Our mission | United States Digital Service

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We come from a range of backgrounds, just like the people we serve. We are curious about understanding the needs of people and are excited to use our short tours of service to make a positive impact.</p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 tablet:padding-x-3"> <h2>What we do</h2> <div class="usa-prose"> <p>We collaborate with public servants throughout the government to address some of the most critical needs and ultimately deliver a better government experience to people. We work across multiple agencies and bring best practices from our various disciplines, which include engineering, product, design, procurement, data science, operations, talent, and communications.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <hr aria-hidden="true"> <section class="site-c-section"> <div class="site-c-section-heading"> <h2 class="site-c-section-heading__heading">Our objectives</h2> </div> <div class="site-c-section__body"> <ol class="site-c-decorative-numbered-list"> <li class="site-c-decorative-numbered-list__item">Continuously improve critical government services</li> <li class="site-c-decorative-numbered-list__item">Bring top-tier technical talent to public service</li> <li class="site-c-decorative-numbered-list__item">Partner with federal agencies to scale digital best practices</li> <li class="site-c-decorative-numbered-list__item">Rethink how the Government buys digital services</li> </ol> <p><a href="/how-we-work">Find out how we meet our goals</a></p> </div> </section> <hr aria-hidden="true"> <section class="site-c-section"> <div class="site-c-section-heading"> <h2 class="site-c-section-heading__heading">Who we help</h2> <div class="site-c-section-heading__text usa-prose"> <p>Our products engage real users before launch. We apply user-centered design and iterative development to prioritize user needs and learn what works as quickly as possible.</p> </div> </div> <div class="site-c-section__body"> <div class="grid-row flex-justify-center"> <div class="who-we-help-item flex-auto display-flex flex-column flex-align-center margin-bottom-3 tablet-lg:margin-bottom-0"> <div class="width-full padding-x-2"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-veteran.svg" alt=""> </div> <p class="text-center padding-x-1 margin-top-1 width-full">Veterans</p> </div> <div class="who-we-help-item flex-auto display-flex flex-column flex-align-center margin-bottom-3 tablet-lg:margin-bottom-0"> <div class="width-full padding-x-2"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-servicemember.svg" alt=""> </div> <p class="text-center padding-x-1 margin-top-1 width-full">Military service members</p> </div> <div class="who-we-help-item flex-auto display-flex flex-column flex-align-center margin-bottom-3 tablet-lg:margin-bottom-0"> <div class="width-full padding-x-2"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-farmer.svg" alt=""> </div> <p class="text-center padding-x-1 margin-top-1 width-full">Farmers</p> </div> <div class="who-we-help-item flex-auto display-flex flex-column flex-align-center margin-bottom-3 tablet-lg:margin-bottom-0"> <div class="width-full padding-x-2"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-medicare-beneficiary.svg" alt=""> </div> <p class="text-center padding-x-1 margin-top-1 width-full">Medicare beneficiaries</p> </div> <div class="who-we-help-item flex-auto display-flex flex-column flex-align-center margin-bottom-3 tablet-lg:margin-bottom-0"> <div class="width-full padding-x-2"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-student.svg" alt=""> </div> <p class="text-center padding-x-1 margin-top-1 width-full">Students</p> </div> <div class="who-we-help-item flex-auto display-flex flex-column flex-align-center margin-bottom-3 tablet-lg:margin-bottom-0"> <div class="width-full padding-x-2"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-small-business-owner.svg" alt=""> </div> <p class="text-center padding-x-1 margin-top-1 width-full">Small business owners</p> </div> </div> </div> </section> <hr aria-hidden="true"> <section class="site-c-section"> <div class="site-c-section-heading"> <h2 class="site-c-section-heading__heading" id="our-values">Our values</h2> </div> <div class="site-c-section__body"> <div class="grid-row tablet:margin-x-neg-2"> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 tablet:padding-2 margin-bottom-5"> <div class="site-c-mask site-c-mask--rectangle"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-hire-empower.svg" alt="Graphic for Hire and empower great people."> </div> <h3 class="font-sans-md">Hire and empower great people.</h3> <div class="usa-prose"> <p>Humans push our mission forward. Empathy and tenacity are just as important as being a great technologist.</p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 tablet:padding-2 margin-bottom-5"> <div class="site-c-mask site-c-mask--rectangle"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-find-truth.svg" alt="Graphic for Find the truth. Tell the truth."> </div> <h3 class="font-sans-md">Find the truth. Tell the truth.</h3> <div class="usa-prose"> <p>We expect everyone to be humble, but question what’s presented to them, and have the confidence to find a new path forward.</p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 tablet:padding-2 margin-bottom-5"> <div class="site-c-mask site-c-mask--rectangle"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-optimize-results.svg" alt="Graphic for Optimize for results, not optics."> </div> <h3 class="font-sans-md">Optimize for results, not optics.</h3> <div class="usa-prose"> <p>We work for the people — not attention, status, or headlines. Our projects may be hard, but we know they’re worth doing.</p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 tablet:padding-2 margin-bottom-5"> <div class="site-c-mask site-c-mask--rectangle"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-go-where-work-is.svg" alt="Graphic for Go where the work is."> </div> <h3 class="font-sans-md">Go where the work is.</h3> <div class="usa-prose"> <p>Meeting with civil servants where they are means we can partner to create lasting change. Modernizing government is up to all of us, together.</p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 tablet:padding-2 margin-bottom-5"> <div class="site-c-mask site-c-mask--rectangle"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-create-momentum.svg" alt="Graphic for Create momentum."> </div> <h3 class="font-sans-md">Create momentum.</h3> <div class="usa-prose"> <p>People urgently need better digital services from their government. By building velocity, we can deliver more value, faster.</p> </div> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 tablet:padding-2 margin-bottom-5"> <div class="site-c-mask site-c-mask--rectangle"> <img src="/assets/img/graphic-mission-design-with-users.svg" alt="Graphic for Design with users, not for them."> </div> <h3 class="font-sans-md">Design with users, not for them.</h3> <div class="usa-prose"> <p>The best products aren’t created in a vacuum. Using empathy and curiosity, we can effectively address our users’ needs.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <hr aria-hidden="true"> <section class="site-c-section"> <div class="site-c-section-heading"> <h2 class="site-c-section-heading__heading">The USDS origin story</h2> </div> <div class="site-c-section__body"> <div class="grid-row flex-column-reverse tablet:flex-row"> <div class="tablet:grid-col-6 margin-bottom-4 tablet:padding-right-2 usa-prose"> <p>The idea of a team like USDS had been percolating since 2012, and people across federal agencies had been exploring new modes of hiring and working since 2008. The <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/">HealthCare.gov</a> launch crisis created an opportunity for a scrappy idea to become a reality. The challenges behind the launch made clear that accessing government services should be as easy as ordering a book online.</p> <p>Founded by President Obama in August of 2014, the U.S. Digital Service brought together the best engineering, design, and government talent to change our government’s approach to technology. We planned to hire ten people for three critical national priorities: modernizing immigration, Veterans’ benefits, and HealthCare.gov. During the 2015 State of the Union address, we launched an online application to join the team. We worried if ten people would even apply. 1000 did.</p> <p>We quickly went to work with a simple strategy:</p> <blockquote> <p>Recruit top designers, engineers, product managers, and digital policy experts. Pair these digital experts with our nation’s leading civil servants. Deploy these teams to address some of the most critical government services, together.</p> </blockquote> <p>We’re proud of everything we’ve worked for since. The team we’ve assembled has relocated to Washington, D.C., from more than 20 states and territories and counting. They’re enthusiastic about emoji, laptop stickers, and scanning the Federal Register. Does this sound like you? <a href="/apply">Apply now.</a></p> </div> <div class="tablet:grid-col-6 tablet:padding-left-2 margin-bottom-4"> <img src="/assets/img/photo-mission-early-team.jpg" alt="Photo of early USDS team members"> </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div><section class="site-c-billboard"> <div class="grid-container"> <p>We need you.</p> <p>Let’s help millions of people together.</p> <p><a class="usa-button usa-button--outline usa-button--inverse" href="/apply">Apply now</a></p> </div> </section> </main> <footer class="site-c-footer"> <div class="grid-container"> <div class="grid-row flex-justify"> <div class="grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col margin-bottom-7"> <img class="site-c-footer__logo" src="/assets/img/usds-logo-footer.svg" alt="USDS logo"> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col margin-bottom-7"> <h2 class="site-c-footer__heading">About USDS</h2> <ul class="site-c-footer__list tablet:padding-right-3"> <li><a href="/contact-us">Contact us</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.usds.gov/impact-report/2024">2024 Impact Report </a></li> <li><a href="/assets/files/USDS-Overview.pdf" target="_blank">Press sheet [PDF, 2 pages]</a></li> <li><a href="/faq">Hiring FAQ</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col margin-bottom-7"> <h2 class="site-c-footer__heading">Resources</h2> <ul class="site-c-footer__list tablet:padding-right-3"> <li><a class="usa-link usa-link--alt usa-link--external" href="https://playbook.cio.gov/" target="_blank">Digital Services Playbook</a></li> <li><a class="usa-link usa-link--alt usa-link--external" href="https://sprint.usds.gov/" target="_blank">Discovery Sprint Guide</a></li> <li><a class="usa-link usa-link--alt usa-link--external" href="https://techfarhub.cio.gov/" target="_blank">TechFAR Hub</a></li> <li><a class="usa-link usa-link--alt usa-link--external" href="https://designsystem.digital.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. Web Design System</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col margin-bottom-7"> <h2 class="site-c-footer__heading">Follow us</h2> <ul class="site-c-social-buttons site-c-social-buttons--mini "> <li class="site-c-social-buttons__item"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/usdigitalservice" class="site-c-social-buttons__link site-c-social-buttons__link--instagram" title="Instagram" target="_blank"> <svg aria-hidden="true" class="site-c-social-buttons__icon"> <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="/assets/img/fontawesome-sprite.svg#instagram"></use> </svg> <span class="usa-sr-only">Instagram</span> </a> </li> <li class="site-c-social-buttons__item"> <a href="https://twitter.com/USDS" class="site-c-social-buttons__link site-c-social-buttons__link--x-twitter" title="X-Twitter" target="_blank"> <svg aria-hidden="true" class="site-c-social-buttons__icon"> <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="/assets/img/fontawesome-sprite.svg#x-twitter"></use> </svg> <span class="usa-sr-only">X-Twitter</span> </a> </li> <li class="site-c-social-buttons__item"> <a href="https://medium.com/@USDigitalService" class="site-c-social-buttons__link site-c-social-buttons__link--medium" title="Medium" target="_blank"> <svg aria-hidden="true" class="site-c-social-buttons__icon"> <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="/assets/img/fontawesome-sprite.svg#medium-m"></use> </svg> <span class="usa-sr-only">Medium</span> </a> </li> <li class="site-c-social-buttons__item"> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/united-states-digital-service" class="site-c-social-buttons__link site-c-social-buttons__link--linkedin" title="Linked in" target="_blank"> <svg aria-hidden="true" class="site-c-social-buttons__icon"> <use xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="/assets/img/fontawesome-sprite.svg#linkedin-in"></use> </svg> <span class="usa-sr-only">Linked in</span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="site-c-footer__site-info"> <a href="mailto:USDSpress@omb.eop.gov">USDSpress@omb.eop.gov</a> | <a href="/privacy">Privacy policy</a> </div> </div> </footer> <script src="/assets/js/application.js"></script> <script src="/assets/js/vendor/uswds.min.js"></script> <script src="/assets/js/shims/svg4everybody.js"></script> <script>svg4everybody();</script> </body> </html>

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Our mission | United States Digital Service