Job Description The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is an integral part of the City’s evolving criminal justice system, participating in reform initiatives and strategies aimed to move the City towards a smaller jail system without compromising public safety. The DOC is responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment for our employees, visitors, volunteers, and people in our custody. Importantly, safe jails enable DOC to provide people in custody with the tools and opportunities they need to successfully re-enter their communities. The DOC operates facilities and court commands across the five boroughs with more than 7,500 diverse professionals and knowledgeable experts. The New York City Department of Correction is seeking a highly motivated, collaborative, and goal-oriented individual to join the Strategic Initiatives Unit in the role of Executive Director. The Strategic Initiatives Unit oversees critical programs and initiatives initiated to improve systems and encourage institutional reform. The Unit is responsible for managing projects and programs designed to innovate, transform, and improve operations in support of the Department’s overall mission. These may include short-term, high-impact, Department-wide initiatives, as well as large-scale multi-agency projects requiring coordination with both internal and external stakeholders. The Strategic Initiatives Unit is also responsible for policy management, development, and implementation. Reporting to the Assistant Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives with latitude to exercise independent judgment and decision-making, the selected candidate will play a critical leadership role. The selected candidate’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following: - Oversee, direct, and manage a team of professionals responsible for policy management including tracking and managing all agency policies, operations orders, and memorandums. - Work closely with all levels of the agency including senior leadership on policy development. - Employ a holistic, project-based approach to policy development and project planning. - Conduct analysis, monitoring, measurement, reviews, and continuous improvement of the agency’s policies. - Create systems to improve policy development and evaluation. - Ensure policies are aligned with regulatory and oversight entities' standards and requirements. - Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to translate Departmental goals into actionable plans and policies. - Develop process improvement strategies to enhance the creation of policies and promulgation and access for employees. - Deliver informed recommendations to align policy and program efforts with agency priorities. - Recognize risks and mitigation strategies, and escalate issues and concerns to appropriate stakeholders. - Communicate transformative and innovative ideas to agency employees to support successful project and policy implementation. - Identify effective ways to minimize potential adverse effects of institutional change. - Build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including internal and external stakeholders. - Initiate and lead policy working groups with policy-making stakeholders and front-line staff. - Ensure timely promulgation, publication and distribution of all new policies; and - Perform special projects and related duties as assigned. Qualifications Qualification Requirements 1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and four years of full-time experience in corrections, social work, psychology, law, public administration, law enforcement, or a related field providing direct services to an inmate or detention population within a correctional or related facility, at least one (1) year of which must have been in a responsible supervisory, administrative or consultative capacity; or 2. A high school diploma or evidence of having passed a high school equivalency examination and six (6) years of full-time experience as described above; or 3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Service as an inmate in correctional or related facility may be substituted for a portion of the required experience up to a maximum of two years on a year for year basis. A graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in social work, psychology, law, criminal justice or public administration which includes a field placement performing duties as described above, may be substituted for up to one year of full-time experience as described in "1" above. However, all candidates must have at least two years of full-time experience as described in "1" above, at least one year of which must have been in a supervisory, administrative or consultative capacity. 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.