CITY RESEARCH SCIENTIST

City of New York - New York, NY

Full-time - Mid Level

New York, NY

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The Office of Research and Policy Innovation (ORPI) is a critical unit within the NYC government that focuses on providing essential policy-related information through scientific research and evaluation methods. The Office of Evaluation and Research (OER), a part of ORPI, plays a vital role in informing high-level decision-making across the Department of Social Services (DSS), Human Resources Administration (HRA), and Department of Homeless Services (DHS). OER conducts rigorous research studies and evaluations to develop and analyze the evidence base for HRA and DHS initiatives, offering unbiased recommendations to key leadership within the DSS. The staff at OER utilize an interdisciplinary approach, employing a variety of quantitative and qualitative social science research methods to address complex issues related to homelessness and social services. The City Research Scientist II (CRS II) position is designed to support a comprehensive portfolio of program evaluations and research studies focused on homelessness prevention, street outreach, homeless shelter services, and rehousing efforts. The CRS II will be responsible for conducting outcome and impact evaluations of various pilot programs and priority interventions across DSS/HRA/DHS program areas. This role requires the implementation of policy and data research projects that respond to inquiries from program leadership and executive staff regarding agency operations, policies, and the needs of clients and staff. The CRS II will work with large administrative datasets, performing data matching, cleaning, and conducting both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses. In addition to quantitative analysis, the CRS II will collect primary data to support evaluation and research efforts. This includes drafting data collection instruments, managing consent processes, and coordinating logistics for surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations of client-staff interactions. The role also involves producing environmental scans and literature reviews, synthesizing existing research from academic literature and external research organizations. Furthermore, the CRS II will contribute to the agency's annual effort to estimate unsheltered homelessness in NYC through the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) and will present findings at both internal and external meetings, including national research conferences.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Requirements

• 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 the 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 as described above.