Special Assistant to the Commissioner

The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) invests in a network of community-based organizations and programs to alleviate the effects of poverty and to provide opportunities for New Yorkers and communities to flourish.

DYCD is recruiting for a Special Assistant to the Commissioner to support the day-to-day operations of the Commissioner’s Office and help ensure effective coordination of priorities, information, and activities across the agency.

This role provides administrative and operational support while also contributing to the organization and flow of work within the Commissioner’s Office.

The Special Assistant will work closely with the Commissioner and the Chief of Staff to support scheduling, information management, and preparation for meetings and engagements. The role serves as a key coordination point between the Commissioner’s Office, internal teams, and external stakeholders, helping to ensure that communication is timely, organized, and responsive.

This position requires strong judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and comfortable supporting senior leadership while maintaining awareness of agency priorities. The role may also support projects aimed at improving efficiency and coordination within the Commissioner’s Office, including the use of technology and emerging tools such as artificial intelligence.

The role will also provide exposure to the Commissioner’s external engagements, including supporting event coordination and working with internal teams to ensure the Commissioner’s messaging and presence are aligned across communications and social media platforms.

The selected candidate will:

• Support the day-to-day management of the Commissioner’s calendar, including scheduling meetings, coordinating logistics, and ensuring alignment with priorities.
• Prepare, review, and organize materials for meetings, briefings, and external engagements, including agendas and background documents.
• Track follow up items and help ensure timely responses to requests and inquiries.
• Support projects focused on improving workflows and coordination, including the use of technology and tools such as artificial intelligence.
• Serve as a key point of contact between the Commissioner’s Office and internal teams, as well as external stakeholders, including nonprofit providers, community partners, and other City agencies.
• Support the flow and organization of information to and from the Commissioner’s Office to ensure clarity and accessibility.
• Provide coordination support during meetings, site visits, and external events, including accompanying the Commissioner as needed.
• Serve as a coordination point during engagements involving multiple stakeholders, helping to manage requests, organize information, and support the Commissioner in real time.
• Support the preparation of materials in coordination with internal teams, including the Strategic Communications team, to help align messaging and support the Commissioner’s presence across platforms.
• Assist with organizing documents, files, and systems to improve efficiency and accessibility of information.
• Exercise discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive or confidential information.
• Work closely with the Commissioner’s scheduler to coordinate calendar needs, ensure continuity, and support effective management of scheduling priorities.
• Coordinate with scheduling teams and executive staff across City Hall and partner agencies to arrange meetings and events.

Minimum Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and three years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience, one year of which must have been in an high level administrative capacity or supervising staff performing clerical/administrative work of more than moderate difficulty; or
• An associate degree or 60 semester credits from an accredited college and four years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the high level administrative capacity experience described in "1" above; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and five years of satisfactory full-time progressively responsible clerical/administrative experience including one year of the administrative experience as described in "1" above.

Preferred Skills

• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and respond to changing priorities
• Comfort working with technology tools and data organization systems
• Interest in using technology, including emerging AI tools, to improve efficiency and workflow
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with staff at all levels
• Ability to remain composed and organized in dynamic or high-visibility settings
• High level of discretion and professionalism
• Experience working in government, nonprofit, or public service settings, including familiarity with community-based organizations,

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.