Senior Planner

The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) invests in a network of

community-based organizations (CBOs) to alleviate the effects of poverty and to provide opportunities

for New Yorkers and communities to flourish.

DYCD’s initiatives include COMPASS, the City’s comprehensive afterschool system, Beacon Community

Centers, adult and youth literacy programs, youth employment programs, services for runaway and homeless youth, antiviolence initiatives, and

community development programs.

DYCD also collaborates with other City agencies on a range of mayoral initiatives to improve City

services and ensure greater opportunities for minority and immigrant youth and families.

This role is situated within the Bureau of Planning, Program Integration, and Evaluation (PPIE), which

promotes data-driven and evidence-informed decision-making across DYCD and provides training and

technical assistance to service providers to ensure high-quality services in communities through

capacity building.

This is a part of the Program Design team. Situated within PPIE, the Program

Design Team performs program and policy research for DYCD and manages the request for proposal

(RFP) development process.

The Office designs programs and prepares DYCD requests for RFPs by conducting research and

obtaining input from program administrators, participants and a broad range

of stakeholders.

Planners also conduct focused implementation assessments of DYCD’s programs at the midpoint of their

contract period. Reporting to the Senior Director of PPIE, the Senior Planner will:

• Lead RFP development for programs that address barriers to employment and create networks of
  
  

supports to improve community safety in collaboration with the Senior Director of PPIE and other units;

• Draft RFPs, concepts papers, and other procurement documents for multiple units across the agency;
• Design and facilitate intra-agency meetings to develop and revise program design; establish policies
  
  

and encourage consistent implementation practice across DYCD;

• Conduct research and literature reviews to determine best practices, design and plan programs;
• Conduct focus groups and interviews with stakeholders, including participants, service providers,
  
  

experts and advocates to inform program design;

• Apply human-centered design approaches such as journey mapping, root cause analysis, and
  
  

extensive stakeholder input sessions and surveys;

• Obtain and analyze data (e.g., census bureau, labor market, internal system data);
  
  

Summarize findings of analysis, research, and stakeholder engagement for stakeholders;

• Hold trainings and pre-proposal conferences to describe RFPs and answer questions from various
  
  

stakeholders;

• Draft rating guides and train evaluators scoring proposals received in response to RFPs;
• Embed change management process and competencies to support implementation and reinforcement
  
  

of new program requirements;

• Additional tasks including reviewing and rating proposals, grant-writing, participating in workgroups
  
  

with other units and divisions within DYCD, and interacting with other City agencies to coordinate joint

initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

• For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
  
  

To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:

• A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.
  
  

Note

Probationary Period

Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Preferred Skills

Excellent writing and editing skills. Excellent project management skills, including ability to develop and manage processes involving multiple stakeholders and deadlines. Ability to engage diverse stakeholders and communities. Knowledge and/or experience in community safety programs or programs that address barriers to employment. Excellent facilitation, communication, and consensus-building skills. Experience leading decision-making meetings and using strategies to reach consensus. Direct program experience.

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/.

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.