Digital Inclusion Officer - 25123

Position Summary: The Digital Inclusion Officer (DIO) is responsible for overseeing strategies and operational plans to engage and align external and internal constituents on work related to digital content and services and the expansion and modernization of technology systems and capabilities across the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS). This role leads efforts to continuously improve the accessibility (A11Y), usability, and information architecture related to the 400 applications that are managed and developed by DIIT, along with applications developed by third-party vendors, as well as the day-to-day operations, budget, policy implications, and strategic direction of the Office of Digital Content and Services.

The incumbent will lead digital accessibility efforts across the NYCPS, advocating for and ensuring that all digital communications, resources, and technology meet high standards of accessibility. Acting as the primary liaison to the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), the DIO will drive cross-departmental efforts to create a digital environment that is inclusive for all users. This role will oversee and ensure the accessibility of new applications as they are being developed along with remediation of legacy systems, digital communications, and other electronic resources, fostering a culture of accessibility agency-wid. The DIO will convene DIIT’s developers and other staff to provide training and guidance around developing accessible applications and remediating legacy systems. Performs related work.

Reports to: Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Direct Reports: Director, Digital Accessibility and Inclusion; Coordinators, Digital Content and Services, Digital Content Consultants/Designers, A11Y Staff/Consultants.

Key Relationships: Chief Information Officer; DIIT’s UI/UX team; cross-functional leaders in other NYCPS offices and divisions, including: the Division of Community Empowerment, Partnerships, and Communications, the Office of the First Deputy Chancellor, the Office of the Chief Academic Officer, Office of the General Council, members of the Chancellor’s Office, relevant cabinet members and/or deputies and comms points; the NYCPS’s Press Office; external City agency leaders at the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI), DIIT’s Senior Leadership Team and their respective teams; and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD).

Responsibilities

Strategic Accessibility Planning and Prioritization

• Collaborate with OTI, MOPD, DIIT, and NYCPS leadership to assess the agency’s 400 applications and platforms and prioritize agency digital assets that require accessibility enhancements, creating a strategic timeline for implementation over the next 1-2 years and beyond.
• Serve as an accessibility advocate, ensuring that all strategic digital initiatives/application development prioritizes inclusivity and usability for individuals of all abilities.
  
  

Monitor and Ensure Accessible Communications

• Regularly audit samples of outgoing communications—including emails, social media posts, electronic documents, and multimedia content—to verify compliance with accessibility standards.
• Identify and recommend corrective actions for any accessibility issues discovered, working closely with relevant teams to enhance the consistency and accessibility of all digital communications.
  
  

Guidance on Accessible Technology Procurement and Development

• Act as the NYCPS’s subject matter expert on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility during production, procurement, and application development stages.
• Work closely with development teams to ensure all new and updated applications are designed, tested, and launched with full accessibility, in compliance with WCAG, ADA, and Section 508 standards.
• Collaborate with MOPD and OTI to include precise accessibility requirements in procurement documents, ensuring that all new ICT acquisitions and applications meet accessibility standards from the outset.
• Oversee accessibility testing and validation for all ICT resources and applications, certifying compliance with both local and national standards.
  
  

Training and Capacity-Building

• Identify and assess digital accessibility training needs within the NYCPS. Develop targeted programs to build staff capacity in collaboration with OTI and MOPD.
• Organize and lead training sessions to equip staff with knowledge and skills in digital accessibility, fostering a consistent, agency-wide approach to inclusivity.
  
  

Data Collection and Compliance Reporting

• Compile and submit accessibility data to MOPD, supporting compliance with Local Law 26’s bi-annual reporting requirements.
• Maintain accurate records of digital accessibility efforts and improvements, documenting successes, challenges, and areas for ongoing improvement.
  
  

Day-to-Day Operations

• Leads the day-to-day operations, budget, policy implications, and strategic direction of the Office of Digital Content and Services:

• Builds a culture predicated upon teamwork and trust, promoting creative problem-solving leads a team of editors and designers, who collaborate with NYCPS offices and divisions to implement a comprehensive online communication and marketing strategy for the NYCPS and its schools;
• Directs a team of executives, digital content specialists, knowledge managers, researchers, and developers who enable DIIT teams to partner with schools to prototype, test, and share innovative tools and practices;
• Identifies needed vendor products, establishes relationships with and directs the work of vendors.
• Provides strategic and creative solutions and guidance to teams across DIIT to reach digital content goals for DIIT products and services.
• Oversees digital content strategies and operational plans to engage and align external and internal constituents on work related to the modernization of NYCPS technical systems and expansion of technology capabilities across the NYCPS, including:

• Develops and implements strategies and tactics for new technology adoption at the NYCPS;
• Engages and manages relationships with advocacy and funding partners, including those in other city agencies, to promote NYCPS policy objectives related to technology support and digital content;
• Liaises with unions and other external stakeholders with respect to matters of technology and digital content policy;
• Evaluates the effectiveness of all digital content across the organization and direct changes in strategy and execution as required;
• Stays abreast of trends in adaptive design, educational technology, and other digital forms of expression that are relevant to the NYCPS;
• Works with DIIT teams to create standards for clear, concise content that is incorporated into new applications, technical services and educational products;
• Creates marketing and communication plans and content to support product rollouts. Ensures digital content and graphics are standardized and aligned with NYCPS Communications branding and protocols;
• Works with DIIT’s Human Capital team to create and deliver digital content regarding organizational change management and employee engagement;
• Collaborates with the NYCPS press office on relevant press stories.
• Leads efforts to continuously improve the usability of digital content services related to NYCPS systems, infrastructure, and third-party digital products and properties:

• Identifies, perpetuates, and evangelizes best practices in digital content services;
• Ensures collaboration and input across teams and leads development of high quality, accessible, and user-friendly digital content and services students, staff, and families;
• Incorporates digital media/Web 2.0 tools such as social media, SMS, email marketing, and other tools as services into strategic planning for digital content rollout;
• Gathers and analyzes data to continuously inform and improve how DIIT uses digital content services such as templates, formats, and processes;
• Develop comprehensive framework for IT communication and documentation strategy, processes, and policies;
• Implement editorial standards for IT applications, user manuals, including development of templates, style guides, workflows, and step-by-step instructions that support these practices;
• Translate complex IT product technical information into simple, polished, and engaging content for end-users;
• Create end-user feedback processes to maximize engagement with NYCPS IT application content.
• Develop IT-related communication and documentation that maximizes effective use and engagement with IT applications;
• Maintain a repository of IT related reference materials, including research, usability tests, and design specifications;
  
  
Qualification Requirements

Minimum

• A master's degree from an accredited college in economics, finance, accounting, business or public administration, public health, human resources management, management science, operations research, organizational behavior, industrial psychology, statistics, personnel administration, labor relations, psychology, sociology, human resources development, political science, urban studies or a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school, and two years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following: working with the budget of a large public or private concern in budget administration, accounting, economic or financial administration, or fiscal or economic research; or in management or methods analysis, operations research, organizational research or program evaluation; or in personnel or public administration, recruitment, position classification, personnel relations, labor relations, employee benefits, staff development, employment program planning/administration, labor market research, economic planning, social services program planning/evaluation, or fiscal management. Eighteen (18) months of this experience must have been in an executive, managerial, administrative, or supervisory capacity. Supervision must have included supervising staff performing professional work in the areas described above; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in the areas described in “1” above, including the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience, as described in “1” above.
• An associate degree or completion of 60 semester credits from an accredited college and six years of satisfactory full-time professional experience as described in “1” above, including the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience, as described in “1” above.
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and eight years of satisfactory full-time professional experience as described in “1” above, including the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience, as described in “1” above.
• A combination of education and/or experience equivalent to “1”, “2”, “3”, or “4” above. College education may be substituted for professional experience at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for one year of experience. However, all candidates must have a high school diploma and at least two years of experience as described in “1” above, including the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience, as described in “1” above.
  

Preferred

• Firm grasp of both the content creation/editorial process and a deep understanding of a wide variety of communication technologies (email, website, mobile, SMS, and social media).
• Strong understanding of WCAG, ADA, and Section 508 standards, and Local Law 12, with experience implementing these guidelines in large-scale applications and digital platforms.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning for digital accessibility, including the ability to assess and prioritize digital assets based on accessibility needs and develop a phased roadmap for implementation.
• Familiarity with accessible technology, procurement and development, with the ability to guide teams in integrating accessibility requirements into ICT acquisitions and application development.
• Strategic planning and organizational development experience.
• Able to motivate, lead, guide, and direct people.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; highly developed management, supervisory and communication skills for directing a large organization of professional staff.
• Ability to mobilize disparate groups of people toward a common and ambitious goal and translate insights into action.
• Skilled in managing teams with disparate and sometimes competing interests.
• Well-organized; able to work under pressure and effectively prioritize in a demanding environment.
• Clear communicator who can make presentations to a variety of constituencies within the NYCPS.
• Excellent communication skills. Must be able to clearly articulate priorities, policies, and goals.
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Experience in writing and editing materials for print and web-based communication.
• Experience in education, nonprofit organizations, government or consulting.
• Skilled in interpreting complex problems and synthesizing solutions.
• Analytics skills: Ability to measure the effectiveness of an organization’s use of online tools, as well as the usability of its websites and other online content.
• Experience with enterprise-scale operations and client management or running significant programs for a large organization.
• Strong strategic thinking, including the ability to see how accessible digital communication can help achieve an organization’s strategic objectives.
• Ability to understand and facilitate both business requirements and communication strategy.
• Working knowledge of accessible digital communication strategies.
• Experience in large-scale operations and administrative management.
• Knowledge of NYCPS policy and procedures and the ability to interpret and apply policies effectively.
  
  

Salary: $186,848 - $191,000

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

• New York City Residency is NOT Required *
  
  

We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DOE Non- Discrimination Policy

The Department of Education of 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 upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or pregnancy. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy.

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 https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.