Deputy Director, Public Information and Engagement Research & Evaluation

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

- We maintain building and resident safety and health
- We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
- We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth. ________________________________________

The Office of Policy & Strategy (OPS) leverages its expertise to guide and support HPD and its many Offices in their efforts to deepen their impact, optimize their efficiency, and become more data-driven, compliance-attentive, climate-adaptive, and mission-focused. To do so, OPS collaborates with staff and senior leadership from across the Agency, as well as with representatives from other Agencies. OPS carries out its work through delivery of rigorous data, policy, and financial/credit analysis; technical and statistical research; and techniques in program visioning and design to all of HPD’s areas of practice. OPS comprises the Division of Housing Policy, the Division of Research and Evaluation, the Division of Strategic Operations and Analytics, the Division of Sustainability and the Credit & Valuation team. The Division of Research & Evaluation (R&E) conducts rigorous statistical analyses, large scale surveys, and evaluations of agency programming to support new knowledge and help refine practices related to the housing stock, population, and communities we serve. R&E leverages resources within and across the traditional divides of government and academia to facilitate the collection of high-quality data and promote multi-disciplinary approaches to housing policy research. Its research produces methodologically sound findings to shape effective policy and programming and promote data-driven policymaking in New York City and beyond.

The Center for Research on Housing Opportunity, Mobility, and Equity (HOME) within R&E conducts independent analysis of policy-relevant topics related to these key topics. This research center includes partnerships with other academic and government researchers with the aim of creating sound, relevant research evidence on housing as both a source of disparities and a means for achieving greater equity for all New Yorkers.

The Deputy Director for Public Information and Engagement will be responsible for developing and overseeing the strategic vision for all public information and engagement activities. This includes but is not limited to developing public outreach campaigns for multiple survey projects, engaging with users at varying levels of technical sophistication, and increasing the impact of the team’s various dissemination activities. The Deputy Director will be responsible for managing all public-facing data products, including data archives and innovative interfaces to share new data as they become available. The Deputy Director will focus on building legitimacy and public trust through a range of formats and types of content, prioritizing language justice and accessibility. The Deputy Director will focus particularly on ensuring data are inclusive and that a wide range of audiences are able to engage meaningfully with the team’s work.

The Deputy Director for Public Information and Engagement will:

- Coordinate with other leadership and analytic team members to develop a comprehensive strategy for enagaging public data users and increasing awareness of the team’s data and findings
- Engage with stakeholders, including survey participants, data users, academics, policymakers, and the general public to understand and anticipate future needs related to public information and data products;
- Work with R&E leadership to refine the Center for Research on HOME’s vision, mission, and values and ensuring all public-facing activities align with those priorities;
- Draft content for presentations, reports, social media posts, and websites related to the team’s research work;
- Identify new opportunities for disseminating the team’s projects, including presentations, public forums, academic conferences, and other convenings;
- Contribute to the development of grant-funded projects, including identifying potential funders, drafting proposals, and coordinating with outside partners;
- Collaborate with R&E leadership to develop and grow a team of analysts, data curators, and designers to support the ongoing work of public information and engagement;
- Oversee the development and publication of datasets and documentation to support a diverse user community;
- Coordinate with outside contractors, such as graphic designers, web developers, and technical writers, when necessary;
- Coordinate closely with HPD’s Office of External Affairs, including the Division of Government Affairs and the Division of Communications to ensure effective and timely coordination.

The Deputy Director will be required to undergo a background check with the U.S. Census Bureau to acquire Special Sworn Status in order to work with protected Title 13 data environment. The Data Coordinator will be responsible for working with confidential and sensitive data and must adhere to strict data privacy procedures, including working with other team members to reduce the risk of re-identification and disclosure.

Preferred skills
- Experience and/or ability in the following areas:
Communication about housing issues in New York City;
Use of research and data to communicate with a range of audiences;
Communication with a culturally and linguistically diverse public;
Engagement with policymakers, elected officials, and advocates;
- Commitment to mission-driven priorities within and across projects;
- Strong ethics and a commitment to conducting research with the goal of improving public policy;
- Ability to learn independently and think and work collaboratively;
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task;
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills;
- Preference for working in a team context and ability to form and maintain relationships in a professional context;
- Dedication to public service.
- Commitment to advancing equity and inclusion through policy and in the office.

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.