Assistant Commissioner, Horizon

City of New York•New York, NY

22h•$155,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Commissioner of Operations for Horizon Juvenile Center oversees the facility’s detention operations, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and city regulations, agency policies and procedures, and court orders and decrees while maintaining community safety. The role is responsible for the safety, security, and wellness of facility personnel and for the health, welfare, and safety of youth in care. The Assistant Commissioner works with internal agency divisions and external partners to support safe facility operations, consistent practices, emergency readiness, and continuous improvement. The position also entails managing facility movement and physical space, overseeing incident response and reporting, coordinating security matters with ACS Police, and maintaining productive relationships with stakeholders and oversight agencies. The role reports to a Deputy or Associate Commissioner for assigned duties and risk-maintenance assessments.

Requirements

Master’s degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and four years of full-time, paid professional experience in a child care institution or in group work with children in a child care setting, including two years in an administrative capacity; or
Master’s degree from an accredited college in sociology, psychology, education, public administration, or a closely related field, and five years of full-time, paid professional experience in a child care institution or in group work with children in a child care setting, including two years in an administrative capacity; or
Education and/or experience equivalent to either stated pathway; all candidates must have two years of administrative experience in a child care setting.

Responsibilities

Ensure the secure juvenile detention center operates in compliance with relevant federal, state, and city regulations, agency policies and procedures, and court orders and decrees, while maintaining community safety.
Ensure the safety, security, and wellness of building personnel and the health, welfare, and safety of youth in care.
Organize regular contraband searches and manage recovery and storage of contraband, coordinating with ACS Police and the NYC Department of Investigation as necessary.
Ensure safe and efficient movement of youth, staff, vendors, and visitors through the facility.
Monitor and manage facility space, ingress and egress, security equipment, and the Genetec camera system, coordinating with the Division of Administration and other units to keep them in good working order.
Ensure consistent adherence to policies and procedures, including standardized incident review and reporting protocols.
Coordinate with ACS Police on security matters.
Develop and implement contingency and emergency-response plans, including conducting drills.
Oversee incident response, including creating and staffing a dedicated Rapid Response Team.
Maintain productive relationships with community groups, union locals, public and private agencies, service delivery partners, and oversight agencies.
Coordinate with secure detention leadership to align practices across facilities.
Develop a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
Conduct risk-maintenance assessments and provide regular reports and recommendations to the Deputy and Associate Commissioner.
Perform other duties assigned by the Deputy or Associate Commissioner.