PRINCIPAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The New York City Department of Social Services seeks a Principal Research Scientist, Housing and Homelessness, to lead advanced research on housing programs and homelessness prevention within the Office of Evaluation and Research (OER).

You will oversee mixed-method studies and analyze large datasets, presenting findings to the Commissioner and senior staff to inform policy and operational decisions across HRA and DHS.

Qualifications

• Master's degree for Assignment Level I in physical, biological or environmental science or public health.
• For Level II+, Doctorate with supervisory/research experience or Master's with 3 years of research experience.
• Equivalency options include Master's with two years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex mixed-method research studies on housing and homelessness using rigorous qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Analyze large administrative datasets from HRA, DHS and other agencies with advanced statistical methods.
• Make recommendations to leadership through reports and presentations describing study questions and findings.
• Serve as agency expert on evaluation methods, instrument development, sampling design, and analyses.
• Represent OER in meetings and provide analytic support to other agencies on data and methods.

Skills

Quantitative analysis

Qualitative research

Statistical methods

Research leadership

Presentation to executives

Education

Master's degree in physical, biological, environmental science or public health

Doctorate degree in physical, biological, environmental or social science

Job description

PRINCIPAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

• Full-time
• Agency: HRA/DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
• Job Category: Policy, Research & Analysis
• Salary Band: $125,000 to $150,000
• Compensation: USD 109,565 - USD 126,000

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

As the DSS policy analysis, research, and program evaluation unit, the Office of Evaluation and Research (OER, a unit of the DSS Office of Research and Policy Innovation, ORPI) informs high-level decision‑making across DSS-HRA-DHS. Through rigorous research studies and evaluations, OER develops and analyzes the evidence base for HRA and DHS work and provides unbiased recommendations regarding priority issues and initiatives to the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Administrations, the DSS Chief Program Planning and Financial Management Officer, and HRA and DHS program leadership. Staff bring an interdisciplinary lens to their work, drawing on a broad range of quantitative and qualitative social science research methods. ORPI is additionally responsible for providing strategic direction in the development and monitoring of collaborative research and evaluation efforts and grant proposals.

Under the direction of OER’s Executive Research Director, support a broad portfolio of program evaluations and research studies related to homelessness prevention, street outreach, homeless shelter services, and rehousing.

ORPI is recruiting for one (1) City Research Scientist IV-A to serve as the Principal Research Scientist, Housing and Homelessness who will:

• Lead complex mixed‑method research studies of agency initiatives related to housing and homelessness, using rigorous qualitative and qualitative methods to evaluate program implementation, outcomes, and impact, including methodological oversight of NYC’s annual effort to estimate unsheltered homelessness (i.e., HOPE).
• Lead complex analyses of large administrative datasets from HRA, DHS, and other city and state agencies as well as large‑scale survey datasets (e.g., from the Census Bureau), using sophisticated statistical methods to address questions posed by program area leadership and executive staff.
• Make recommendations to agency leadership for agency decision‑making through reports and presentations to the Commissioner, Executive staff, and other program area leadership, describing study questions and methods, detailing evaluation and research findings, and assessing implications for agency operations.
• Serve as an agency expert on sophisticated evaluation and research methods and activities, including instrument development, sampling method design, and complex analyses of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Represent OER in meetings and interagency communications, present findings from OER research and evaluation projects, and provide technical and analytic support to other agencies and city offices on research and evaluation methods and on the content and organization of HRA and DHS administrative data.

Hours/Shift: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

CITY RESEARCH SCIENTIST - 21744

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.

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.