Program Officer, Volunteers - 700603

THIS POSITION MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REMOTE WORK FOR UP TO 2 DAYS PER WEEK, PURSUANT TO THE REMOTE WORK PILOT PROGRAM.

To Apply: Email your resume and cover letter to dcwpjobs@dcwp.nyc.gov with the Job ID number and Position Name in the subject line.

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 more than 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection, licensing, and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources and, by helping to resolve complaints, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. Through its community outreach and the work of its offices of Financial Empowerment and Labor Policy & Standards, DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to be educated consumers and 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. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp or on its social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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.

OFE is currently seeking a Program Officer to join OFE’s Asset Building team, whose primary responsibility is to lead the volunteer program that supports the Annual Tax Season Initiative. This individual is an enthusiastic relationship builder and organized project manager who will lead the development and implementation of activities to expand the number of volunteers supporting the NYC Free Tax Preparation initiative and increase utilization of this vital service. The ideal candidate brings experience in relationship building, volunteer recruitment, volunteer program management and training, is deeply committed to financial inclusion, and can effectively manage multiple projects and timelines. The Program Officer will report to a Senior Program Officer, who oversees the Annual Tax Season Initiative.

OFE coordinates the Annual Tax Season Initiative, which seeks to increase awareness of and access to free tax preparation services and valuable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the New York City Child Care Tax Credit (NYC CCTC). The Annual Tax Season Initiative is a key component of DCWP OFE s strategy to help New Yorkers build assets, save for emergencies and increase their financial stability. Through its primary activity, the NYC Free Tax Prep program, OFE seeks to increase access to and awareness of free tax preparation services and valuable tax credits and use tax time as an opportunity to connect filers to asset building and financial health resources. Through NYC Free Tax Prep, OFE coordinates a network of non-profit
organizations who deliver Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE) and AARP Tax-Aide programs at approximately 150 sites throughout the city, as well as online self-preparation at nyc.gov/taxprep. Since 2014, more than 900,000 returns have been completed for New Yorkers, helping them to save an estimated $140 million in tax prep fee savings.

Duties of the Program Officer will include, but are not limited to:

• Helping improve volunteer recruitment and retention at NYC Free Tax Prep and Self-Employed Tax prep sites, with a focus on the identification, creation and maintenance of large-scale volunteer partnerships with colleges, universities, employers, and other government agencies;
• Managing the implementation of a volunteer recruitment campaign, including conducting outreach, identifying partners, creating content, giving presentations and managing the distribution of campaign materials;
• Leading the development of training materials and delivery of workshops to train volunteers on program requirements including IRS VITA/TCE guidelines and applicable state and local tax law;
• Leading the development of training materials and delivery of workshops to train tax prep provider organizations on volunteer management best practices;
• Managing and developing feedback loops with providers, volunteers, and other strategic partners to capture ideas for improving volunteer recruitment and retention to better support free tax preparation services such as site visits, consultations, and other activities;
• Assisting Senior Program Officers in liaising with nonprofit service providers, monitoring volunteer operations and service delivery, maintaining relationships with provider managers, and reporting on trends;
• Working with the data analysis and evaluation team to understand and document success of volunteer programs, develop new and improve upon existing report templates, pull reports on the performance of volunteer programs, and review reports for quality assurance purposes;
• Providing general administrative assistance including drafting, proofreading and/or editing a range of materials, including but not limited to reports, program documents, and presentations.
• Represent OFE at outreach events, as appropriate, and help to plan, organize and execute various events including meetings, conferences and convenings; and
• Support and contribute to broader team projects as needed, as a member of the Asset Building Programs team