Meet the U.S. Digital Service

The United States Digital Service is transforming how the federal government works for the American people. And we need you.

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The Opportunity


Redefining the experience of government.

Every day, millions of people interact with the American government. We apply for Social Security benefits and small business loans. We look for affordable health insurance and financial aid. We need passports and tax refunds. Too often, these interactions can be frustrating and cumbersome because of outdated tools and unreliable systems. We believe that government is ready for a change.

This is where you come in. We need people like you to take on these high-stakes challenges, to apply the skills and practices you’ve honed to untangle problems and simplify solutions for millions of Americans.

We need you. Are you up for the challenge?

The U.S. Digital Service



Teams of problem solvers making government services simple, effective, and efficient.

The U.S. Digital Service is using the best of product design and engineering practices to transform the way government works for the American people. In every corner of government, we join forces with the many passionate and talented tech professionals within agencies who are dedicated to public service. Together, teams of America’s most capable problem solvers are striving to make critical services — like Healthcare, student loans, and Veterans’ benefits — as simple as buying a book online.

But we can’t do it without you. Will you join us?

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The Work

Making change at scale.

U.S. Digital Service teams are taking on the stuff that matters: from benefits for Veterans and the health insurance marketplace to student loans, electronic health records, tools to combat human trafficking, and much more. Here are a few of the challenges our teams have been tackling:



VA Digital Service
Improving Services for America’s Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides Veterans and their families extensive programs and services, but too often the process of obtaining them can be long, complex, and confusing. Working with leaders at the VA, a new team made of digital service experts is redesigning tools that Veterans use to interact with the VA. From a simple and easy-to-navigate VA website to an improved benefits claims experience, we are working toward a more efficient and effective VA that delivers more for America’s Veterans.

More on the VA Digital Service team ›


Immigration
Modernizing Our Immigration System

In partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Digital Service and 18F teams have been working to modernize the immigration process and improve how individuals learn about, apply for, and receive the benefits. By taking a user-centered view of the entire lifecycle, we are building and delivering tools that speak to the immigrant experience, such as myUSCIS.

Learn more about how we’re modernizing the immigration system ›

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Healthcare
Helping Americans Access Healthcare

Following the challenges of Healthcare.gov in 2013, a team of U.S. Digital Service engineers has supported the day-to-day operations of the site, helping 6 million Americans get access to Healthcare. We have been overhauling, updating, and simplifying Healthcare.gov’s design and infrastructure. With our team’s support, Healthcare.gov successfully re-launched for the November 2014 Open Enrollment period.

Visit Healthcare.gov ›


FOIA
Better Access to Government Information

Our partners at 18F (inside the General Services Administration) are building a suite of products that will help people, developers, and policy makers more easily access information. 18F is a civic consultancy for the government, inside the government, enabling agencies to rapidly deploy tools and services that are easy to operate, cost efficient, and reusable. With partners across government agencies, developers and designers are building new tools to streamline Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and make FEC datasets more accessible via open APIs.

Learn more about 18F’s work ›


In the News

“The Tiny Team Taking on a Massive Reform of Government IT”

Medium Backchannel
July 2015

Meet the people behind the new government agency that’s recruiting the nation’s best tech talent to reform its technology and systems.

“Inside Obama’s Stealth Startup”

Fast Company
June 2015

President Obama has quietly recruited top tech talent from the likes of Google and Facebook. Their mission: to reboot how government works.

“Meet the Geeks: The D.C. Tech Corps Leading Edge”

Fast Company
June 2015

Meet the techies that chose to leave the private sector and build a team focused on public good.

“Improving Immigration User Experience: Yes, We’re Serious”

Medium Backchannel
July 2015

U.S. Digital Service founding member Vivian Graubard shares how user-centered design helped streamline the visa process.

“America’s Tech Guru Steps Down—But He’s Not Done Rebooting The Government”

WIRED
August 2014

Todd Park, former CTO of the United States, talks about his vision for digital government.

“Mikey Dickerson to SXSW: Why We Need You in Government”

Medium
March 2015

Mikey gave a talk with Jen Pahlka, former Deputy CTO of the United States and founder of Code for America, at the 2015 SXSW Interactive Festival on “How Government Fails and How You Can Fix It.”

“Reprogramming Government: A Conversation With Mikey Dickerson”

The New York Times
August 2014

Mikey shares his own history and his vision for the future of the U.S. Digital Service.

“The Daily Show presents: President Barack Obama”

Comedy Central
July 2015

“Government is a project of citizens.” President Barack Obama describes how the U.S. Digital Service is part of his plan for a more connected, digital government.

The People



Leaders with world-class skills...and a mission.

Whether a seasoned engineer, laser-sharp policy mind or best-in-class designer, our people share one thing in common: a tireless dedication to making a real impact on some of the most demanding and rewarding issues of our day. Here are a few stories from the people who have chosen to take a tour of duty in public service:


Dana Chisnell
UX researcher,
U.S. Digital Service HQ
America’s foremost expert on usability and design of ballots and voting systems, Dana is leading user experience research for tools for immigration and visa applications.
“I’ve long worked on design problems with public impact — joining the US Digital Service has afforded me the chance to change culture at an extraordinary scale.”
Read Dana’s story ›
Marina Martin
Chief Technology Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Marina is responsible for establishing the first federal agency digital service team. At the VA, she champions enterprise technology initiatives and responsible adoption of modern technology across the agency.
“I want my government to work as well as possible for citizens. I could either sit home or complain, or I could show up and do my best work for veterans. So I showed up.”
Read Marina’s story ›
Mikey Dickerson
Administrator,
U.S. Digital Service
In 2013, Mikey joined the team tasked with rescuing Healthcare.gov after its disastrous launch. In August 2014, President Obama appointed him to lead the newly-created Digital Service.
“We have found the problems. We need the human beings. We are calling on America’s talented technologists to be part of the solution.”
Read Mikey’s story ›
Kathy Pham
Health data expert,
U.S. Digital Service HQ
An early member of Google’s health team and a health data analyst at IBM, Kathy brings a strong background in health data analytics and product management to the team improving veterans’ access to healthcare.
“Being my mother’s patient advocate during her battle with Leukemia and witnessing my brother’s heroism as a captain in the Marine Corps is what really drove me to work on the VA health systems.”
Read Kathy’s story ›

Make a Difference

Join a Digital Service team

We’re looking for doers and makers, creative thinkers, and specialized technologists. We need designers and writers, engineers and product managers, researchers and procurement experts committed to untangling, rewiring, and redesigning our government. We need America’s most dedicated problem solvers - if that’s you, apply today.


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