Program Officer, Asset Building

Job Description

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses more than 59,000 businesses in more than 50 industries and enforces key consumer protection, licensing, and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources and, by helping to resolve complaints, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. Through its community outreach and the work of its offices of Financial Empowerment and Labor Policy & Standards, DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to be educated consumers and to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp or on its social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Within DCWP, the Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) focuses on initiatives that support New Yorkers and communities with low incomes in building wealth and improving their financial health. OFE is the first local government initiative in the country with the mission to educate, empower, and protect New Yorkers and neighborhoods with low incomes so they can build assets and make the most of their financial resources. OFE uses data and research, policy, partnerships, and convenings to advance its mission. Using this model, OFE is able to develop, offer, and advocate for innovative programs and products for all New Yorkers.

OFE coordinates the Annual Tax Season Initiative, which seeks to increase awareness of and access to free tax preparation services and valuable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the New York City Child Care Tax Credit (NYC CCTC). The Annual Tax Season Initiative (Initiative) is a key component of DCWP OFE‘s strategy to promote services that help New Yorkers build assets, save for emergencies and increase their financial stability. The Initiative, through its primary activity, the NYC Free Tax Prep program, seeks to increase access to and awareness of free tax preparation services and valuable tax credits and use tax time as an opportunity to connect filers to asset building and financial health resources. Through NYC Free Tax Prep, OFE coordinates a network of more than fifteen providers who deliver Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITA/TCE) and AARP Tax-Aide programs at approximately 150 sites throughout the city, as well as online self-preparation at nyc.gov/taxprep. Since 2015, more than 800,000 returns have been completed for New Yorkers, helping them to save an estimated $100 million in tax prep fee savings.

OFE is currently seeking a Program Officer to join OFE’s Asset Building team, with primary responsibility for supporting the day-to-day operations of the NYC Free Tax Prep program. The Program Officer will report to the Assistant Director of Asset Building and will support two Senior Program Officers, who oversee other OFE asset building programs and initiatives. This individual is an organized project manager who will support the implementation, oversight, and communication of activities to expand the capacity of NYC Free Tax Prep providers and increase utilization of this vital service. The ideal candidate excels at building relationships, is deeply committed to financial inclusion, and can effectively manage multiple projects and timelines.

Duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Helping improve performance at NYC Free Tax Prep sites, with a focus on operational efficiency and reaching New Yorkers who are need financial empowerment services the most;
• Leading efforts to increase volunteer engagement at NYC Free Tax Prep sites;
• Developing feedback loops with providers, volunteer preparers, and filers to capture ideas for improving service delivery and policies to better support free tax preparation services;
• Working with the data analysis and evaluation team to understand and document success of programs, pull reports on the performance of programs, and review reports for quality assurance purposes;
• Monitor the utilization and take-up of safe and affordable financial products and services to ensure optimum effectiveness and support mechanisms for evaluation as needed;
• Develop a working knowledge of policies, programs, and research regarding asset building initiatives, identifying linkages to OFE’s programs and services and providing insights to inform OFE’s work;
• Supporting efforts to integrate asset building and banking access in other OFE programs and initiatives;
• Providing general administrative assistance including drafting, proofreading and/or editing a range of materials, including but not limited to reports, program documents, and presentations;
• Represent OFE at outreach events, as appropriate, and help to plan, organize and execute various events including meetings, conferences and convenings; and
• Support and contribute to broader team projects as needed, as a member of the Asset Building Programs team.

Minimum Qual Requirements

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or

2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or

3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in “1” above.

Preferred Skills

• A creative and organized individual with strong interpersonal skills and a passion and commitment to helping people with low- incomes improve their financial health;
• Experience in one or more of the following: asset building, financial inclusion, community wealth building, community organizing, or community development;
• Ability and willingness to take initiative and work collaboratively;
• Experience cultivating relationships with agency partners and stakeholders;
• Attention to detail and ability to work with a sense of urgency while still ensuring a high-quality work product;
• Creative thinking and problem-solving skills;
• Effective project manager with a demonstrated ability to successfully guide and manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously and to organize and drive projects to timely completion;
• Excellent organizational, communication (written and oral), and presentation skills;
• Ability to use data to drive program planning and implementation;
• Experience using databases, CRM tools, and comfort with pulling and disseminating data reports;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel; and
• Fluency in one of the New York City’s priority languages (Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Italian, and Haitian Creole), a plus but not required.

To Apply

For Non-City/External Candidates: Visit the External Applicant NYC Careers site and type “Consumer Affairs” on the search line. Then locate the Job ID number.

For Current City Employees: Visit Employee Self Service (ESS) to view and click on Recruiting Activities, Careers, and search by Job ID number.

A RESUME AND COVER LETTER ARE REQUIRED.

PLEASE INDICATE IN YOUR COVER LETTER HOW YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS POSITION.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

NO PHONE CALLS, FAXES, E-MAILS OR PERSONAL INQUIRIES PERMITTED.

NOTE: ONLY THOSE CANDIDATES UNDER CONSIDERATION WILL BE CONTACTED.

• Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.
• 55-a Candidates: NYC Department of Consumer Affairs is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage 55-A candidates to apply to our positions in order to be given the opportunity.

**LOAN FORGIVENESS: The federal government provides student loan forgiveness through its Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) to all qualifying public service employees. Working with DCA qualifies you as a public service employee and you may be able to take advantage of this program while working full-time and meeting the program’s other requirements. Please visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program site to view the eligibility requirements: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

• Drug Screening: A drug screening may be required prior to being appointed.

As of August 2, 2021, all new hires must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for religion or disability. If you are offered city employment, this requirement must be met by your date of hire, unless a reasonable accommodation for exemption is received and approved by the hiring agency.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations that enable people with disabilities to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by others. If you are contacted to attend an interview for one of our open vacancies and would like to request an accommodation for that date, please send an email to [email protected].

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.