Director of Research

Office of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of the Mayor and the NYC Office of Community Safety seek a Director of Research to lead the agency's research, evaluation, and evidence-building agenda, ensuring programs are informed by data and community knowledge.

You will work with city agency partners, researchers, and community stakeholders to develop research initiatives, evaluate outcomes, support performance management, and translate findings into actionable policy recommendations.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in public policy, public administration, sociology, psychology, criminology, public health, statistics, economics, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in research, evaluation, data analysis, performance management, public policy, or related field.
• Experience leading research, evaluation, and evidence-building efforts in government, nonprofit, or academic settings.
• Strong expertise in research design, program evaluation, performance measurement, and both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Ability to translate findings into policy, program design, and organizational decisions.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams and manage complex multi-stakeholder projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of a portfolio of research and evaluation projects aligned with priorities and goals.
• Establish priorities and develop a comprehensive research agenda for the Office.
• Monitor and synthesize emerging research, best practices, and evidence relevant to community safety and related fields.
• Provide analytic expertise to support new strategies, policies, and programs.
• Design and oversee evaluations of Office programs to assess outcomes and impact.
• Translate evaluation findings into actionable recommendations to strengthen programs and inform decisions.
• Manage research projects using diverse methodologies and data sources.
• Collaborate with partner agencies, researchers, and external stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Research design

Program evaluation

Data analysis

Quantitative methods

Qualitative methods

Policy analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Communication

Education

Master's degree in public policy / public administration

Job description

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 NYC Office of Community Safety advances a whole-of-government approach to violence prevention and public safety that addresses gun violence prevention, hate crime prevention, survivor services, domestic violence prevention, and innovations in crisis response services. The Office oversees the Office of Crime Victim Services, Office to Prevent Gun Violence, Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the Office of Community Mental Health.

The Problems You’ll Solve:

The Director of Research serves as a member of the Office of Community Safety's Senior Leadership Team and reports to the Commissioner. The Director is responsible for leading the Office's research, evaluation, and evidence-building agenda, ensuring that agency strategies, programs, and investments are informed by data, research, and community knowledge. The Director works closely with agency leadership, city agency partners, researchers, and community stakeholders to develop and oversee research initiatives, evaluate program effectiveness and outcomes, support performance management efforts, and translate findings into actionable recommendations that advance the Office's mission and priorities.

The Director of Research responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Research Strategy and Evidence Building

• Lead the development of a portfolio of research and evaluation projects aligned with the Office's priorities and strategic goals.
• Work closely with agency leadership to establish research, evaluation, and data collection priorities and develop a comprehensive research agenda for the Office.
• Monitor and synthesize emerging research, best practices, and evidence relevant to community safety, violence prevention, behavioral health, and related fields.
• Provide analytic expertise to support the development of new strategies, policies, and programs.

Program Evaluation and Learning

• Design and oversee evaluations of Office programs and initiatives to assess implementation, outcomes, and impact.
• Develop evaluation frameworks, methodologies, and performance measures to assess program effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
• Analyze and synthesize program data to identify lessons learned, emerging trends, and opportunities for program enhancement.
• Translate evaluation findings into actionable recommendations to strengthen programs, improve outcomes, and inform strategic decision-making.

Research and Evaluation Management

• Design and oversee research projects that support and enhance the Office's priorities, utilizing a range of methodologies including statistical analysis, surveys, qualitative research, and administrative data analysis.
• Lead efforts to gather, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative evidence to inform decision-making and support agency deliverables.
• Consult with partner agencies and external stakeholders on the design and implementation of research and evidence-building initiatives.
• Manage relationships with external researchers, evaluators, academic institutions, and other strategic research partners to ensure the successful completion of research and evaluation projects.

Performance Management and Reporting

• Contribute to the development and refinement of programmatic outcome measures and performance indicators.
• Support agency performance management, reporting, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Develop research briefs, reports, presentations, and other products that communicate findings and inform policy and program decisions.
• Support the preparation of materials for public reporting and help disseminate research and evaluation findings to policymakers, practitioners, and community stakeholders.

Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage research partnerships and collaborative projects with city agencies, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, academic institutions, and other external partners.
• Support the development of evidence-building initiatives implemented through agency partners, community organizations, and grant-funded efforts.

Team Leadership and Management

• Supervise and develop a team of research and evaluation staff.
• Establish team goals, performance metrics, and priorities and ensure accountability for results.
• Support professional growth and development while fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture.

Additional Responsibilities

• Work closely with other members of the Senior Leadership Team to advance agency priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

About You:

• You have demonstrated experience leading research, evaluation, and evidence-building efforts in government, nonprofit, academic, or related settings.
• You have strong expertise in research design, program evaluation, performance measurement, and quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• You have experience using data and evaluation findings to inform policy, program design, strategic planning, and organizational decision-making.
• You have proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams and manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• You have experience building and maintaining effective partnerships with government agencies, academic institutions, community organizations, and other external stakeholders.
• You can communicate complex research and data findings to diverse audiences, including senior leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders.
• You have strong written communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• A master's degree from an accredited college or university in public policy, public administration, sociology, psychology, criminology, public health, statistics, economics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in research, evaluation, data analysis, performance management, public policy, or a related field.

RESEARCH PROJECTS COOR(MA)-MGR - 0527A

Qualifications:

1. Do you have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university?
2. 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?
3. 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?
4. Do you have a satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to that described in questions "1", "2", and/or "3" above?

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.