Senior Program Officer for Special Projects, OFE

Senior Program Officer For Special Projects

This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program. The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City's communities. Within DCWP, the Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) focuses on initiatives that support New Yorkers and communities with low incomes in building wealth and improving their financial health. OFE is the first local government initiative in the country with the mission to educate, empower, and protect New Yorkers and neighborhoods with low incomes so they can build assets and make the most of their financial resources. OFE uses data and research, policy, partnerships, and convenings to advance its mission. Using this model, OFE is able to develop, offer, and advocate for innovative programs and products for all New Yorkers. The Research team analyzes multiple data sources for reporting and evaluation to help OFE fulfill its mission of improving the financial health of New Yorkers, reach its program goals and demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of its work; identifies patterns and insights that help identify systemic barriers across New York City to financial health; and creates publicly-available research reports and other materials. The Policy team monitors regulatory changes that would impact the delivery of financial empowerment services; develops policy priorities from OFE's on-the-ground work; and with national stakeholders, supports the development of materials that further DCWP's policy agenda. The Senior Program Officer for Special Projects will lead the agency's student loan initiatives for City employees and NYC residents, as announced during the Adams Administration's 2025 State of the City Address. The Senior Program Officer for Special Projects will have the primary responsibility of supporting the day-to-day operations of the initiatives, raising awareness and engagement of the initiative through the development of a network of agencies, community-based organizations, schools and advocates and contributing to an informational campaign across NYC. The individual should have demonstrated experience in relationship management, coalition or network building experience, and strong written and oral communication skills. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to :

• Serve as OFE project manager of its student loan initiatives by supporting and overseeing effective project management on all elements of the initiative, including developing work plans with clear deliverables and deadlines, coordinating and leading stakeholder and working group meetings, and managing the performance of partners / contractors;
• Liaise with partners / contractors, monitoring operations and service delivery, maintaining relationships with partners and stakeholders, and reporting on trends;
• Work with City agencies and other stakeholders to receive feedback on platform functioning, user experience, and partner knowledge to surface issues and to develop a feedback process with the vendor to identify improvements and solve issues;
• Build and maintain relationships with agencies, community-based organizations, employers, unions, advocates and philanthropic funders who can assist and support awareness and outreach efforts that engage organizations and residents in the initiative;
• Collaborate with internal and external DCWP partners to implement a public awareness campaign, including identifying partners, creating content, and managing the distribution of campaign materials;
• Maintain up-to-date research and working knowledge of key issues, policies, and thought leaders within student loans, higher education, and financial products, and provide OFE Executive Team with timely updates and proposals as appropriate and as opportunities arise;
• Share findings and write summaries, briefs, or papers, as needed, to inform the broader financial empowerment and economic development fields;
• Draft, proofread and / or edit a range of materials, including but not limited to publications, reports, program documents, policy memos, presentations, and press releases;
• Implement and manage special projects as needed to reduce systemic inequality including monitoring financial products that emerge in the marketplace including nonbank fintech space;
• Represent OFE at outreach events as appropriate and help to plan, organize and execute various events including meetings, conferences and convenings.

Minimum Qualifications :

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or 2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or 3. 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.

Preferred Skills :

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 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 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.