EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS

Executive Director Of Special Projects

The New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is the largest organization in the United States dedicated to preventing and addressing homelessness. In partnership with other City Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations, DHS works to prevent homelessness before it begins, reduces street homelessness, provide temporary shelter, and connect individuals and families to stable housing all with a focus on accountability, empathy, and equity. DHS is committed to continuous improvement and employs innovative strategies to deliver high-quality services that support a swift transition from shelter to self-sufficiency. The agency manages hundreds of facilities and operates with a large team as well as a several billion-dollar budget to meet the diverse needs of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. The Division of Shelter Operations oversees the day-to-day operations of the agency's Single Adult, Adulty Families and Families with Children shelter systems, both directly run and contracted providers. The work done in this Division centers on the re-housing of all shelter populations and the implementation of programming / shelter initiatives. This Division is responsible for making sure that services to the City's most vulnerable population are delivered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and throughout the five boroughs. The Executive Director of Special Projects plays a critical role in supporting the leadership team of DHS in shaping and executing the Agency's strategic vision to address homelessness across New York City. This senior-level position involves advising on policy and programmatic initiatives, as well as strategic planning and problem-solving to build and foster relationships across DSS / HRA / DHS and other City agencies and government entities. The Executive Director of Special Projects reports directly to the Chief of Shelter Operations and will work closely with the DHS Executive Office Staff, Deputy Commissioners and other senior leadership, and the Department of Social Services' (DSS) Office of the General Counsel and Office of Legal Affairs' Homeless Litigation and Program Counseling Unit (HLPCU). Additionally, this position will engage with various stakeholders to implement innovative solutions that advance DHS' mission to prevent homelessness, provide transitional housing, and promote long-term housing stability for individuals and families.

The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is recruiting for one (1) Administrative Director of Social Services-M-III to function as the Executive Director of Special Projects who will :

• Collaborate with City Agency Legal Partners on matters connected to the Agency and the Mayoral Administration.
• Serve as the primary liaison for the Chief of Shelter Operations with the Office of the General Counsel on matters pertaining to the implementation of law and regulations through high-level policy and operations.
• Work together with the Office of Legal Affairs' Homeless Litigation and Program Counseling Unit on legal matters affecting the current and future operations of the Agency, including but not limited to implementation of legal settlements (e.g., Butler v. City of New York).
• Ensure compliance with the Callahan Consent Decree and with other court orders and regulations governing the right to shelter and shelter conditions.
• Team up with special offices (e.g., Office of Disability Affairs, DHS Health Services, Office of LGBTQI Affairs) on compliance with federal, state and local laws governing protections for specific shelter populations.
• Serve as primary contact / liaison with external advocates and advocacy organizations regarding the provision of shelter and shelter related services.
• Research and stay abreast of Federal, State and Local issues concerning and impacting shelter operations, and develop action plans to make adjustments / modifications to Agency policies and procedures, operational and systems changes as necessary.
• Design and implement approaches to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of ongoing policies and initiatives.
• Serve as the primary responsible party for continuous performance improvements of all areas reporting to the Chief of Shelter Operations, including production of reports, memos and narrative summaries.
• Represent the Chief of Shelter Operations at high-level meetings with DHS Leadership and other City Agency partners and Government entities.
• Manage departments / units and / or other special projects as needed.
• Collaborate with the Chief of Shelter Operations' direct reports on various assignments / projects.

Hours / Schedule : Monday-Friday 8 : 00am-4 : 00pm

Qualifications :

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and four years of progressively responsible experience, in a large governmental agency, business firm, civic or community organization operating in the area of social services, including one year at the administrative or managerial level; or 2. Education and / or experience equivalent to "1" above. Graduate education or a license may substitute for up to a maximum of three years of experience in the area of social services, but not for the one year of experience at the administrative or managerial level as described in "1" above, as follows : (A) A master's degree from an accredited college or university in accounting, business, child welfare, counseling, economics, education, finance, human resources, labor relations, management, management science, nursing, operations research, organizational behavior, personnel or public administration, political science, psychology, sociology, social work, statistics, and / or urban studies may substitute for two years of experience; and / or (B) Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate degree may be substituted at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university in the area(s) listed in "2(A)" above for each year of experience up to a maximum of three years; or (C) A valid New York State Registration as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) may substitute for three years of experience. However, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and one year of experience at the administrative or management level as described in "1" above.

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.