NYC Jobs
City Research Scientist
The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) invests in a network of community-based organizations (CBOs) to alleviate the effects of poverty and to provide opportunities for New Yorkers and communities to flourish. DYCD's initiatives include COMPASS, the City's comprehensive afterschool system, Beacon Community Centers, adult and youth literacy programs, youth employment programs, services for runaway and homeless youth, community safety programs, and community development programs. DYCD also collaborates with other City agencies on a range of mayoral initiatives to improve City services and ensure greater opportunities for minority and immigrant youth and families. This role would be situated within the Bureau of Planning, Program Integration, and Evaluation (PPIE). PPIE was established to lead DYCD's efforts to transform the agency from three co-located organizations to one agency focused on providing an integrated network of neighborhood-based high quality services to New Yorkers. PPIE's mission is to drive growth, impact, and innovation to make DYCD, its programs, and CBOs more effective. PPIE designs tools, builds processes and shapes policies to elevate the implementation of best practices and data-informed decision-making both internally and externally. PPIE supports continuous improvement through providing capacity building and training to DYCD staff and providers; analyzing and elevating data and community voices; increasing funding for innovation and expansion; and developing centralized approaches and systems to support a unified vision for DYCD. PPIE's core functions have evolved over time into five robust centers of excellence: Office of Analytics, Performance Management, and Reporting Office of Capacity Building and Professional Development Office of Planning, Program Design and Grant Development Office of Evaluation Office of System Integration. This role would lead the Office of System Integration, which plays a central role in designing and updating DYCD's data system to improve data collection, measurement of key metrics, and user experience in DYCD systems. Reporting to the Assistant Commissioner of PPIE, the Director of System Integration will assume the below responsibilities. System Design
Lead strategic planning for system design, including development of new functionality and program types and agency-wide system enhancements to better meet programmatic or user needs. Coordinate planning for the future of system improvements through a coordinated vision between Bureau of Information Technology (IT) and program teams for long-term improvement, innovation, and streamlining of DYCD's data systems. Work closely with IT to engage end users and internal stakeholders in human-centered design processes to develop system requirements and increase accessibility and ease of use for end users. Facilitate change management for agency-wide, high-priority system initiatives, including managing communications around the system changes, building awareness, and coordinating testing and training for internal and external audiences. Supervise system integration specialists, including oversight of requirements gathering and testing and project management of various related initiatives. Develop and maintain a process for updating DYCD's public-facing systems, applications/forms, and protocols. Act as a liaison between program units; evaluation, analytics, and program design teams; and agency leadership to ensure the system reflects program design changes as new requirements roll out, best practices for collecting and defining outcome measurements, and agency priorities for data collection. Support IT workflows to prioritize incoming projects and needed system enhancements to streamline system development, align projects with agency-wide priorities, and review changes that impact reporting. Oversee decision-making with DYCD program units for data system requirements. Conduct stakeholder engagement, including focus groups, surveys, and user acceptance testing, to inform and test DYCD systems. Facilitate processes to engage with community members and nonprofit providers to understand data collection practices and needs and inform system development accordingly. Convene interagency workgroups to inform system design and policies. Design and facilitate presentations on system policies and training as needed. Training
Oversee training for internal and external users, with a particular focus on new providers and staff from the COMPASS expansion. Coordinate with external contracted training vendor to strategically plan complementary trainings and assign trainings to efficiently utilize the agency's resources. Provide quality assurance for standard system trainings, including work scope submission, data entry, and monitoring, on DYCD Connect, DYCD's system of record. Decide on and provide guidance for new trainings on specialized DYCD Connect functionality as needed to meet the needs of program units, including new functionality developed as part of the COMPASS expansion. Oversee the development and maintenance of user guides and other materials to support system learning. Coordinate the integration of user concerns and issues with data systems into system improvements. Create mechanisms for user feedback on data systems and on system trainings to continue to improve system functionality and resource development. Management
Set and track team priorities and goals and align to agency priorities. Develop processes and templates for team deliverables as needed. Actively maintain connections to all PPIE teams to understand the priorities and projects of the Bureau, leverage Bureau expertise, and intentionally represent the Bureau across projects. Sets clear goals and expectations for team members by defining roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics during onboarding and ongoing performance reviews and adjust based on team capacity. Minimum Qualifications: 1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health. To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have: 1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or 2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or 3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above. NOTE: Probationary Period Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year. Preferred Skills: Knowledge of DYCD systems and/or demonstrated experience learning new data and administrative systems quickly. Proven record of establishing strategic relationships quickly and effectively. Demonstrated ability to translate technical information to different stakeholder groups to facilitate leadership decision-making, user adoption and other critical actions. Excellent project management skills, including ability to develop and manage processes involving multiple stakeholders and deadlines. Knowledgeable of human-centered design and stakeholder engagement methods. Direct program experience a plus Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/. Residency Requirement: New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview. Additional Information: The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) invests in a network of community-based organizations (CBOs) to alleviate the effects of poverty and to provide opportunities for New Yorkers and communities to flourish. DYCD's initiatives include COMPASS, the City's comprehensive afterschool system, Beacon Community Centers, adult and youth literacy programs, youth employment programs, services for runaway and homeless youth, community safety programs, and community development programs. DYCD also collaborates with other City agencies on a range of mayoral initiatives to improve City services and ensure greater opportunities for minority and immigrant youth and families. This role would be situated within the Bureau of Planning, Program Integration, and Evaluation (PPIE). PPIE was established to lead DYCD's efforts to transform the agency from three co-located organizations to one agency focused on providing an integrated network of neighborhood-based high quality services to New Yorkers. PPIE's mission is to drive growth, impact, and innovation to make DYCD, its programs, and CBOs more effective. PPIE designs tools, builds processes and shapes policies to elevate the implementation of best practices and data-informed decision-making both internally and externally. PPIE supports continuous improvement through providing capacity building and training to DYCD staff and providers; analyzing and elevating data and community voices; increasing funding for innovation and expansion; and developing centralized approaches and systems to support a unified vision for DYCD. PPIE's core functions have evolved over time into five robust centers of excellence: Office of Analytics, Performance Management, and Reporting Office of Capacity Building and Professional Development Office of Planning, Program Design and Grant Development Office of Evaluation Office of System Integration. This role would lead the Office of System Integration, which plays a central role in designing and updating DYCD's data system to improve data collection, measurement of key metrics, and user experience in DYCD systems. Reporting to the Assistant Commissioner of PPIE, the Director of System Integration will assume the below responsibilities. System Design
Lead strategic planning for system design, including development of new functionality and program types and agency-wide system enhancements to better meet programmatic or user needs. Coordinate planning for the future of system improvements through a coordinated vision between Bureau of Information Technology (IT) and program teams for long-term improvement, innovation, and streamlining of DYCD's data systems. Work closely with IT to engage end users and internal stakeholders in human-centered design processes to develop system requirements and increase accessibility and ease of use for end users. Facilitate change management for agency-wide, high-priority system initiatives, including managing communications around the system changes, building awareness, and coordinating testing and training for internal and external audiences. Supervise system integration specialists, including oversight of requirements gathering and testing and project management of various related initiatives. Develop and maintain a process for updating DYCD's public-facing systems, applications/forms, and protocols. Act as a liaison between program units; evaluation, analytics, and program design teams; and agency leadership to ensure the system reflects program design changes as new requirements roll out, best practices for collecting and defining outcome measurements, and agency priorities for data collection. Support IT workflows to prioritize incoming projects and needed system enhancements to streamline system development, align projects with agency-wide priorities, and review changes that impact reporting. Oversee decision-making with DYCD program units for data system requirements. Conduct stakeholder engagement, including focus groups, surveys, and user acceptance testing, to inform and test DYCD systems. Facilitate processes to engage with community members and nonprofit providers to understand data collection practices and needs and inform system development accordingly. Convene interagency workgroups to inform system design and policies. Design and facilitate presentations on system policies and training as needed. Training
Oversee training for internal and external users, with a particular focus on new providers and staff from the COMPASS expansion. Coordinate with external contracted training vendor to strategically plan complementary trainings and assign trainings to efficiently utilize the agency's resources. Provide quality assurance for standard system trainings, including work scope submission, data entry, and monitoring, on DYCD Connect, DYCD's system of record. Decide on and provide guidance for new trainings on specialized DYCD Connect functionality as needed to meet the needs of program units, including new functionality developed as part of the COMPASS expansion. Oversee the development and maintenance of user guides and other materials to support system learning. Coordinate the integration of user concerns and issues with data systems into system improvements. Create mechanisms for user feedback on data systems and on system trainings to continue to improve system functionality and resource development. Management
Set and track team priorities and goals and align to agency priorities. Develop processes and templates for team deliverables as needed. Actively maintain connections to all PPIE teams to understand the priorities and projects of the Bureau, leverage Bureau expertise, and intentionally represent the Bureau across projects. Sets clear goals and expectations for team members by defining roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics during onboarding and ongoing performance reviews and adjust based on team capacity. Minimum Qualifications: 1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health. To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have: 1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or 2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or 3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above. NOTE: Probationary Period Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year. Preferred Skills: Knowledge of DYCD systems and/or demonstrated experience learning new data and administrative systems quickly. Proven record of establishing strategic relationships quickly and effectively. Demonstrated ability to translate technical information to different stakeholder groups to facilitate leadership decision-making, user adoption and other critical actions. Excellent project management skills, including ability to develop and manage processes involving multiple stakeholders and deadlines. Knowledgeable of human-centered design and stakeholder engagement methods. Direct program experience a plus Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/. Residency Requirement: New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview. Additional Information: The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.