Director of Research

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Director of Research is a member of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Safety Senior Leadership Team and reports to the Commissioner. This role leads the Office’s research, evaluation, and evidence-building agenda, ensuring that agency strategies, programs, and investments are informed by data, research, and community knowledge. The Director works with agency leaders, city agency partners, researchers, and community stakeholders to develop and oversee research initiatives, evaluate program effectiveness and outcomes, support performance management, and turn findings into actionable recommendations that advance the Office’s mission and priorities. The NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Safety was established by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani through Executive Order No. 15 in March 2026. Under the direction of the Deputy Mayor for Community Safety, it develops citywide community safety strategies and comprises the Office of Neighborhood Safety, Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, and Office of Community Mental Health. The Office works with communities across New York City on violence prevention and intervention, outreach, youth services, mental health care, services for victims and survivors, and other community-based efforts that promote safety, stability, and well-being. The Director leads a portfolio of research and evaluation projects, oversees program evaluations and research projects using quantitative and qualitative methods, supports performance measures and reporting, manages external research partnerships, and supervises research and evaluation staff. The position also works with the Senior Leadership Team on agency priorities and performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in public policy, public administration, sociology, psychology, criminology, public health, statistics, economics, or a related field.
At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in research, evaluation, data analysis, performance management, public policy, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience leading research, evaluation, and evidence-building efforts in government, nonprofit, academic, or related settings.
Strong expertise in research design, program evaluation, performance measurement, and quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Experience using data and evaluation findings to inform policy, program design, strategic planning, and organizational decision-making.
Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams and manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
Experience building and maintaining partnerships with government agencies, academic institutions, community organizations, and other external stakeholders.
Ability to communicate complex research and data findings to diverse audiences, including senior leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders.
Strong written communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
A cover letter is required in addition to the resume.
The listed civil-service qualifications ask whether the applicant has a baccalaureate degree; an associate degree plus two years of administrative, analytic, coordinative, supervisory, or liaison experience; a four-year high school diploma or equivalent plus four years of such experience; or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of research and evaluation projects aligned with the Office’s priorities and strategic goals.
Work with agency leadership to set research, evaluation, and data-collection priorities and develop a comprehensive research agenda.
Monitor and synthesize emerging research, best practices, and evidence relevant to community safety, violence prevention, behavioral health, and related fields.
Provide analytic expertise to support the development of strategies, policies, and programs.
Design and oversee evaluations of Office programs and initiatives to assess implementation, outcomes, and impact.
Develop evaluation frameworks, methodologies, and performance measures to assess program effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
Analyze and synthesize program data to identify lessons, trends, and opportunities for program enhancement.
Translate evaluation findings into recommendations to strengthen programs, improve outcomes, and inform strategic decisions.
Design and oversee research projects using methods including statistical analysis, surveys, qualitative research, and administrative data analysis.
Lead collection, analysis, and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence to inform decisions and agency deliverables.
Consult with partner agencies and external stakeholders on research and evidence-building initiatives.
Manage relationships with external researchers, evaluators, academic institutions, and other strategic research partners.
Contribute to the development and refinement of program outcomes and performance indicators.
Support agency performance management, reporting, and continuous improvement.
Develop research briefs, reports, presentations, and other products communicating findings and informing policy and program decisions.
Support preparation of public reporting materials and dissemination of findings to policymakers, practitioners, and community stakeholders.
Manage research partnerships and collaborative projects with city agencies, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, academic institutions, and other external partners.
Support evidence-building initiatives implemented through agency partners, community organizations, and grant-funded efforts.
Supervise and develop a team of research and evaluation staff.
Establish team goals, performance metrics, and priorities, and ensure accountability for results.
Support professional growth and development and foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture.
Work with other Senior Leadership Team members to advance agency priorities and strategic initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.