Austin, Texas is working to implement economic resilience strategies that address longstanding disparities in access to opportunity and small business support across its communities. The FUSE Executive Fellow will help the city pilot and scale these strategies by coordinating cross-sector efforts and developing tools for long-term implementation. Ultimately, this will help Austin strengthen economic mobility, expand access to services, and foster a more inclusive and resilient local economy.

Fellowship Dates: October 27, 2025 – October 23, 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 dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and community stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward high-priority local needs. Projects address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities, including affordable housing, economic mobility, climate resilience, public safety, infrastructure, technology, and more.

FUSE conducts a full executive search for each individual 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 community being served.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include thorough data analytics and research, developing enhanced operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building broad coalitions to support project implementation efforts. Executive Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects. They build strong relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

Throughout the fellowships, Executive Fellows receive training, coaching, and professional support to help achieve their project goals.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Economic resilience is essential for ensuring residents have equal access to opportunity, particularly in rapidly growing cities where the benefits of growth are not always evenly distributed. Focusing on income mobility, small business support, and access to essential services, allows cities to help individuals and families achieve economic stability and long-term success.

In Austin, Texas, income inequality is an ongoing challenge, with certain neighborhoods experiencing limited access to high-quality employment, affordable housing, and essential support services such as childcare, transportation, and healthcare. Many small businesses—especially legacy businesses and those owned by underrepresented entrepreneurs—face significant barriers to accessing capital, affordable space, and city resources. In response, Austin has launched the Economic Resilience Lab (ERL), a collaborative initiative led by the Economic Development Department and the Office of Resilience, in partnership with Resilient Cities Catalyst. They are focusing on targeted strategies that reduce neighborhood-level disparities and strengthen local business ecosystems to improve affordability, expand job opportunities, and help communities build lasting wealth. Over the past year, ERL has engaged more than 60 organizations through community workshops, design sprints, and a prioritization process to identify actionable strategies that address these challenges.

The City of Austin will partner with FUSE to implement and expand on these strategies through the newly established Economic Resilience Action Team (ERAT), a cross-departmental initiative designed to pilot and scale efforts that improve access to economic opportunity. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a landscape analysis and listening tour, identify and prioritize opportunities for action, coordinate pilot projects, align cross-sector efforts, and engage with stakeholders to shape project implementation based on pilot success and community feedback. Ultimately, this will advance Austin’s goal of creating a more inclusive and resilient local economy where more residents and small businesses can succeed and benefit from the city’s continued growth.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in October 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the City of Austin, community organizations, and other key stakeholders to implement and expand economic resilience strategies identified through the Economic Resilience Lab (ERL).

The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour that engages departments involved in the city’s newly established Economic Resilience Action Team (ERAT), including the Economic Development Department, Office of Resilience, Innovation Office, Planning Department, and others. The fellow will also meet with external partners such as small business support organizations, workforce training providers, childcare networks, community-based nonprofits, and local entrepreneurs—particularly in neighborhoods prioritized through the City’s Neighborhood Prosperity Dashboard. This will help the fellow understand existing initiatives, identify opportunities for coordination, and gather insights from those most impacted by income disparities and barriers to business success.

The fellow will conduct a landscape analysis of the city’s current programs, pilot project proposals, and related economic mobility strategies. The fellow will also research best practices from other cities to identify successful models for place-based service delivery, small business support, and collaborative governance. Using the collected insights, the fellow will develop project goals and deliverables for review and approval by city leadership before moving into full implementation.

The fellow will then coordinate and support the implementation of one or more pilot projects designed to advance economic resilience in targeted neighborhoods. These pilots may involve co-locating services such as workforce development, childcare, and small business support in a neighborhood hub, improving access to capital for small businesses, or addressing data gaps that affect service delivery and decision-making. The fellow will facilitate cross-departmental collaboration through ERAT, clarify partner roles, streamline workflows, and ensure regular communication across stakeholders. The fellow will also work to build buy-in from community partners and city staff, adapting pilot strategies based on community feedback and emerging lessons.

Throughout the development and implementation of these high-impact pilot projects, the fellow will create tools and processes to ensure the program’s success and scalability. This may include an implementation roadmap, stakeholder engagement strategy, data and evaluation tools, and a coordination framework for ERAT. The fellow will synthesize lessons into a set of strategic recommendations and support city staff in identifying long-term roles and responsibilities to carry the work forward.

The fellow will also define clear milestones and sustainability strategies to ensure successful pilots can be integrated into city operations after the fellowship ends. This will include identifying handoff points to relevant departments, aligning projects with department goals and budgets, and outlining mechanisms for ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure efforts remain responsive to community needs and citywide priorities.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor: Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff
  • Project Supervisor: Jessica Ferrari, Assistant to the City Manager

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. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.