Drug-Checking Operations Lead, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use

City of New York • Long Island City, NY

9h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use (BADU) works to close gaps and reduce overall morbidity and mortality related to alcohol and substance use among New Yorkers. BADU develops, implements, and evaluates interventions and prevention strategies through contracting of treatment, recovery and support services; policy analysis and development; epidemiology and surveillance; dissemination of treatment and management guidelines; harm reduction initiatives; public and provider outreach and education; and community involvement and interagency collaboration. The Bureau amplifies the voices of those most impacted and focuses on inequitable structural, social, service, and communication factors that drive disparities. The Office of Research, Surveillance, Policy, and Communications within BADU conducts alcohol- and drug-related surveillance, program evaluation and research, maintains databases, designs research protocols, produces reports, writes scientific articles for peer-reviewed journals, facilitates program and policy development, and develops messaging and other communication materials for provider and public audiences. The Drug-Checking Operations Lead will provide administrative and operations oversight for the Drug-Checking Program. In this capacity, they will be responsible for strategizing methods of sample collection, managing relationships with partnering sites and consultants/contractors, coordinating logistics and collecting samples for shipping to the laboratory, managing invoices, and ensuring data are shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as required.

Requirements

• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
• A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
• Education and/or experience which is equivalent to the above.
• At least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described above.
• Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a field related to substance use
• Experience in managing a budget and/or contracts
• Familiarity with using public health program data to inform service delivery
• Able to work independently, have excellent oral and written communication and organizational skills, and be a flexible team player
• Detail-oriented with outstanding organizational skills
• Able to multi-task in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, with proficiency in Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint
• Sensitive to various ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic conditions

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations for the Drug-Checking Program.
• Strategize and pilot novel methods of sample collection that reflect geographic variation across the city to better monitor the unregulated drug supply.
• Engage stakeholders in the identification of drug-checking data needs and analyze results to inform the development of data products.
• Contribute to research activities related to the Drug-Checking Program, including developing research study protocols and instruments, recruiting participants, analyzing results.
• Contribute to the dissemination of drug-checking findings, including for presentations, manuscripts, and other data products.
• Build relationships with staff at community-based sites, including harm reduction specialists, outreach workers, and program managers, to ensure seamless and effective service delivery.
• Coordinate logistics for the shipping of samples to a secondary testing lab partner with drug-checking technicians and partner sites, including picking up samples from sites across the city on a routine basis.
• Process and track receipt of sample data from the secondary testing laboratory partner.
• Maintain records for the routine submission of drug-checking program data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Oversee the work of drug-checking consultants and contractors, including developing scopes of work, supervising and ensuring the timely completion of deliverables, and processing invoices.
• Develop and refine Drug-Checking Program policies and procedures for the safe collection, storage, and shipping of samples.
• Coordinate Drug-Checking Program presentations and events.
• Stay up to date on the latest trends, developments, and innovations related to drug checking, harm reduction, and substance use to enhance the overall effectiveness of the program.
• Contribute to the Bureau's racial justice and health equity activities.
• Perform all other responsibilities and projects as assigned by supervisors

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 that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

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