Senior Advisor to the Dss First Deputy Commissioner

About the role

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Under the direction of the DSS First Deputy Commissioner (DSS FDC), the Senior Advisor will provide support and advice to help implement the agency's priorities. The Senior Advisor will assist with managing the work of DSS and the creation, direction and administration of agency policy initiatives and/or programs for DSS internal operations including External Affairs, Accountability Office, Information Technology Services, Emergency Food Assistance Program, Office of Administrative Hearings, and the Planning Office. The Senior Advisor will assist the DSS FDC in providing support for the DSS General Counsel/Chief Legal Affairs Officer, DSS Chief Program Performance and Financial Management Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and the Administrators of both the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The position will include broad contact with the senior agency staff, City Hall staff, and key partner agencies. The Office of the DSS First Deputy Commissioner is recruiting for a Deputy Director of Administration, M-III to function as a Senior Advisor to the DSS First Deputy Commissioner (FDC). The Senior Advisor will also be responsible for representing the DSS FDC in meetings with senior agency staff, and external stakeholders and will: - Act as the lead, and on behalf of the DSS FDC, collaborates with executives from the Department of Homeless Services, Department of Social Services and the Human Resources Administration on critical interagency initiatives, i.e., IT system solutions, program monitoring, resource allocation and fiscal management, legal settlement compliance, contract management, interagency project and operation coordination where seamless integration effort would serve to enhance the quality of life for agency clients, and in special projects relating to IT and budget management. Chairs and leads the agency's participants from DSS, HRA and DHS in various interagency cabinets, including but not limited to the Children's Cabinet, Gun Violence Task Force and Older Adult Cabinet. - Oversee policies for the DSS portfolio of food. Brainstorms, develops, manages projects, and implements program policy and operations initiatives with the highest quality standards of practice as these pertain to program areas under the DSS FDC, the Chief Operating Officer and the DHS and HRA Administrators. This portfolio includes the following program areas: Community Food Connection Program, shelter food policies and the HRA emergency food contract. Serves as the agency's primary liaison to the Mayor's Office of Food Policy. Advises on the development of a stronger integration of citywide and agency wide services. - Explore current operations, program services and governing rules and regulations to recommend new initiatives that address the needs of the DSS program participants. Serves as agency liaison to task forces and other city-wide efforts relating to new initiatives and governing rules and regulations in the area of social services. Advises the DSS FDC and Commissioner on emerging trends and opportunities in the area of social services. - Act as the lead and on behalf of the DSS FDC collaborates with Chief Officers and Deputy Commissioners on critical agency concerns, i.e., budget, fulfillment of mission by program areas, functional/staffing concerns, cross-program initiatives, interagency communication, that are central to improving the quality of life of individuals to whom DSS/HRA/DHS programs are tailored while ensuring adherence to federal, state and local mandates. - Responsible for making time-sensitive operational and policy decisions in collaboration with the DSS FDC, Chief Officers, and Deputy Commissioners that will have agency wide impact, affecting service delivery within any functional area under the auspices of DSS. - Research and keep abreast of current practices, programs and legislative enactments on DSS operational and program issues; disseminate new information, best practices and funding opportunities to the Chief Officers. - Participate in, and in the DSS FDC's absence, represents the DSS FDC in regular meetings with DSS Leadership, such as with the Commissioner, the Chief Officers and others, as well as leaders of the City and State partner agencies in the formulation of long and short-range plans with re