Executive Director

NYC Administration for Children's Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Administration for Children’s Services seeks an Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives to oversee the Research and Innovation team within the Family Services Division. You will guide cross‑functional, high‑impact projects and collaborate with stakeholders to improve prevention, evaluation, and service design for NYC families.

The role reports to the Chief Research and Innovation Officer and requires advanced degrees with substantial supervisory/research experience, strong communication,

Qualifications

• Master's degree in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental science or public health.
• Doctorate in an appropriate field with 1 year supervisory/research experience; or
• Master's with 3 years of responsible full‑time research experience; or
• Equivalent combination with two years as City Research Scientist I.

Responsibilities

• Oversee 2–3 employees and contribute to high‑priority research projects.
• Provide strategic thought partnership using project management and rigorous research methods.
• Lead development and implementation of new prevention initiatives.
• Produce memos, reports, and briefings for internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal comms

Data analysis with large data sets

Equity-centered practices

Responsive and professional in StakeH

Education

Master's degree in public health/science

Doctorate in related field with supervisory/research experience

Master's plus 3 years of research experience

Equivalent combination with two years as City Research Scientist I

Job description

THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $109,565 - $126,000.00

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services, and provides subsidized child care vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement and programs for youth in the community.

The NYC Administration for Children’s Services is seeking an outstanding candidate to serve as the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives overseeing the Research and Innovation team in the Family Services Division (FSD). FSD and its network of contracted providers deliver community-based services across NYC to improve safety, well-being, and permanency for thousands of families each year.

The Research and Innovation team in FSD holds a portfolio of multi-stakeholder (internal, intergovernmental, and external) prevention strategy, improvement, research, and innovation projects. The team also lends project management support to cross-divisional teams with expertise in a wide range of topic areas to design and implement projects. This includes a mix of service provider, legal, finance, procurement, compliance, policy/regulation (city, state, and federal), technology, and data analysis stakeholder groups and topic areas.

The Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives will report to the Chief Research and Innovation Officer and will be tasked to:

• Directly oversee the work of 2-3 employees including their contributions to high-priority research projects.


• Provide strategic thought partnership to staff using project management, rigorous research methods, data analytics, and human-centered design techniques to spearhead high-level, highly visible initiatives that require collaboration with major stakeholders.


• Conceptualize and provide methodological framework for research and project designs and direct staff in the performance of highly skilled professional work in areas of development of programs and services in accordance with research and data-based findings.


• Use qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze administrative data and synthesize insights from literature, policy documents, and key stakeholder feedback to inform program evaluation, development, and strategic innovation across the prevention continuum.


• Lead the development, procurement, and implementation of new initiatives related to the provision of prevention services.


• Produce high-quality memos, reports, briefings, protocols, presentations, and other documents for internal and external stakeholders.


• Communicate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including children, families, and providers, to disseminate evidence-based policy and best practice recommendations and guide decision-making at multiple levels.


• Assist the Chief Research and Innovation Officer in representing the team and the Division of Prevention Services in cross-divisional meetings and meetings with external partners.


• Collaborate with other critical programmatic and policy areas within ACS and at other city agencies to identify and understand system needs and drive improvements, including participating in and supporting cross-divisional and external convenings with various stakeholders.

Additional Info

Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child‑caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report.

The Administration for Children’s Services is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing access to all individuals. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact Simone Campbell at [e-mail] or 212-676-6955.

Minimum Qualifications

• 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.


• 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


• 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


• 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.

Probationary Period

Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Preferred Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to produce high‑quality deliverables - Professional and responsive in interactions with internal and external stakeholders - Ability to drive work forward independently and knowledge of when to seek guidance to ensure projects are completed on time and with high quality - Experience working with large data sets (qualitative and quantitative) and conducting mixed methods analyses to inform program design and improvement - Ability to grasp and communicate scientific concepts from literature, including statistical methodologies and study designs - Knowledge of child welfare, particularly prevention services - Deep commitment to social justice and anti‑racist and equity‑centered practices - Successful communicator who is comfortable speaking in large, varied audiences - Experience with and comfortable using the following computer programs: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams, Power Point, Publisher, Visio, IE) Adobe Acrobat Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Forms, Chrome) Survey Monkey (or other survey program), Airtable

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.

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.

, $109,565.00 – $142,112.00