Special Assistant, People & Operations

City of New York; Manhattan (KS); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of New York is seeking a Special Assistant, People & Operations to support the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement with onboarding, hiring, and HR administration. You will work with the Chief of Staff to streamline processes and ensure staff alignment with office culture and policies.

You will manage time-sensitive tasks, coordinate with HR on hiring actions, and help staff navigate benefits and development opportunities. A proactive, detail-oriented collaborator is essential for success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience as described.
• Experience in government or organizing activities related to duties is preferred.
• Ability to manage onboarding, hiring, and HR processes with minimal guidance.

Responsibilities

• Work with a team on operations and Office culture, including onboarding new employees.
• Start and track hiring from MOM PA to first day; coordinate offers and start dates with HR.
• Provide regular updates to the Chief of Staff on hiring status.
• Support employee management, timesheets, and communicating benefits clearly.
• Ensure HR trainings are completed and assist with promotions and raises.
• Support employee relations and disciplinary matters as needed.
• Improve office processes and create clear documentation for staff.
• Other duties as required.

Skills

Self-starter

Project management

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

High school diploma + 6 years experience

Equivalent education/experience

Tools

AirTable

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft Teams Channels

SmartRecruiters

HR processing systems

Job description

Agency You’ll Join

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.

Team You’ll Work With

The Team You’ll Work With: The Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement (OME) is responsible for strategizing, coordinating, and executing on engagement that reaches the masses of everyday New Yorkers. We engage New Yorkers in shaping policy outcomes, demystifying government, and ensuring that the government remains accountable to serving the people of this great City. Our work is designed as a long term project – we are building the power of everyday New Yorkers and we are building a City that works for all of us.

The Problems You’ll Solve

The Problems You’ll Solve: The Special Assistant, People & Operations will be specifically focused on supporting the administrative, employee management, and human resource needs of the team. This role reports to OME's Chief of Staff.

Responsibilities

• Work with a team on work related to operations and Office culture, including but not limited to supporting onboarding new employees.
• Start and track the hiring process from submitting MOM PA through confirming new hire's first day; manage follow-up with candidates who have received offers and with Mayor's Office HR to ensure a smooth process and support for new hire towards getting to a start date.
• Regularly provide updates to the OME Chief of Staff on the status of hiring actions.
• Support employee management, including approving and correcting timesheets in a timely and consistent manner, and communicating different benefits and different structures for staff lines in a clear and succinct manner to team members.
• Ensure staff compliance for HR mandated trainings, track completion of midyear and annual reviews, and support in understanding how to move promotions, title changes, and raises.
• Support with employee relations and corrective or disciplinary action matters.
• Improve existing office processes and documentation, especially those that serve as resources for employees, making processes more streamlined and clear.
• Other duties as required.

About You

• You are a motivated self-starter who can manage complicated projects with minimal guidance.
• You are a creative thinker and problem solver focused on streamlining systems.
• You are highly detail-oriented.
• You are an enthusiastic collaborator.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of experience in government and/or organizing centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
• High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in government and/or organizing centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

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?

Preferred Skills

You are good at motivating people to follow and contribute to systems. You have a high level of skill in clear and open communication. You are familiar with AirTable, Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Teams Channels, SmartRecruiters, and HR processing systems.

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.

RESEARCH PROJECTS COOR(MA)-MGR - 0527A