Public Innovation Practitioner (Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation)
Baltimore, MD (Hybrid)
Posted 3 days ago
Job Description
The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University (the Center) seeks a Public Innovation Practitioner to partner with Innovation Teams (i-teams) and drive the field forward by helping advance breakthrough innovations and scaling impact in cities. The first of its kind in the world, the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins aims to advance the field of public sector innovation by marrying cutting-edge practice with world class research to transform the culture of government, deliver exceptional results for residents, and inspire trust in public service. The Center is housed within the new Johns Hopkins School of Government and Policy.
Reporting to a City Support Lead, Practitioners will travel approximately 35% of time to partner with i-teams to achieve city-specific goals, realize ambitions of the partner cities, identify opportunities to advance program impact, strategically solve problems, and develop business cases and financing strategies. The Practitioner will help city teams test and refine new methods to improve residents’ lives, while coaching i-team staff on techniques to navigate complex political and organizational realities. Practitioners bring professional experience as individual contributors and consultants, exceptional critical thinking skills, and extensive experience helping cities or similar organizations solve problems to better serve residents.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Project Delivery Facilitation and Learning
- Partner with i-teams to frame challenges, unlock insights, design and test new solutions, and deliver measurable results for residents.
- Co-create and facilitate workshops, design sessions, and community engagements that move the work forward.
- Develop and document project artifacts such as presentations, prototypes, and implementation roadmaps.
- Apply subject matter expertise and lessons learned from individual programs to strengthen and scale practices across initiatives, supporting both city-level progress and continuous improvement across the Center.
- Prepare reports, summaries, presentations, and other work products for dissemination to Center leadership and external partners.
Capacity-building Through Practice
- Work alongside i-teams on live projects to help cities turn ideas into practical action.
- Support i-team staff by demonstrating how to structure problems, test ideas, and refine solutions in real time.
- Demonstrate what strong data analysis, design, systems thinking, and business case development look like through direct project support and clear examples from practice.
- Build short, practical learning moments into project work to strengthen team capabilities while advancing results.
- Help i-teams anticipate risks, adjust plans as circumstances change, and keep projects moving in complex, uncertain, or politically sensitive environments.
- Model flexible and solutions-oriented leadership when navigating organizational and political realities.
Representation
- Represent the Center with professionalism and expert confidence in interactions with mayors, city staff, residents, and partners.
This position may require travel up to 25% of the time.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree.
- Seven years of relevant experience in civic innovation, design, community engagement, or public-sector problem-solving including work alongside or within local government.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong communication, visual storytelling, and synthesis skills.
- Strong emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and trust-building skills.
- Comfort with ambiguity and ability to stay focused on outcomes in the face of change.
- Skilled at turning insights into action and identifying trends.
- Curatorial savvy: the ability to assess a city’s need and activate supplemental technical assistance.
- Ability to maintain trusted relationships while pushing teams to maximize opportunities and achieve stated goals.
- Strong situational awareness and ability to navigate political and organizational dynamics.
- Excellent workshop facilitation, project documentation, and communication abilities.
- Flexible, creative, and resilient: able to pivot strategies and plans in real time.
- Empathy for public servants and communities, and commitment to equity-centered innovation.
- Ability to operationalize, communicate, or codify breakthroughs in ways that help shape the field in the years to come.
Classified Title: Public Innovator Practitioner
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PG
Starting Salary Range: $102,295 - $179,375 Annually (Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation
Personnel area: School of Government & Policy
Total Rewards
The referenced base salary range represents the low and high end of Johns Hopkins University’s salary range for this position. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. Exact salary will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, market conditions, education/training and other qualifications. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
Education and Experience Equivalency
Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines: JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.
Applicants Completing Studies
Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.
Background Checks
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate's conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.
Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
EEO is the Law
https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf
Accommodation Information
If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit: https://accessibility.jhu.edu/.
Vaccine Requirements
Johns Hopkins University requires all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry.
The following additional provisions may apply, depending upon campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.
The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
Salaries
Posted range
$102K/yr – $179K/yr
Taken straight from the job posting.
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Public Innovation Practitioner (Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation)
Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD · Hybrid
