Strategic Initiatives Manager

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ADMINISTATIVE STAFF ANALYST CIVIL SERVICE TITLE, BE PERMANENT IN A COMPARABLE TITLE ELIGIBLE FOR 6.1.9 TITLE CHANGE.

The External Affairs division of DSS tells the story of how our agency, comprised of over 16,000 dedicated individuals, is proudly fighting poverty and homelessness, with care and compassion, every single day. We do this by engaging New Yorkers in multiple ways. From advertisements on the streets and in the subways, to the responsiveness of our call center operators, we bring every program, every resource, every employee's hard work to bear in telling our story.

The work we do isn't easy. New Yorkers come to us in their times of need, seeking assistance to put food on the table, access basic health care, or get a roof over their heads. We know our staff helps people navigate some of life's most challenging circumstances, and our job is to share with the outside world how our work makes an impact.

Under direction from the Chief External Affairs Officer, Office of External Affairs (OEA), with wide latitude for independent judgment and decision making, the Strategic Initiatives Specialist is a key member of the support team for the DSS Chief External Affairs Officer, supporting the entire division and its 500+ staff with critical strategic initiatives and operational needs based on agency priorities. The selected candidate will work closely with the Chief External Affairs Officer, the Senior Advisor, and OEA leadership team to plan, advise, and report on initiatives related to the External Affairs mission of fostering a dialogue among New Yorkers, and ensuring services are responsive to all communities in service of those in need. The Strategic Initiatives Specialist will also act as a liaison to areas of the agency that provide strategic support for OEA operations, with a particular focus in the areas of technology, procurement, finance, and personnel. In collaboration with the Senior Advisor, the Strategic initiatives Specialist will work to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of OEA operations and ensure that all teams have the resources they need to be successful in their work.

The Office of External Affairs (OEA) is recruiting for one (1) Admin Staff Analyst NM II to function as the Strategic Initiatives Specialist who will:

• Manage OEA projects requiring cross-team collaboration and/or deep engagement with other areas of the agency, ensuring thoughtful planning, clear communication about progress, and well-defined accountability for completing agreed upon tasks in a timely manner.
• Manage OEA projects aimed at improving coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness across OEA teams. Proactively identify opportunities to make OEA operations more sustainable, better supported, and more effective at helping the agency achieve its goals.
• Manage relationships with internal agency support teams and helps OEA leadership strategize around technology, procurement, finance, and personnel needs. Proactively engage with OEA and agency support team leadership to plan ahead and develop creative approaches to meet team operational needs.
• Perform analysis and research as needed to support the work described above, such as reconciling staffing levels against budget, monitoring non-personnel spending, researching technology options to fill a particular need, analyzing past procurements to project future needs, or reviewing changes in local law that have been flagged as impacting areas under OEA management.
• Use standing meetings with OEA leadership to raise any issues that may be impeding the team's ability to meet projected deadlines and to flag any cross-team collaboration needs.
• Perform other administrative, project management, or analytical duties at the discretion of the Chief External Affairs Officer.

Work Location:

4 World Trade Center, New York, NY

Hours/Schedule:

Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A master's degree from an accredited college in economics, finance, accounting, business or public administration, human resources management, management science, operations research, organizational behavior, industrial psychology, statistics, personnel administration, labor relations, psychology, sociology, human resources development, political science, urban studies or a closely related field, and two years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following: working with the budget of a large public or private concern in budget administration, accounting, economic or financial administration, or fiscal or economic research; in management or methods analysis, operations research, organizational research or program evaluation; in personnel or public administration, recruitment, position classification, personnel relations, employee benefits, staff development, employment program planning/administration, labor market research, economic planning, social services program planning/evaluation, or fiscal management; or in a related area. 18 months of this experience must have been in an executive, managerial, administrative or supervisory capacity. Supervision must have included supervising staff performing professional work in the areas described above; or

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of professional experience in the areas described in "1" above, including the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative or supervisory experience, as described in "1" above.

Preferred Skills

• Project management experience, preferably in City government.- Experience navigating technology, procurement, finance, and personnel procedures at a large organization, preferably in City government.- Highly professional demeanor and impeccable communication skills- Strong experience managing strategic relationships.- Strategic and flexible.- Excellent organizational and analytical skills comfort with data analysis and strategic planning- Experience with large scale initiatives involving multiple teams.- Ability to demonstrate fundamentals of effective strategies to establish realistic objectives, maintain momentum, and evaluate progress.- Ability to juggle multiple priorities.- High level analytical skills necessary to present data and trends in a useful manner.- Excellent critical thinking and strategic planning skills with the ability to set priorities and create accountability for colleagues in achieving outcomes.- Multilingual a plus.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

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.