CITY RESEARCH SCIENTIST

The Office of Research and Policy Innovation (ORPI) brings together four units that provide critical policy-related information through scientific research and evaluation methods to agency leadership. ORPI also supports a broad network of homeless services providers, as the official NYC government partner for federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants.

As the DSS policy analysis, research, and program evaluation unit, the Office of Evaluation and Research (OER; a unit of the DSS Office of Research and Policy Innovation, ORPI) informs high-level decision-making across DSS-HRA-DHS. Through rigorous research studies and evaluations, OER develops and analyzes the evidence base for HRA and DHS work and provides unbiased recommendations regarding priority issues and initiatives to the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Administrations, the DSS Chief Program Planning and Financial Management Officer, and HRA and DHS program leadership. Staff bring an interdisciplinary lens to their work, drawing on a broad range of quantitative and qualitative social science research methods.

OER is recruiting for one (1) City Research Scientist II who will support a large portfolio of program evaluations and research studies related to homelessness prevention, street outreach, homeless shelter services, and rehousing. In that capacity, the CRS II will:

• Conduct outcome and impact evaluations of pilot programs and other priority interventions across a wide range of DSS/HRA/DHS program areas using rigorous experimental, quasi-experimental, and mixed-methods designs.
• Implement policy and data research projects to address questions posed by program leadership and executive staff about agency operations and policies and the needs and experiences of our clients, staff, and other target populations.
• Work with large administrative sets, including data matching, data cleaning, and conducting bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses.
• Collect primary data in support of evaluation and research efforts, including drafting data collection instruments and consent processes and coordinating logistics for surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations of client-staff interactions.
• Produce environmental scans and literature reviews, synthesizing existing research from the academic literature and external research organizations.
• Support the agency’s annual effort to estimate unsheltered homelessness in NYC (the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate, HOPE).
• Present findings at internal and external meetings, including national research conferences.
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Work location: 4 World Trade Center

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

• Expertise in research and evaluation methods, including experience designing and implementing experimental and/or quasi-experimental program evaluations, preferably in the field of housing and homelessness. - Working knowledge of applied statistics and data analytics, including proficiency in a statistical software package (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R). - Experience analyzing large-scale survey or administrative data, such as the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. - Experience collecting and analyzing primary data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and/or observations. - Experience disseminating research findings through written reports and presentations. - Working knowledge of federal and state social policies and programs related to housing and homelessness.
  
  

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.