One quarter of California’s veterans live in Los Angeles County. The Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs aims to support them as they navigate life after service. To support this effort, a FUSE Executive Fellow will develop the Department’s IT tools to equip staff with the real-time data they need to be effective. As a result of this work, more veterans will be able to access the benefits they deserve.

Fellowship Dates: April 28, 2025 – April 24, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.

Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Los Angeles County (LAC) is home to approximately 281,000 military veterans. Veterans bring many strengths to their neighborhoods. They have leadership experience, diverse skill sets, and a community service mindset. Not surprisingly, veterans are more likely to run for office and serve in Congress. Despite these strengths, however, veterans also face many challenges. Compared to their civilian neighbors, veterans are twice as likely to experience homelessness (though that number has decreased), twice as likely to die from suicide, and one in three report having been jailed. These rates are even higher for BIPOC veterans.

The LAC Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (MVA) aims to support local veterans in navigating life after service: helping them put their skills to new uses, build connections within the community, and decrease the risk of homelessness, suicide, and justice involvement. MVA’s Veteran Services Officers (VSOs) help clients navigate benefit systems; access healthcare, education, and housing; and find local connections with fellow veterans.

MVA’s work spans dozens of departments and offices, and requires in-depth knowledge of City, County, State, and federal government programs. This means that VSOs must have extensive subject matter expertise and networking skills, as they frequently have to make connections between disparate systems. In addition, while MVA knows that frontline workers from other departments interact with veterans, it is unable to proactively connect with those clients to learn more about their cases. A more strategic approach to IT that lets VSOs analyze data, connect with new leads, and identify relevant opportunities for clients in real time would greatly increase their efficiency and effectiveness.

The County of Los Angeles will partner with FUSE Corps to set a strategic vision for MVA’s IT. The Executive Fellow will develop a unified dashboard that synthesizes data from the multiple systems MVA’s staff navigate in doing their jobs. In addition, they will analyze MVA’s IT systems to identify current gaps as well as what leadership will need to plan for as the department grows. As a result of this work, more LAC veterans will be able to access the benefits and opportunities they deserve and MVA will become more effective at their jobs.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Starting in May 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will develop deep relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including City and County partners (e.g., LAC Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer, IT officials from key departments), State partners (e.g., CalVet), federal partners (e.g., the Veterans’ Administration), local community organizations that support veterans, and members of the public (with an emphasis on BIPOC veterans and their families). The Executive Fellow will seek to understand the resources, opportunities, and aspirations these partners have for comprehensive support for veterans, with an emphasis on preventing homelessness, suicide, and incarceration. In addition, the Executive Fellow will review best practices for complex, public IT projects that synthesize multiple systems and safeguard highly sensitive personal data. Finally, the Executive Fellow will work with their Executive Sponsor and Project Supervisor to develop and approve specific project goals and deliverables. While these goals and deliverables will likely include the ones listed below, they may differ based on situational changes and the Executive Fellow’s specific skills and experience.

Next, the Executive Fellow will develop a comprehensive dashboard that synthesizes data from the varied departments and agencies that interact with the veteran community. If successful, the dashboard will allow VSOs to pull up a veteran’s information, see where they have interacted with City, County, and State governments before, and identify additional opportunities for them. For example, it should allow a VSO to quickly identify currently available housing units that their client qualifies for and facilitate the application for an appropriate unit. In addition, the dashboard should also allow MVA leadership to analyze higher level data to assess the department’s impact and make strategic decisions going forward. Given the nature of MVA’s work, it is critical that data privacy and security be central to this dashboard’s design and use.

At the same time, the Executive Fellow will develop an analysis of MVA’s IT systems. They will identify the gaps in current IT approaches, and give Department leadership insights to plan for MVA’s future growth. If successful, MVA leadership will be able to make and implement informed, strategic decisions regarding their IT for the next 5 years.

To ensure sustainability, the dashboard and analysis must have a realistic, user-centered design. Frontline workers and department leadership must be able to use these tools without additional, ongoing support. In addition, the Executive Fellow must work closely with existing MVA IT staff to ensure timely handover of any ongoing maintenance and management activities.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

By April 2026, the Executive Fellow will have overseen the following:

  • Conduct a Stakeholder Listening Tour – Develop relationships with stakeholders in City, County, State, and federal government, and members of the public to understand the resources, constraints, perceived opportunities, potential threats, and aspirations affecting veterans’ affairs. Conduct extensive best practices research related to similar complex public IT projects.
  • Dashboard Development – Create a dashboard that allows frontline workers and MVA leadership to use and analyze real-time data that allows them to do their work more effectively.
  • Systems Analysis – Identify current gaps in MVA’s IT system and advise department leadership on strategic considerations for future growth

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor – James Zenner, Director, Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs
  • Project Supervisor – Zuleyda Santana, Chief Deputy, Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal-opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.