Program Manager, Government Innovation

Bloomberg Philanthropies; New York (NY); On-site; USD 145,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Disability and life insurance

Retirement savings plan

Wellness programs

Gym reimbursement

Commuter savings

Job summary

Bloomberg Philanthropies seeks an experienced Program Manager to support the Ideas portfolio, including Bloomberg Mayors Challenge and Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange. The role focuses on delivering components of initiatives, managing partner relationships, and synthesizing evidence from projects.

Based in New York City, the position requires occasional domestic and international travel and a strong ability to manage complex multi-stakeholder programs with integrity and discretion.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant, full-time professional experience.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Deliver day-to-day components of the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge and related initiatives.
• Serve as relationship manager for external partners delivering major portfolio components.
• Monitor performance, milestones, budgets, and risks across initiatives.
• Draft memos, briefs, and presentations for leadership and stakeholder communications.

Skills

8+ years experience

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Relationship management

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Background

Bloomberg Philanthropies works to create catalytic change across five areas of focus: arts and culture, education, the environment, government innovation, and public health. Our mission is to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. Our approach is rooted in Mike Bloomberg’s unique experience and success across business, government, and philanthropy.

The Government Innovation programs build the capacity of local governments to solve problems effectively. Its initiatives – ranging from large-scale international innovation competitions to domestic efforts that help mayors hone their management skills and better use data in decision-making – equip local leaders with practical tools and approaches they can use to address local challenges. We currently invest in municipal governments worldwide through grants, technical assistance, and participation programs. Our team is collegial and collaborative with an orientation toward learning at the individual, group, and portfolio levels. We are energized to advance our mission, while also working to ensure team members have full and balanced lives and opportunities for growth.

The Position

The Ideas** Portfolio , including initiatives like the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge and Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange, identifiesand grows promising ideas that help city governments solve their most pressing challenges. We support cities in generating ambitious solutions, adapting proven approaches, and accelerating the spread of ideas that improve residents’ lives. The Program Manager will support the delivery and continued development of the Ideas Portfolio, including future initiatives thatidentify, develop, test, grow, and spread promising ideas for city governments.

The role is based in New York City and will require occasional domestic and international travel.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Program Delivery & Partner Management
  • Manage day-to-day delivery of key components of the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge, Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange, and related initiatives. As an example, delivering key components of the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge competition, including developing the application, review, evaluation,selectionand event processes.
  • Serve as a relationship manager for external partners delivering major components of the portfolio,providingstrategic guidance, candid feedback, and ongoing problem-solving support.
  • Monitor partner performance, deliverables, milestones, budgets, and risks across multiple initiatives, ensuring work meets Bloomberg Philanthropies’ standards.
  • Support the planning and execution of workshops, convenings, site visits, and other program activities involving cities, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Ideas Development & Evidence Building
  • Manage key components of idea evaluation across idea initiatives, including coordinating partner-led evaluations of select Bloomberg Mayors Challenge-supported ideas and overseeing the Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange idea evaluation fund.
  • Supporting the sourcing and initial assessment of promising city-led ideas with the potential to improve outcomes for residents and be adopted by other cities.
  • Synthesize research, evaluation, and learning activities that strengthen the evidence base for supported ideas and inform decisions about further investment or expansion.
• Portfolio Operations & Project Management
  • Design,maintain, and continuously improve dashboards, trackers, workflows, templates, and other portfolio management tools.
  • Coordinate integrated project plans, timelines, budgets, dependencies, and cross-team workflows across multiple initiatives.
  • Provide day-to-day operational support across initiatives bymaintainingfiles and trackers, documenting decisions and action items, processingcontractsand invoicing, and periodically supporting meeting coordination.
• Strategic Projects & Internal Initiative Learning
  • Draft memos, briefing documents, presentations, and recommendations for BloombergPhilanthropiesleadership.
  • Prepare program summaries, reports, talking points, and other communications that translate initiative activity and results into clear insights for institutional decision-making.
  • Conduct research and synthesize lessons from programs, partners, cities, and external sources to strengthen existing initiatives and inform future program design.
  • Monitor emerging trends and developments in public innovation, civic technology, implementation, and city government.

Qualifications of the ideal candidate

• 8+ years of relevant, full-time professional experience. We recognize there are many paths to this role and welcome candidates from government, philanthropy, consulting, product development, design, venture investing, startups, civic technology, entrepreneurship, applied research, or other fields where they have helped develop, test, or grownew ideas. Experience working with or alongside city governments is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from strategy through execution.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with experience managing multiple priorities whilemaintainingexceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complexity into clear, compelling narratives, presentations, and decision documents.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to connect day-to-day program work to broader organizational goals.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship management skills, witha track recordof building and managing partnerships across governments, nonprofits, philanthropy, and other external partners.
• Intellectual curiosity about how innovation happens inside and outside government, and enthusiasm for applying ideas from adjacent fields to improve how cities solve problems.
• Adaptable, resourceful, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where priorities evolve.
• Strong judgment, high integrity, and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and confidentiality.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree in public policy, public administration, business, urban planning, design, or a related field preferred.

_ Accommodation

Bloomberg Philanthropies provides reasonable adjustment/accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please let us know if you require a reasonable adjustment/accommodation to apply for a job. Examples of reasonable adjustment/accommodation include but are not limited to making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. To request an adjustment/accommodation to apply for a job, please email [e-mail].

_ Equal Opportunity

Bloomberg Philanthropies is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination in employment. It is Bloomberg Philanthropies’ policy to provide equal opportunity and access for all persons, and the Organization is committed to attracting, retaining, developing, and promoting the most qualified individuals without regard to age, ancestry, color, gender identity or expression, genetic predisposition or carrier status, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, parental or caring status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or maternity/parental leave, protected veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other classification protected by applicable law (each, a “Protected Characteristic”). Bloomberg Philanthropies prohibits treating applicants or employees less favorably in connection with the terms and conditions of employment, in all phases of the employment process, because of one or more Protected Characteristics.

_We’reproud to provide all full-time employees with comprehensive healthcare coverage, as well as programs and services to help them and their families manage their health and well‑being. In addition to health, dental, and vision coverage, we offer disability and life insurance, a retirement savings plan (complete with a generous company match), and an array of wellness programs. We also haveperks including fitness and gym reimbursement, commuter savings programs, and discounts on products and services.

The referenced salary range is based on the Company’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level.

Annual Salary Range

$145,000—$160,000 USD