Associate Commissioner of Operations

The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is an integral part of the City’s evolving criminal justice system, participating in reform initiatives and strategies aimed to move the City towards a smaller jail system without compromising public safety. The DOC is responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment for our employees, visitors, volunteers, and people in our custody.

Importantly, safe jails enable DOC to provide people in custody with the tools and opportunities they need to successfully re-enter their communities. The DOC operates facilities and court commands across the five boroughs with more than 7,500 diverse professionals and knowledgeable experts.

The NYC Department of Correction (DOC) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as Associate Commissioner of Operations, that will create and oversee a new project management unit focused on the planning and implementation of the Remediation Action Plan (RAP). The Associate Commissioner will work on the implementation of Nunez Court Orders in partnership with the Nunez Manager and Nunez Compliance Unit:

• Serve as a senior advisor to the Senior Deputy Commissioner (SDC) on strategic, operational, administrative, and policy initiatives, providing recommendations to support executive decision-making.
• Represent the SDC at executive meetings, interagency discussions, working groups, and other official engagements, as designated.
• Oversee the creation and management of a new RAP management unit, directing major strategic initiatives and complex intra-agency projects from planning through implementation.
• Lead the planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of activities associated with the agency’s RAP, ensuring accountability for milestones, deliverables, and timelines.
• Develop and maintain project management frameworks, performance monitoring tools, and executive reporting systems to track progress, identify risks, and ensure accountability for results.
• Establish and lead cross-functional working groups, task forces, and executive committees to address critical operational challenges and advance departmental priorities.
• Lead special operational assessments and organizational improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen management systems, improve efficiency, and enhance service delivery.
• Monitor the progress of strategic initiatives, identify implementation challenges, and collaborate with agency leadership and stakeholders to develop solutions and maintain progress toward established objectives.
• Prepare executive briefings, progress reports, presentations, and recommendations for the executive leadership team to support informed decision-making and communicate progress on departmental priorities.
• Coordinate work across the Remediation Management and Nunez Monitoring teams.
• Lead special projects, assignments, and other related duties as directed by the SDC.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Master’s Degree from an accredited college in Public Administration, Personnel Administration, Business Administration, Human Services, Criminal Justice, Political Science, Psychology or a related field, plus three years of satisfactory experience of a nature to qualify for the duties and responsibilities of the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, or executive capacity or supervising personnel performing activities related to the duties of the position; or
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and five years of satisfactory experience of a nature to qualify for the duties and responsibilities of the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, or executive capacity or supervising personnel performing activities related to the duties of the position; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and nine years of satisfactory, full-time progressively responsible experience as described in "1" above, 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory capacity.

Preferred Skills

• Demonstrated executive leadership and operational management experience in corrections, criminal justice, law enforcement, public safety, or a comparable complex public-sector environment.
• Strong knowledge of correctional operations, institutional procedures, safety and security protocols, and applicable regulatory and oversight requirements.
• Proven ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams and manage competing operational priorities.
• Exceptional strategic planning, analytical, investigative, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate operational data, identify trends, assess risk, and develop practical recommendations for improvement.
• Experience developing and implementing policies, procedures, performance measures, and accountability frameworks.
• Strong workforce management skills, including resource allocation, staffing coordination, performance management, and leadership development.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and make timely decisions in sensitive, high-pressure, and time-critical situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive-level reports, briefings, and presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships with executive leadership, facility administrators, labor representatives, oversight bodies, and City agency partners.
• Experience leading organizational change, implementing operational improvements, and managing complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail and accountability.

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.

Additional Information

The City of New York offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance for the employee and his/her spouse or domestic partner and unemancipated children under age 26, union benefits such as dental and vision coverage, paid annual leave and sick leave, paid holidays, a pension, and optional savings and pre-tax programs such as Deferred Compensation, IRA, and a flexible spending account.