Deputy Director for Strategy, Improvement & Innovation

City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 160,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of New York seeks a Deputy Director for Strategy, Improvement & Innovation to lead strategic consulting engagements with senior leaders and manage the Office’s analytics and digital product portfolio. You will translate insights into operational actions, drive measurable improvements, and strengthen delivery capacity across multiagency initiatives.

Ideal candidates have a strong mix of strategic leadership, data strategy, and project management experience in complex environments, plus

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5+ years in a supervisory capacity.
• 3+ years of progressively responsible experience in project management.
• Experience in government or similarly complex environments is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic consulting engagements with senior leaders to solve complex operational challenges.
• Manage analytics and digital product portfolio, overseeing data infrastructure and dashboards.
• Translate performance insights into operational action and measurable results.
• Strengthen project delivery by improving intake, prioritization, and execution.
• Evaluate and scale interventions by rigorous testing and measurement.
• Embed innovation by introducing new tools and ways of working.
• Collaborate across teams to develop stronger solutions and maximize impact.
• Build delivery capacity by coaching staff on project management and continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Analytical thinking

Data strategy

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Team management

Education

Master's Degree

Job description

The Agency You’ll Join

The New York City Mayor’s Office is responsible for overseeing city services throughout the five boroughs, coordinating public agencies and departments, and managing public property. The administration is leading the fight in making the city more affordable, reducing inequality, improving public safety, ensuring delivery of efficient and effective services, and working to make New York City’s economy stronger. We value leadership, transparency, fairness, and efficiency as we actively seek diverse talents from various sectors to join our team. For current job opportunities, visit our careers page.

The Team You’ll Work With

The Mayor’s Office of Operations works to make New York City government more effective and efficient. The Office is responsible for managing and coordinating multiagency initiatives and using data to help the City make informed and equitable policy decisions and strategic, targeted investments. The Office coordinates citywide initiatives and assists agencies in improving service quality and in measuring performance to provide greater accountability.

The Office of Operations is committed to achieving equity and creating an inclusive workplace. The City understands equity to mean that an individual’s demographic identity – particularly, but not exclusive to, their race, ethnicity, gender identity, income, sexual orientation, and/or disabilities – should not determine their life outcomes. To foster an inclusive workplace, Operations is committed to providing opportunities for staff development and effective team building, open and transparent communication, enhancing our equity literacy, and providing space for exploring issues of diversity. We continue to strive for a workforce that better reflects the diversity of New York City.

The Problems You’ll Solve

The Deputy Director for Strategy, Improvement & Innovation reports to the First Deputy Director.

In This Role, You Will

• Lead strategic consulting engagements that partner with senior leaders to solve the Administration's most complex operational challenges, managing cross-functional initiatives from problem definition through implementation to deliver measurable, lasting improvements.
• Manage the Office’s analytics and digital product portfolio by overseeing data infrastructure, governance, dashboards, reporting tools, analytics, and other technology-enabled solutions that support accountability and decision-making.
• Translate performance insights into operational action and measurable results by identifying opportunities, recommending operational improvements, and tracking measurable results.
• Strengthen project delivery by improving the intake, prioritization, and execution of high-impact initiatives.
• Evaluate and scale what works by rigorously testing interventions, measuring outcomes, and expanding successful approaches.
• Embed innovation into the Office and City operations by introducing new tools, methods, and ways of working that improve performance and service delivery.
• Collaborate across teams and agency partners to develop stronger solutions, improve outcomes, and maximize the impact of the office’s work.
• Build the office’s project delivery capacity by leading training and coaching office-wide on project management, structured problem-solving, and continuous improvement across the office.

About You

• You have experience leading complex projects or strategic consulting engagements, ideally in government or similarly complex environments.
• You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose root causes and design effective interventions.
• You have experience with data strategy, analytics, evaluation, or digital product development, and a clear understanding of how these tools drive better decisions and outcomes.
• You have experience managing teams and building high-performing functions, with strong project management and operational discipline.
• You can design and implement systems that improve how organizations operate.
• You have excellent communication skills, including the ability to translate complex analysis into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leaders.
• You are comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-stakes environments, with strong prioritization and judgment.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree required.
• Minimum of 5+ years must be in a supervisory capacity.
• 3+ years of progressively responsible experience in project management.

Preferred Skills

• N/A.

RESEARCH PROJECTS COOR(MA)-MGR - 0527A

Minimum Qualifications

• Do you have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university?
• Do you have an associate degree from an accredited college or university along with two (2) years of experience with administrative, analytic, coordinative, supervisory or liaison responsibilities?
• Do you have a four-year high school diploma, or its educational equivalent approved by a state's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization along with four (4) years of experience as described in question "2" above?
• Do you have a satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to that described in questions "1," "2," and/or "3" above?

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 the 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.

, $160,000.00 – $170,000.00