PROGRAM LEAD

About the role

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)

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.