Job Description

Only permanent employees in this title and those that are reachable on the civil service list are eligible to apply.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) supports youth and community services through contracts with a broad network of Community-Based Organizations (CBO) throughout New York City. Our central task is administering available city, state and federal funds to a wide range of innovative, practical and quality programs that positively impact youth and communities. DYCD is the designated Community Action Agency for New York City, and administers federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funded programs to assist low income individuals and families to attain the skills, knowledge, motivation and opportunities they need to become self-sufficient and productive members of their communities.

In order to maximize the impact of federal CSBG funding, DYCD targets funds to low-income communities, which it designates as Neighborhood Development Areas (NDAs). The CSBG and NDA Initiative, working through 41 low income neighborhoods across the city, fosters community-level engagement to ensure that residents have opportunities to contribute to change in their neighborhoods and that services address the most pressing needs of each community.

Established by Local Law 193, the Commission on Community Reinvestment and the Closure of Riker’s Island is committed to the process of equitable reinvestment of savings from the closure of Rikers for justice-involved and justice-impacted communities. The Commission engages numerous stakeholders for public input, and issues periodic reinvestment recommendations and findings. DYCD’s work with and practical support to the Commission is aligned with our role as a Community Action Agency charged to demonstrate the maximum feasible participation of those affected by poverty and invested in the community and buttresses the Strategic Outreach model of robust community-level engagement.

More recently, NYC agencies developed a Blueprint for Community Safety, consisting of a set of strategic areas to address the upstream causes of violence in impacted communities to reduce shooting incidents and ensure that children and their families, young adults, and formerly incarcerated New Yorkers have full access to the opportunities that help them thrive. Included among these strategies is the concept of Neighborhood Safety Councils (NSCs) whose goals focus on empowering community leaders to co-design, implement, and monitor safety initiatives.

DYCD is seeking a Community Reinvestment Specialist who, under supervision, with latitude for the exercise of independent action and decision making, will a) serve as a liaison to the Commission as well as the NSCs and b) help promote efforts to advance community development and public safety throughout the Community Development portfolio (e.g. via relevant strategic meetings, ongoing workgroups, etc.) and will perform the following duties:

• Conduct outreach to build awareness; cultivate the growth of community members into community leaders who will engage constructively with DYCD related to local neighborhood initiatives
• Coordinate and attend Commission and NSC meetings to ensure these are well attended and occur on a routine basis (this would include weekends and evenings) and that relevant documentation (e.g. member applications, meeting agendas, minutes, etc.) is handled appropriately and in a timely and efficient manner
• Maintain the records of activity for each Member for Commission, NSC, and other relevant meetings using DYCD’s electronic database, as well as hard files
• Schedule meetings and arrange meeting locations/times; promote attendance
• Assist in unit-wide, Division-wide, and Agencywideinitiatives such as public events like street fairs, community forums, “meet and greet” events with CSBG-funded CBOs, National Night Out Against Crime, etc. (this includes weekends and evenings)
• Provide technical expertise to Commission and NSC members, workgroup participants, etc. to bolster their proficiency related to board governance and Results Oriented Management and Accountability practices as well as their adherence to protocols
• Monitor and analyze longitudinal performance of Commission and NSCs provide periodic reports. Provide regular updates to supervisory staff concerning current systems/program objectives/implementation of programs, along with recommendations to improve delivery of services and flow of work
• Liaise with local community groups, community boards and elected officials offices to raise awareness
• Assist the agency to determine services needs through the implementation of the periodic Community Needs Assessment, involving street surveys, key stakeholder surveys and public hearings
• Serve as the agency’s representative at meetings, conferences, public hearings, community events, symposia, etc.
• Perform difficult and responsible clerical operations
• Perform other duties as assigned or directed

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U. S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and four years of satisfactory, full-time community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibility for planning, organizing, coordinating, developing, evaluating and/or administering a large community service program or activity; or
2. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and eight years of satisfactory, full-time experience as described in "1" above, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above; or
3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Undergraduate education above the high school level may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 4 years. Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate degree may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, on the basis of 30 graduate credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 2 years. However, all candidates must possess a four-year high school diploma or its educational
equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and two years of full-time experience in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above.

Additional Information

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Must possess excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Must possess strong leadership, organizational and analytical skills
• Must possess a high degree of self-motivation and the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Strong ability to work with a variety of people representing diverse faith, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds
• Proficient with computers, including Microsoft Excel, Power Point, and Word
• Flexibility regarding working evenings and weekends
• Professional telephone manner and ability to represent the agency at public meetings
• Proficiency in other languages in addition to English preferred
• Prior experience in community organizing, strategic planning, and/or community development with individuals/families with low-incomes a plus
• Knowledge of parliamentary procedure (“Robert’s Rules of Order”) a plus

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.