Director, Research and Evaluation, Bureau of Maternal Infant and Reproductive Health

City of New York • Long Island City, NY

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is as varied as the city it serves. Our 6,000-plus team members bring an extraordinary array of languages, cultures, and experiences to bear on the work of public health. Our diversity fuels creativity because all perspectives are heard and valued. The Division of Family and Child Health (DFCH) of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is charged with the creation and oversight of programs, policies, services, and environments that support physical and socio-emotional health, and promote primary and reproductive health services, health equity, social justice, safety and well-being for New York City families and children. The Division is comprised of the Bureau of Maternal Infant and Reproductive Health, the Bureau of Early Intervention, the Office of School Health, and the Bureau of Administration. The vision of the DFCH is that every child, woman, and family recognize their power and is given the opportunity to reach their full health and development potential.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (PhD, DrPH, ScD, or Master’s degree with extensive experience) in epidemiology, public health, health services research, biostatistics, social science, or related field.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in public health research, evaluation, or epidemiology, including experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams and complex projects.
• Demonstrated experience leading evaluations and research in maternal, infant, reproductive health, perinatal substance use, or related areas.
• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative methods, statistical modeling, data linkage, and program evaluation.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, and presentations; experience with grant-funded research and funder reporting.
• Familiarity with public health data systems (vital records, EHRs, immunization and surveillance systems), and experience with analytic software (e.g., R, SAS, Stata, Python) and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
• Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to translate complex findings for non-technical audiences.
• Commitment to equity, anti-racism, and community-engaged approaches.
• Experience navigating public sector environments, working with government agencies, and presenting to policymakers.
• Prior experience in a governmental public health setting or large municipal health department.
• Experience with mixed-methods community-based participatory research (CBPR) and lived experience engagement.
• Training or experience with maternal mortality review processes.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks for research in public health practice and experience coordinating IRB approvals.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision and leadership for research, evaluation, and analytic priorities within the BMIRH portfolio, aligning activities with department goals, equity frameworks, and community needs.
• Develop and maintain a multi-year research and evaluation agenda that addresses disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality, infant outcomes, reproductive justice, family planning, perinatal mental health, and related social determinants.
• Serve on departmental senior leadership teams; advise on evidence-based policy and program decisions.
• Lead development of research proposals, study designs (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods), evaluation plans, and logic models for BMIRH programs.
• Oversee implementation of studies and evaluations, ensuring methodological rigor, cultural responsiveness, and appropriate community engagement.
• Manage relationships and contracts with academic partners, evaluators, consultants, and vendors; steward grant-funded research and evaluation projects.
• Ensure human subjects protections, IRB coordination/submissions, data governance and confidentiality practices in accordance with federal, state and local regulations.
• Oversee collection, linkage, management and analysis of data from multiple sources (vital records, EHRs, surveillance systems, claims, community surveys, qualitative data, program administrative data).
• Direct development of analytic plans, dashboards, performance metrics, and modeling efforts to monitor program impact and inform resource allocation.
• Ensure data quality, reproducibility, transparent methods, and appropriate statistical approaches; supervise senior analysts and epidemiologists.
• Lead rigorous program evaluations (process, outcome, impact) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives for key BMIRH programs (e.g., Nurse-Family Partnership Expansion, Midwifery Initiatives, Newborn Home Visiting Program).
• Advise program teams on measurable indicators, targets, and evidence-based performance measures; support integration of equity-focused metrics.
• Translate evaluation findings into practical program improvements, policy recommendations and cost-effectiveness assessments.
• Embed community-based participatory approaches in research and evaluation, partnering with community organizations, providers, and people with lived experience to co-design studies and interpret findings.
• Ensure research questions, methods and dissemination prioritize racial equity, reproductive justice, cultural humility, and respect for autonomy.
• Build and maintain trust with communities historically marginalized by health systems; ensure findings are accessible and actionable to community stakeholders.
• Oversee development of clear, timely, accessible reports, policy briefs, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations for diverse audiences (community members, policymakers, funders, clinicians).
• Present findings to department leadership, the Mayor’s Office, New York City Council/oversight bodies, community advisory groups and external partners.
• Support grant/contract applications, briefs for funding agencies, and public health messaging informed by evidence.
• Hire, supervise and mentor a multidisciplinary team (epidemiologists, statisticians, evaluators, data scientists, qualitative researchers, research coordinators).
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive environment; provide professional development and training on research methods, ethics, and equity-driven evaluation.
• Build department capacity for data use: training for program staff, development of toolkits, standard operating procedures and data-sharing agreements.
• Lead development and stewardship of research and evaluation budgets; track expenditures and deliverables.
• Oversee grant writing, reporting, and compliance with funder requirements.
• Ensure adherence to legal, ethical, and institutional policies including HIPAA, IRB requirements, and data use agreements.

Benefits

• Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance.
• Premium-free health insurance plan
• Additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
• A public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement.
• A tax-deferred savings program
• A robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
• Job Security

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director