Policy Assistant

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services' (DCAS) Human Capital (HC) Line of Service supports City agencies in recruiting and identifying the most qualified candidates for employment, administering civil service exams, and providing eligible pools of candidates to meet hiring needs. These efforts are carried out in accordance with the State Constitution, Civil Service Law, and equal employment opportunity laws. In addition, HC develops and interprets citywide policies and programs, conducts professional development and training, ensures employee safety and health, and advances citywide workforce strategies. This includes equipping agencies with essential tools for strategic workforce planning through data analytics and reporting. HC also manages the City's Employee Self-Service system and Customer Service Call Center. The Bureau of Strategic Planning & Services drives change across the city, supporting projects and citywide efforts to achieve operational excellence. The Citywide Personnel Policy (CPP) Unit performs critical policy related analytical work for Human Capital. The unit is responsible for providing policy interpretations on behalf of DCAS and is a resource for HR departments across city agencies in handling highly sensitive employee issues relating to human resources policy, time and leave regulations, leave of absence, absence control and other personnel issues. The Medical Appeals and Reinstatements program is also a function of the CPP Unit and ensures civil service law compliance by coordinating medical examinations of employees or former employees who may be unable to perform the duties of their position by reason of a disability. The Office of Citywide Personnel Policy (CPP) works on key DCAS projects and initiatives including medical appeals and reinstatements for all City agencies, working with City Hall to draft leave policies, and procedures concerning areas such as Employment Verification, WTC 9/11 Unlimited Sick Leave, telework policies, reviewing draft legislation, etc. These initiatives are critical because DCAS is required to implement them on a citywide level and must support these projects promptly by creating, drafting, and analyzing policies. This includes current and historical City policies as well as researching policies implemented in other jurisdictions. Concurrently, HR departments across the City seek guidance from the CPP Unit on how to address Citywide policies. CPP also reviews employee City start date inquiries (which impact employee leave balances and accruals as they transfer across agencies) and issue official DCAS policy interpretations. CPP coordinates medical appeal and reinstatement applications including scheduling Independent Medical Evaluations, providing City agencies and employees with guidance, and drafting fitness determinations. The Policy Assistant will be responsible for cataloging Citywide Personnel Policies and Time and Leave regulations. The Policy Assistant will maintain Citywide Personnel Policy correspondence and archives. In addition, the Policy Assistant will work with staff from the HC line of service to create and maintain an online policy library and assist in aligning procedures and interpretations to ensure consistency. The Policy Assistant will work closely with Policy Analysts on various tasks and projects such as: Review policy and procedure related materials. Review and track policy inquiries and maintain Citywide Personnel Policy correspondence spreadsheets. Setting up an/or working with databases and information systems to catalogue and access information. Research new and innovative policies, strategic plans, and goals under administrative direction. Participate in trainings and meetings pertaining to the planning and development of policy projects. Draft proposals and timelines. Classifying and cataloging information. Perform policy analysis. Scanning and automating policy documents. Develop and maintain cooperative relationships. The Policy Assistant will be tasked with maintaining the policy questions database/spreadsheet to assist in identifying Frequently Asked Questions and to update the APO Community Portal information for the CPP Unit. With guidance of higher-level management, the Policy Assistant will review historical policy documentation and identify leave regulation procedures that need modernization, interpretation and/or decision making while reviewing policy questions submitted to the CPP Unit.

Requirements

Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school.
Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school.

Nice To Haves

Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or closely related field, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study (for Assignment Level II - Information Technology).
Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or other area relevant to the information technology project(s) assigned, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study (for Assignment Level III - Information Technology Fellow).

Responsibilities

Cataloging Citywide Personnel Policies and Time and Leave regulations.
Maintain Citywide Personnel Policy correspondence and archives.
Work with staff from the HC line of service to create and maintain an online policy library.
Assist in aligning procedures and interpretations to ensure consistency.
Review policy and procedure related materials.
Review and track policy inquiries and maintain Citywide Personnel Policy correspondence spreadsheets.
Set up and/or work with databases and information systems to catalogue and access information.
Research new and innovative policies, strategic plans, and goals under administrative direction.
Participate in trainings and meetings pertaining to the planning and development of policy projects.
Draft proposals and timelines.
Classify and catalog information.
Perform policy analysis.
Scan and automate policy documents.
Develop and maintain cooperative relationships.
Maintain the policy questions database/spreadsheet to assist in identifying Frequently Asked Questions.
Update the APO Community Portal information for the CPP Unit.
Review historical policy documentation and identify leave regulation procedures that need modernization, interpretation and/or decision making while reviewing policy questions submitted to the CPP Unit.