Program Director

Urban Movement Labs is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership with the goal of making Los Angeles the transportation innovation capital of the world. A collaboration between local government and mobility innovators, Urban Movement Labs is a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization where new transportation technologies are tested, proven, and brought to life.

Urban Movement Labs seeks an experienced Program Director to join our dynamic team. You will be tasked with managing Urban Movement Labs’ diverse and growing portfolio of pilot projects, staff and consultants, and day-to-day operations.

Position description

The Program Director will be a detail-oriented self-starter who can lead multiple projects and juggle deadlines, timelines, budgets, and deliverables without dropping the ball. You should have experience in managing people with diverse backgrounds and experience from across industries and disciplines. You must be a capable manager, eager to work closely with staff to achieve their goals, while contributing to the organization’s overall success. Because Urban Movement Labs is still an early stage, start-up organization, you will embrace the flexibility and creativity of being part of a founding team. You will also have considerable influence in how Urban Movement Labs develops and which new projects and partners it takes on. Importantly, you are passionate about transportation and the role of technology in improving people’s lives.

The role and responsibilities

The Program Director will lead Urban Movement Labs’ projects, its staff and consultants, and day-to-day operations. You will report to the Executive Director, who will provide coaching and expertise on how to manage projects and people, but won’t get in the weeds of your work on a day-to-day basis. The Program Director role offers valuable hands-on experience with room to advance and the opportunity to shape the direction of this growing organization. You will have the following core responsibilities:

  • Lead and evaluate UML’s pilot projects using the UML Pilot Playbook and your own expertise
  • Lead and develop Ideas Accelerator workshops using the UML tools and approaches along with your own expertise
  • Ensure that projects are meeting deadlines and matching budgets and that they are exceeding partner and community expectations
  • Manage the work and deliverables of junior-level staff and consultants
  • Lead applications and applicant teams for grant opportunities
  • Work with the Executive Director and other staff to track success metrics and report to the Board of Urban Movement Labs

Required skills and qualifications

The candidate should have experience managing projects, people, and budgets. You should be able to provide examples of successful projects you’ve managed, how you created milestones, shared documents and progress across multiple stakeholders, navigated tricky situations with creative solutions, and learned from the projects you led. Ideally, these past projects would be transportation-focused, with a technology element. You also know your way around budgeting, and have developed and tracked budgets at a project level. The ideal candidate will have a background in both public and private sectors, have worked previously with or for non-profit organizations, and have 7 to 10 years of related experience.

Compensation and location

This position is located in Los Angeles, CA. However as staff are currently working remotely on an indefinite basis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the person filling this position can live anywhere in the United States during the remote working period.  Salary is commensurate with experience.  Benefits include unlimited paid vacation and sick leave.

To apply

If you possess the desired qualifications, please send a resume and cover letter that describes your interest in transportation technology and what you would bring to the position to info@urbanmovementlabs.com with “Program Director” in the subject line. Selected applicants will be contacted via email. In your cover letter, please indicate how/where you learned of this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted immediately on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls please.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Equal opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles for Urban Movement Labs. Employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/ preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.  We are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage applications from candidates of color.