Director of Research

City of New York•New York, NY

14h

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. The Director 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 role works closely with agency leadership, 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 Director leads research strategy and evaluation across community safety, violence prevention, behavioral health, and related fields. This includes designing and managing studies using quantitative and qualitative methods, overseeing program evaluations, developing frameworks and performance measures, synthesizing findings, and communicating results through briefs, reports, presentations, and public-reporting materials. The role also manages external research partnerships and collaborative projects, supports evidence-building initiatives with agency and community partners, and supervises and develops a research and evaluation team. The NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Safety was established in March 2026 by Executive Order No. 15. Under the direction of the Deputy Mayor for Community Safety, it develops citywide community safety strategies and comprises the Office of Neighborhood Safety, the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, and the Office of Community Mental Health. Its work includes violence prevention and intervention, outreach, youth services, mental health care, services for victims and survivors, and other community-based efforts intended to promote safety, stability, and well-being. A cover letter is required with the resume when applying.

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.
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.

Responsibilities

Lead a portfolio of research and evaluation projects aligned with the Office’s priorities and strategic goals.
Work with agency leadership to establish 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 effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
Analyze and synthesize program data to identify lessons learned, emerging trends, and opportunities for 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 efforts to gather, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative evidence for decision-making 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 strategic research partners.
Contribute to developing and refining program outcome measures and performance indicators.
Support agency performance management, reporting, and continuous-improvement efforts.
Develop research briefs, reports, presentations, and other materials communicating findings and informing policy and program decisions.
Support public-reporting materials and disseminate 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 research and evaluation staff.
Establish team goals, performance metrics, and priorities and ensure accountability for results.
Support staff 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.