PROGRAM LEAD

NYC Department of Social Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Department of Social Services is seeking an Administrative Director of Social Services NM II to lead the CFHEPS-CEB initiative. You will drive strategic planning, program delivery, and cross-agency collaboration across HRA, DHS, and partner programs.

This role requires strong policy analysis, program leadership, and workforce development expertise. You will supervise Career Services personnel, engage in interagency meetings, and standardize data and performance metrics to support long-term

Qualifications

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Four years of progressively responsible experience, including one year in administrative or managerial level in a large governmental agency or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic formulation, implementation, management, and evaluation of CFHEPS-CEB initiative.
• Oversee policies and procedures aligning career services with DHS shelter workflows.
• Supervise Career Services personnel, including coordinators and program staff.
• Maintain linkages with partner programs (e.g., CUNY EDGE, Jobs-Plus) to build workforce ecosystem.
• Develop rubric to measure participant engagement and track progress over five years.
• Standardize data collection and compliance across shelter intake, lease-up, and renewals.
• Prepare annual renewal summaries and report outcomes to stakeholders.
• Coordinate with Job Developers and lead expansion of the CityFHEPS framework.

Skills

Public speaking

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Intergovernmental relations

Policy analysis

Leadership

Project management

Education

Baccalaureate degree

4 years progressively responsible experience, incl. 1 year admin/managerial

Job description

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES CIVIL SERVICE TITLE OR BE PERMANENT IN A COMPARABLE TITLE ELIGIBLE FOR 6.1.9 TITLE CHANGE OR BE REACHABLE WITH THE SCORE OF 100 ON THE OPEN COMPETITIVE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES EXAM (# 1121)

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.

Career Services provides Cash Assistance participants and low-income New York City residents with opportunities to strengthen workforce readiness, develop marketable skills, and establish pathways toward sustainable employment and economic mobility. Career Services works closely with clients to identify opportunities aligned with their skills, needs, and career goals and supports their advancement toward long-term career success.

The Administrative Director of Social Services NM II will lead the strategic formulation, implementation, management, and evaluation of the multi-year CFHEPS-CEB initiative. CityFHEPs Career & Education Bridge program bridges housing assistance with intensive, voluntary education and workforce development support, targeting non-CA employable shelter clients who exit through CityFHEPS and CityFHEPS recipients in the community.

Under executive direction, with broad latitude for independent action or decision, the Administrative Director of Social Services NM II (ADSS NM II) will function as the Program Lead for the newly established CityFHEPS Career & Education Bridge (CFHEPS-CEB) initiative within the Office of Career Services. Reporting directly to the Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC) for Provider, Client and Business Services, the ADSS NM II will perform highly difficult and complex policy, economic, and operational analyses related to the provision of social services, workforce development, education and training programs for DSS/HRA/DHS clients.

Career Services is recruiting to hire one (1) ADSS NM II to function as Program Lead who will:

• Oversee the implementation and growth of the CityFHEPS Career & Education Bridge (CFHEPS-CEB) initiative, managing service delivery across a multi-borough infrastructure for target population.
• Participate in the development of policies and procedures for CFHEPS-CEB, aligning HRA Career Services with Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter workflows.
• Directly supervise dedicated HRA Career Services personnel, including Community Coordinators providing employment readiness and job development and education and training programs.
• Facilitate and maintain linkages with HRA programs to build a comprehensive workforce ecosystem, such as CUNY EDGE, Business Link, Jobs-Plus, Career Track, and Community Centered Workforce Development sites and others.
• Participate in the development of a rubric to define, measure, and track meaningful participant engagement in Career Services programming over a five-year lifecycle.
• Establish systems to evaluate client progress metrics while accounting for unique household baseline education, career tracks, and critical life events.
• Standardize data collection and compliance workflows at critical administrative milestones, including shelter intake, lease-up, provider onboarding, semi-annual reviews, and annual rental subsidy renewals.
• Direct the compilation of annual renewal summaries that provide participants with concrete, preliminary assessment of subsidy renewals beyond year five.
• Direct and evaluate a broad spectrum of programmatic activities across providers, managing the deployment of contracted program staff across Jobs-Plus and Community Centered Workforce Development centers.
• Coordinate dedicated Job Developers situated at Career Services program sites to optimize localized employer networks, interview coordination, and direct job placements.
• Oversee the strategic expansion of the CUNY EDGE framework, ensuring a seamless client experience.
• Serve as liaison at high-level interagency and external meetings, interpreting complex procedural changes to partners, providers, and community stakeholders.

Hours/Shift: 9am - 5pm (Flexible)

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR OF SOC - 1005C

Minimum Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and four years of progressively responsible experience, including one year at the administrative or managerial level in a large governmental agency, business firm, civic or community organization operating in the area of social services; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and the one year of experience at the administrative or management level as described in "1" above.

Preferred Skills

• High level experience in management and operations, preferably within a government context. - Experience managing staff. - Experience in the field of program integrity/government accountability. - Complete discretion when handling sensitive or confidential information. - Excellent public speaking, written, presentation, interpretive and interpersonal skills. - Ability to work under pressure, draft quick responses, meets immediate and often unforeseen deadlines. - Proven experience in community relations and intergovernmental relationships. - Knowledge of DSS-HRA-DHS and related social service policies at city, state and federal levels of government.

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 not required for this position

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.