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

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.

Duties Will Include But Not Be Limited to:

Strategic Leadership and Program Direction

• 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.

Research Design, Implementation and Oversight

• 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.

Data Management, Analysis and Interpretation

• 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.

Evaluation, Quality Improvement and Measurement

• 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.

Community Engagement and Equity-Centered Research

• 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.

Communications, Dissemination and Translation

• 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.

Team Management and Capacity Building

• 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.

Grant Management, Budgeting and Compliance

• 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.

Preferred Skills

• 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.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and systems-level vision
• Scientific rigor and analytic proficiency
• Leadership, team building and staff development
• Equity-centered and community-engaged practice
• Effective stakeholder engagement and policy translation
• Project, budget and grant management
• Clear, persuasive communication for diverse audiences Why you should work for us:
• 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. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/)
• Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as: o a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment. o additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund. o a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement. o a tax-deferred savings program and o a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
• Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
• Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the U.S., dedicated to protecting and improving the health of NYC. Our mission is to safeguard the health of every resident and cultivate a city where everyone, regardless of age, background, or location, can achieve their optimal health. We provide a wide array of programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and social justice initiatives. As the primary population health strategist and policy authority for NYC, with a rich history of public health initiatives and scientific advancements, from addressing the 1822 yellow fever outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.

Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers! Commitment to Equity: The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Sye-Eun Ahn, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, at sahn1@health.nyc.gov or 347-396-6549.

Minimum Qualifications

• A master’s degree from an accredited college in hospital administration, public health, community health, health administration, emergency preparedness planning/management, emergency medical services, fire safety, law enforcement, homeland security, project management, public administration, business administration, management, or administration and three years of full-time satisfactory experience in a health services setting such as a laboratory, hospital, or other patient care facility, or in a public health, community health, environmental health, school health, social services, or mental hygiene program, of which at least 18 months of experience must have been in a managerial or administrative capacity requiring independent decision-making concerning program management, planning, evaluation for quality improvement and assurance, allocation of resources, and the scheduling and assignment of work; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and five years of full-time satisfactory experience as described in “1” above; or
• An associate’s degree from an accredited college and seven years of full-time satisfactory experience as described in “1” above; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent plus nine years of full-time satisfactory experience as described in “1” above; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. Education may be substituted for experience on the basis that each 30 graduate semester credits from an accredited college in hospital administration, public health, community health, health administration, emergency preparedness planning/management, emergency medical services, fire safety, law enforcement, homeland security, project management, public administration, business administration, management, or administration, or a related specialized area can be substituted for one year of non-managerial experience up to a maximum of 60 semester credits for two years. Furthermore, undergraduate education may be substituted for experience on the basis that each 30 semester undergraduate credits from an accredited college may be substituted for one year of non-managerial experience, up to a maximum of four years. However, all candidates must have a high school diploma or its educational equivalent and 18 months of managerial experience as described in "1" above.

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.