), Bridging Divides Initiative [Princeton University]
Managing Director, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society [Harvard University]
Associate Dean, Admissions & Student Affairs, School of Government & Policy [Johns Hopkins University]
Research Director, Inclusive Economy Lab [University of Chicago]
Director, Policy-Aligned Research Agenda Building Lab, Wheelock Educational Policy Center [Boston University]
Project Manager, Reimagining the Economy, Kennedy School of Government [Harvard University]
Sr. Director for Academic Relations, Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence [Johns Hopkins University]
Project Policy Analyst, Behind Bars Data Project [UCLA / deadline 21 Jan.]
Postdoctoral Fellow, Poverty and Inequality Research Lab [Johns Hopkins University]
Assistant/Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration [University of North Carolina at Charlotte]
Deputy Director of Technology Law and Policy, The Policing Project [New York University School of Law]
TECH + DATA + DESIGN
Program Manager, Artificial Intelligence, Foundation for American Innovation [D.C.]
Policy Analyst / Senior Policy Analyst / Policy Director, Secure AI Project [deadline 18 Jan.]
AI Governance Senior Associate / Program Officer, Effective Institutions Project [D.C., London, or San Francisco preferred]
Analyst / Senior Analyst, AI Strategy Team, Rethink Priorities [Remote]
Chief Technology Officer and Staff DevOps Engineer, Code for America [Remote]
Multiple Positions, Blue Rose Research [Remote]
Senior Data Scientist, Coleridge Initiative [Remote]
Program Data Director, Community Change [Remote]
IT Contract & Procurement Specialist and Head of Talent and People Services, Office of Data and Innovation [State of California]
Manager, Open Data and Analytics, Office of Urban Analytics and Innovation [City of Cleveland / deadline 26 Jan.]
Data Strategist, City of Seattle [deadline 27 Jan.]
Data Scientist, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [deadline 5 Feb.]
Senior Data Scientist, Movement Labs [Remote]
Technology Policy Strategist, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice [NY]
Supervisory Digital Projects Coordinator, Congressional Research Service [D.C. / deadline 22 Jan.]
Contract Communications Specialist and More, GovTech Barbados [Bridgetown]
RunningMate Partnerships & Programs Director and More, Civitech [Austin or Remote]
Senior Contract Roles (Product and UX), Pennsylvania’s Health and Human Services IT Delivery Center [deadline 16 Jan.]
INTERNATIONAL
Vice President and Director, Global and Emerging Risks Research Division, RAND [Multiple locations]
Executive Vice President (EVP), Global Programs, Evidence Action [Remote]
Executive Director, Global Financial Integrity [D.C.]
Senior Program Manager, Bloomberg Ocean Fund [Multiple locations / deadline 16 Feb.]
Validation Advisor, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative [Oslo / deadline 25 Jan.]
Human Rights Policy Advisor, Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations [New York / deadline 19 Jan.]
Production Officer, Common Wealth [London or Glasgow]
Director, UK & Ireland Policy & Advocacy and Policy & Advocacy Leads, Nordics, Global Citizen [Remote]
Community Manager, People Powered [Remote]
EU Senior Policy Advisor, The Sentry [Remote / Brussels]
Communications Officer, Europe, Open Society Foundations [London / deadline 25 Jan.]
Officer, Digital Strategy, Open Society Foundations [CDMX or Rio / deadline 27 Jan.]
Digital Campaigns Consultant, Future Advocacy [Berlin, London, or Brussels / deadline 25 Jan.]
Communications Manager, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum [Brussels / deadline 19 Jan.]
INTERNSHIPS + FELLOWSHIPS
Graduate Fellow, Winter/Spring 2026, Data Foundation [deadline 31 Jan.]
2026 Summer Fellowship, Coding It Forward [deadline 19 Jan.]
Finance and Grants Assistant (Traineeship), European Partnership for Democracy [Brussels / deadline 23 Jan.]
Fellowship, New America [deadline 2 Feb.]
Systems and Data Intern, People Powered [Remote]
Service Innovation Fellow, Responsive Cities Network (2-Year Fellowship), Responsive Cities Network [Philadelphia, San Jose, and Boulder / deadline 6 Feb.]
News Reporting Intern and Research Intern, OpenSecrets [deadline 15 Mar.]
Public Policy Fellow, Center for Community Solutions [Ohio]
Summer 2026 Policy Counsel Intern and Summer 2026 Legal Intern, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington [D.C.]
2026 Legal, Policy, Research, or Technologist Summer Internship, Center for Democracy & Technology [D.C. / deadline 1 Feb.]
AI Policy Fellowship 2026, Institute for AI Policy and Strategy [deadline 2 Feb.]
2026 Cohort, African Atomic Policy Lab [deadline 20 Jan.]
Summer 2026 Free Expression & Civic Engagement Research Intern, Knight Foundation [Miami]
Belonging Innovation Lab (BIL) Narrative Fellowship, Center for Inclusion and Belonging [deadline 8 Feb.]
Research Fellow, Public Philosophy, Aspen Institute [two positions]
Summer 2026 Income Security Intern (Law Student) and Spring 2026 Legal Intern for Nominations & Democracy and Summer 2026 Legal Intern for Nominations & Democracy, National Women’s Law Center [D.C.]
Multiple Internships, Library of Congress [Onsite + Remote]
Intern (Summer 2026), Effective Institutions Project [deadline 25 Jan.]
CONSULTANCIES + OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Assignment-based Arabic translation & editing services, Corrupt Money Flows, Transparency International [deadline 18 Jan.]
Development of a Methodology to Enhance Enforcement of Whistleblowing Laws by National Authorities in the EU, Transparency International [deadline 20 Jan.]
Building Evidence RFP and Strengthening Evidence RFP, Arnold Ventures [deadline 6 Mar.]
Call for Collaboration: Research Opportunity in Policy & Service Design, Public Policy Lab [info session 22 Jan.]
And lots more jobs and opportunities in the most recent newsletters:
Jump Start Your 2026 Job Search: Final Jobs Roundup of 2025 (31 Dec. 2025)
Government Works Weekly #61 (17 Dec. 2025)