Senior Analyst, Applied AI (G&A Intelligence)

OpenGov is the leader in AI and ERP solutions for local and state governments in the U.S. More than 2,000 cities, counties, state agencies, school districts, and special districts rely on the OpenGov Public Service Platform to operate efficiently, adapt to change, and strengthen the public trust. Category-leading products include enterprise asset management, procurement and contract management, accounting and budgeting, billing and revenue management, permitting and licensing, and transparency and open data. These solutions come together in the OpenGov ERP, allowing public sector organizations to focus on priorities and deliver maximum ROI with every dollar and decision in sync. Learn about OpenGov’s mission to power more effective and accountable government and the vision of high-performance government for every community at OpenGov.com http://OpenGov.com.

JOB SUMMARY

OpenGov is seeking a Sr. Analyst, Applied AI to serve as a dedicated practitioner within the Applied AI team, focused on G&A use cases — with an emphasis on HR, Talent Acquisition, and Enablement. This role sits at the intersection of messy data, workflow automation, and applied AI, and exists to systematically redesign how OpenGov's administrative functions operate in an AI-native world.

This is a technical role applied in a traditionally non-technical space. You bring a sharp problem-solving mind, comfort with modern AI tools, and the instinct to decompose a complex, manual workflow into its components — and then design something fundamentally better. You do not need to be an HR specialist or a software engineer. What you need is the ability to think from core principles, build trust with domain experts before designing for them, and own the full lifecycle from problem discovery to solution adoption.

You will own what we call the "intelligence layer" focused on the G&A business domains (HR, legal, talent acquisition, enablement, and workplace). This people intelligence layer is the combination of structured data, business context, and the AI products built on top of it. Your job is to define what is possible, design/build a solution, and ensure that what gets built actually gets used.

This role operates within the Applied AI team's technical ecosystem. You will partner with AI and data engineers on complex builds, work closely with the HR Technology leader for domain guidance and compliance context, and serve as the primary AI capability advisor for your assigned business functions. Given the sensitivity of HR and legal data, this role requires mature, genuine understanding of data confidentiality and compliance — you will have access to data at a level comparable to senior G&A leadership and are expected to exercise that access with corresponding discretion.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

- Own the intelligence layer for G&A domains: define, maintain, and continuously improve the combination of structured data, business context, and AI products for your assigned domains — initially HR, Talent Acquisition, and Enablement. Set the standards for how this layer is built, accessed, and evolved.

- Map and redesign workflows with an AI-native lens: go deep with G&A teams to understand current-state processes, identify where AI creates leverage versus risk, and translate findings into prioritized action plans that account for effort, impact, and compliance sensitivity.

- Build and deploy AI-powered tools and automations: this includes manager copilots, candidate screening workflows, onboarding automation, policy Q&A assistants, enablement content tools, and other solutions using Claude, Slack, and connected enterprise platforms — operating within OpenGov's AI governance framework.

- Act as the connective tissue across G&A domains: identify where data flows across functions, surface shared infrastructure opportunities, and prevent duplicated builds. This role is meant to create economies of scale, not n+1 point solutions.

- Partner with AI, systems, or data engineers when required: clearly define requirements, translate business needs into actionable technical specs, and own outcomes on the business side, building first then tapping in engineering to handle backend complexity when needed.

- Serve as the primary AI capability advisor for your assigned functions: help team leaders understand what is possible with AI today, evaluate build vs. buy tradeoffs, identify where AI should not be applied due to compliance or sensitivity constraints, and set realistic expectations on scope and timeline.

- Own data sensitivity and compliance judgment as a core function of the role: every workflow you design or tool you build must account for the confidentiality of HR and legal data, applicable employment law constraints, and OpenGov's internal data governance rules. Flag risks proactively — do not wait to be asked.

- Drive adoption and change management for tools you build: shipping is not the finish line. You own ensuring that tools and workflows are understood, used, and refined based on real feedback from the people who depend on them.

- Maintain a living roadmap of AI initiatives across your domains: track ideas, in-flight projects, and delivered solutions; report on impact; and continuously reprioritize based on business need and resource availability.

- Communicate progress, priorities, and blockers clearly across stakeholders: written updates, structured check-ins with G&A leadership and Applied AI leadership, and crisp escalation when decisions require broader alignment.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

- Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, People/Data Analytics, HR Technology, or a related field.

- 4–7 years of experience in technical product management, data science, solutions architecture, or a closely adjacent function. We need someone who has been hands-on, on the ground, building and improving things — not advising from a distance.

- Demonstrated experience using AI tools in a professional context — not just familiarity. You have been actively using tools like Claude or ChatGPT, as well as agentic orchestration systems like n8n, make.com http://make.com, or Airia, to meaningfully improve how you or your team works, and you can speak concretely about what you've built or changed as a result.

- Exceptional problem-solving and first-principles thinking: you can look at a messy, manual process, pull it apart into its components, and design a fundamentally better solution — not just automate what exists today. You approach unfamiliar domains as an asset, not a liability.

- Strong user research and discovery skills: you build trust with domain experts before designing for them, surface the root problem underneath the surface problem, and validate solutions with the people who will actually use them.

- Ability to bridge technical and business stakeholders: you can explain a complex AI workflow to an HR stakeholder, articulate data access tradeoffs to a legal stakeholder, and translate business requirements into engineering specs — all in the same week.

- Comfort working with no-code and low-code automation tools (e.g., Airia, Make, Workato, n8n, or equivalent) and enterprise SaaS platforms. Familiarity with how enterprise data flows across systems is a plus.

- Strong analytical skills: comfortable with data in spreadsheets, dashboards, or basic BI tools (Tableau, Looker, or similar); able to extract insight from data and frame it clearly for both technical and non-technical audiences.

- A demonstrated understanding of data sensitivity — not as a legal expert, but as someone who understands why these guardrails exist and designs around them responsibly. You flag risk proactively rather than waiting to be asked.

- Self-starter with high initiative: you see opportunities, propose solutions, and drive them forward without waiting to be told. This role will involve significant ambiguity, and the right person will find that energizing rather than paralyzing.

- Exceptional written and verbal communication: you write clearly, you do not create information silos, and you know how to tailor your message to the audience in front of you.

NICE TO HAVE

- Prior experience in a technical product management, business analyst, or solutions engineering role at a SaaS company.

- Familiarity with AI governance concepts: prompt design, data access controls, audit trails, and responsible AI principles in sensitive-data environments.

- Experience building or deploying Slack-based bots, workflow automations, or internal tools without engineering support.

- Prior exposure to G&A functions (HR, Legal, Talent) — not as a functional expert, but as someone who has worked closely with these teams and understands their operating rhythms and data flows.

- Familiarity with Snowflake, Looker, or similar data platforms at a data analysis level (not data engineering).

- Experience in organizational design, change management, or workflow transformation initiatives.

- Experience working in a fast-moving, high-growth SaaS environment where the org is actively evolving and priorities shift quickly.

- Experience working at the intersection of People and IT, or People and Finance — roles that required navigating cross-functional data ownership and system permissions.

- Exposure to employment law, I-9/EEO compliance, or compensation equity frameworks.

- Prior exposure to government, regulated industries, or other compliance-heavy environments where data handling standards are elevated.

Compensation:

Chicago, IL: $150,000 - $165,000
On target ranges above include base plus a portion of variable compensation that is earned based on company and individual performance.

The final compensation will be determined by a number of factors such as qualifications, expertise, and the candidate’s geographical location.

WHY OPENGOV?

A Mission That Matters.

At OpenGov, public service is personal. We are passionate about our mission to power more effective and accountable government. Government that operates efficiently, adapts to change, and strengthens public trust.  Some people say this is boring.  We think it’s the core of our democracy.

Opportunity to Innovate

The next great wave of innovation is unfolding with AI, and it will impact everything—from the way we work to the way governments interact with their residents. Join a trusted team with the passion, technology, and expertise to drive innovation and bring AI to local government. We’ve touched 2,000 communities so far, and we’re just getting started.

A Team of Passionate, Driven People

This isn’t your typical 9-to-5 job; we operate in a fast-paced, results-driven environment where impact matters more than simply clocking in and out. Our global team of 800+ employees is united in our commitment to challenge the status quo. OpenGov is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Dubuque, Plano, and Pune.

A Place to Make Your Mark

We pride ourselves on our performance-based culture, where every employee is encouraged to jump in head-first and take action to help us improve. If you have a great idea, we want to hear it. Excellent performance is recognized and rewarded, and we love to promote from within.

Benefits That Work for You

Enjoy an award-winning workplace with the benefits to match, including:

- Comprehensive healthcare options for individuals and families

- Flexible vacation policy and paid company holidays

- 401(k) with company match

- Paid parental leave, wellness stipends, and HSA contributions

- Professional development and growth opportunities

- A collaborative office environment with weekly catered lunches.