CHIEF PLANNING, DATA ANALYTICS, AND NEW INITIATIVES OFFICER

The Chief Planning, Data Analytics, and New Initiatives Officer serve as a senior executive and principal strategic advisor to the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS). The Chief is responsible for leading the Department’s enterprise-wide planning, strategic analysis, performance management, data analytics, and the development of new initiatives designed to improve outcomes for New Yorkers experiencing poverty, economic insecurity, homelessness, disability, illness, abuse, and other significant challenges. The position requires an executive who can operate comfortably in both high-level strategy and complex operational environments, exercising independent judgment while maintaining close alignment with the Commissioner and the Agency’s broader leadership team.

DSS, including the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), administers a broad portfolio of essential programs and services, including SNAP, Cash Assistance, Medicaid, Adult Protective Services, HIV/AIDS services, and numerous other programs that provide critical support to millions of New Yorkers.

The Chief brings together strategy, planning, data, policy, operations, and innovation to help the Department anticipate emerging needs, identify opportunities for improvement, allocate resources effectively, and develop and implement high-impact initiatives. The position has the widest latitude for independent decision-making and is expected to exercise executive judgment in setting priorities, resolving complex issues, and advancing the Commissioner’s strategic agenda.

Working directly with the Commissioner and in close partnership with the Agency’s other C-suite executives, the Chief ensures that DSS operates from a shared understanding of its goals, performance, challenges, and opportunities and that data and evidence are translated into action.

Office of Performance Management and Data Analytics (OPMDA) is recruiting for one (1) Assistant Commissioner (Social Services) M-VII to function as a Chief Planning, Data Analytics, and New Initiatives Officer who will:

Executive Leadership and Cross-Agency Coordination

• Serve as a member of the Department’s senior executive leadership team and collaborate closely with C-suite executives across DSS and HRA.

• Act as a connective force across programmatic, operational, policy, technology, finance, legal, communications, and administrative functions.

Enterprise Planning and Strategy

• Lead the Agency’s comprehensive strategic planning process, translating the Commissioner’s priorities into measurable goals, initiatives, milestones, and implementation strategies.

• Establish and maintain an enterprise-wide planning framework spanning DSS, HRA, and DHS.

• Identify emerging demographic, economic, social, operational, and policy trends that may affect the needs of New Yorkers and the Agency’s ability to serve them.

• Develop short-, medium-, and long-term strategic plans and advise the Commissioner on priorities, tradeoffs, risks, and opportunities.

• Coordinate planning across executive offices and ensure that major initiatives are aligned with agency-wide objectives.

• Develop frameworks for prioritizing investments, initiatives, and organizational capacity based on expected impact, feasibility, equity, and resource requirements.

• Lead strategic reviews of major programs and operations and recommend changes where data and evidence indicate opportunities for improved outcomes.

Data Analytics and Performance Management

• Serve as the Agency’s senior executive authority on the use of data and analytics to inform strategy, policy, operations, and resource allocation.

• Oversee the development and use of dashboards, performance indicators, predictive and descriptive analytics, geographic analyses, forecasting models, and other analytical tools.

• Establish enterprise-wide performance measures that assess both operational performance and outcomes for New Yorkers served by DSS.

• Integrate data from across DSS, DHS and HRA to identify patterns, unmet needs, service gaps, disparities, and opportunities for intervention.

• Promote rigorous evaluation of programs and initiatives, including establishing baseline measures, defining expected outcomes, and assessing impact.

• Work with technology, program, policy, finance, and operations leaders to strengthen data infrastructure, data governance, analytical capacity, and data quality.

• Use data to distinguish between symptoms and root causes and to identify opportunities for systemic improvement.

New Initiatives and Innovation

• Lead the identification, design, development, and implementation of major new initiatives to improve the lives of low-income and vulnerable New Yorkers.

• Translate insights from data, frontline operations, research, community engagement, and emerging trends into actionable proposals for new programs, services, policies, and operating models.

• Develop and test innovative approaches to improving access, service delivery, program participation, customer experience, and outcomes.

• Establish disciplined processes for developing, piloting, evaluating, scaling, modifying, or discontinuing new initiatives.

• Advise the Commissioner on opportunities to leverage policy changes, funding opportunities, technology, partnerships, and operational innovations to expand the Agency’s impact.

Hours/Shift: Monday - Friday/ 8am-5pm, 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.

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and five years of progressively responsible experience, including two years 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

2. 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

• Advanced degree in public policy, public administration, economics, data science, social sciences, business, law, or a related field. - Experience with large-scale government benefits or human services programs. - Experience overseeing multidisciplinary teams spanning strategy, analytics, policy, operations, and program development. - Experience using data and technology to redesign public services or improve customer outcomes. - Experience working with federal, State, and City government agencies and nonprofit or community-based organizations. - Experience developing and implementing initiatives on a significant scale.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness