Associate, Procurement Innovation

Associate, Procurement Innovation
Location: Flexible within the U.S. but requires access to a major U.S. airport for travel.    
Position Type: Full-time   

About Us 

Partners for Public Good is a nonpartisan team of doers who work alongside state and local governments to strengthen the operational systems—procurement, staffing, budgeting, and technology—that determine whether policy turns into results for residents. We go in alongside government staff through implementation, not just as advisors who deliver recommendations and leave, but as practitioners who stay until something has actually changed. Through our implementation work, applied research, and the Procurement Excellence Network—a practitioner community of more than 3,000 government professionals—we translate what we learn from individual governments into knowledge and tools that travel across jurisdictions. When government works, communities thrive.

Role & Organizational Impact 

Reporting to an Assistant Director, PPG is seeking an Associate to support a new initiative helping two large city governments pilot and surface cutting-edge solutions that unlock new possibilities in how governments spend and procure goods and services. PPG is expanding our government transformation efforts into procurement innovation, working with cities to increase vendor competition, strategically apply AI in back-office operations, strengthen interdepartmental coordination, and creatively engage residents.

The Associate will utilize foundational knowledge and experience in government procurement or public-sector innovation to engage two city governments in testing and advancing innovative procurement practices, project managing these ambitious efforts, developing cross-jurisdictional policy analysis and designing right-sized, scalable solutions that can be promoted across PPG. The Associate will provide one-to-one and group coaching to several city governments piloting innovative procurement projects, while supporting implementation of the overall procurement innovation cohort.  

At PPG, Associates drive the day-to-day delivery of programmatic projects, working closely with Project Leaders and Assistant Directors to turn strategy into action. This can include multiple and fractional projects across teams. They facilitate meetings with government partners, design and produce project materials, deliver trainings and coaching, and draft key deliverables and reports. Associates may work on one in-depth project or contribute across several shorter-term or fractional engagements, depending on portfolio needs.    

Responsibilities 

Project Design & Implementation 

•  Support project scoping and problem diagnosis through activities such as quantitative analysis, interviews, surveys, focus groups, process mapping, and policy reviews.   
• In collaboration with government leaders, develop ambitious and high-impact projects, informed by data and a clear theory of change.
• Design and implement day-to-day project deliverables, such as problem diagnosis memos, prototype/pilot project roadmaps and workplans, ongoing steering committee reports, and engaging training materials. 
• Lead day-to-day change management and implementation, such as: 
  • Meetings and workshops with government and nonprofit stakeholders to align priorities, implement project work, and address challenges.
  • Coaching and advisory support to government partners to diagnose the root causes of challenges and offer feedback from outside perspectives.
  •  Internal and external project check-ins and strategy pull-ups.
  • Direct support on converting a government idea into a tangible yet ambitious intervention/solution to address core problem(s).
•  Support funder reporting and contribute to fundraising efforts.

Stakeholder Engagement & Thought Leadership 

• Build strong relationships with government leaders, nonprofit partners, government technology companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups.  
• Contribute to the development of public-facing tools, templates, and publications that share best practices and innovations in public sector operational excellence. 
• Represent PPG at conferences and events, presenting insights from project work. 

Organizational Growth & Strategy 

• Provide input to internal operational improvement initiatives. 
• Support efforts to expand and refine PPG’s offerings and impact. 

Who You Are 

We’re looking for candidates who are: 

• Analytic solution builders. You can break down complex problems. You develop actionable, clear, creative, and high-impact solutions.  
• Project managers at heart. You are a self-starter who can juggle multiple priorities, stay organized, and keep projects on track in a remote environment. You have a bias to action and take pride in being an implementer.  
• Strong communicators. You excel in verbal, written, and visual communication. You make technical or complex concepts accessible and engaging for a range of audiences.
• Change catalysts. You recognize that true change requires culture shifts, capacity-building, and empowerment—in addition to better processes. You build trust and momentum, bringing stakeholders along with you while moving with urgency.  
• Adaptable. You thrive in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment where every project is unique and we often have to dive in and learn quickly.  
• Collaborative. You care for your colleagues and are quick to pitch in when someone needs help. You are comfortable giving and receiving direct feedback.  
• Mission aligned. You are motivated by the opportunity to help state and local governments harness core operational functions so that every resident has a government they can count on, every day. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree required. Equivalent years of professional experience and/or certifications will be considered in lieu of formal education. 
• Three or more years of related work experience in areas such as government operations, policy implementation, consulting, or innovation-focused initiatives. 
•  Experience in problem diagnosis, project design/implementation, stakeholder engagement including effective coaching and meeting facilitation, or change management within complex organizations.
• Demonstrated understanding of public procurement processes, government operations, or regulatory environments at the state or local level preferred
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed, up to 8 times per year. 

Additional Information:  

Deadline to Apply: PPG will review applications on a rolling basis. All applications received by the deadline of August 7, 2026 will be considered.    

Compensation: The salary for this role is $102,800 plus benefits. We offer a comprehensive, people-first benefits package to support the well-being of our team and their families. We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, with multiple plan options to fit individual needs as well as access to health and flexible savings accounts. Paid time off includes: 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 3 personal days, 2 floating holidays, 12 paid holidays, and a winter recess. We also provide an employer match for retirement savings, paid parental leave, and access to backup care for caregiving needs. To support remote work, we offer work-from-home stipends or shared office space options.  

Start date: The desired start date for this role is September 2026. 

This position is grant-funded. Employment is contingent on continuation of funds and organizational needs, at PPG’s sole discretion. 

Physical Demands: This position requires sitting, talking, listening, reading, and writing for up to 8 hours per day. Certain situations may require lifting items up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job duties. 

Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity 

Partners for Public Good is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Partners for Public Good is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals in the hiring process, including but not limited to those with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact info(at)partnersforpublicgood.org.