Director of Food Safety Data Analytics, Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy

Job Description

The Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy (BESP) supports FSCS and other Environmental Health programs with cutting edge informatics, data analytics, and applied research to improve environmental health policy and programs. The Bureaus of Environmental Surveillance and Policy (BESP) and Food Safety and Community Sanitation (BFSCS) are seeking a Director of Food Safety Data Analytics to work with BFSCS in identifying and implementing data driven approaches to streamlining regulatory operations, and to lead the BESP Food Safety Data Analytics team. The team of four analysts, one informatics product manager and the Director sit in BESP – a bureau with a mission to inform and improve environmental health policy and programs using cutting edge informatics, data analytics, applied research, and legal frameworks. BFSCS oversees regulatory programs to ensure food safety in over 40,000 food service establishments and mobile food vendors in NYC. The Director’s primary function will be to use data and informatics tools to support food safety program e forts to ensure safe food service environments, in collaboration with units in BFSCS, Office of Environmental Investigations, and Division of Information Technology liaisons.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Environmental Surveillance in BESP, the candidate will assume oversight responsibility for responding to immediate and long-term needs of BFSCS programs, including developing operational tools to increase program efficiency, and directing surveillance and research projects as needed. The Director wild supervise a team of analysts and an informatics product manager on projects that support routine food safety inspections and foodborne illness outbreak prevention. We are recruiting a full-time research scientist to fill this role. The candidate must have extensive experience in leading data analytics, as well as excellent managerial and cross-functional collaboration skills. Experience with implementing data-driven informatics solutions to operational problems and/or experience with designing and implementing operational process efficiency changes is also desired. They will operate with a wide degree of independence and autonomy.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

• Collaborate directly with the Assistant Commissioner and Executive Directors of BFSCS to:
• Understand operational procedures and identify opportunities for optimization or automation.
• Design, develop and maintain automated data solutions, reporting pipelines, and data-driven tools to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual processes.
• Collaborate with supervisors of inspectional staff to ensure user acceptance of data-driven tools; use an iterative process to improve or enhance tools as needed.
• Manage and improve BFSCS’s key performance indicators, including regular refinement to ensure the indicators align with leadership goals and priorities.
• Lead the BESP Food Safety Data Analytics Team by engaging in the following duties and responsibilities:
• Manage staff of up to 4 data analysts and an informatics product manager, providing scientific and project direction and oversight.
• Lead analysis and reporting work to answer questions related to inspection results and trends using SQL, SSRS Report Designer, Power BI, and other software.
• Serve as liaison to inspection program executive leadership to formulate creative approaches for using data to improve inspection program efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensure data analytic products and reports are accurate and adhere to data documentation standards.
• Liaise directly with Division of IT developers to oversee technical design and enhancements to the food safety inspection SQL database systems, including design of the backend data infrastructure and/or data migration pathways.
• Design, optimize, and maintain SQL Server databases, reporting tables, views, and ETL workflows to support analytics and operational reporting.
• Provide direction and support in the planning of analyses, reports, presentations and other modes for disseminating information on mobile food vending, restaurant and other food service establishment safety.
• Present analytic results and research findings to Agency leadership and at conferences.
• Report back on projects and progress to Executive Director of Environmental Health Surveillance.
• Assist with emergency response and preparedness work.
• Assist and support development and implementation of new inspection system for bureau, in coordination with EHS, DIT, OTI and outside consultants.

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience leading data analytic project management through all phases of the project lifecycle: gathering requirements, design, planning, implementation, testing, and evaluation.
• Strong background in management of surveillance and informatics projects and staff.
• Advanced proficiency in SQL programming for querying, analyzing, and transforming complex datasets to answer research and operational questions.
• Advanced experience developing and delivering interactive dashboards, reports, and other data visualization products using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Report Designer (advanced) or Power BI.
• Experience collaborating with software developers to define technical requirements, prioritize enhancements or bug fixes, and troubleshoot application issues.
• Background or interest in environmental health and/or the principles of food safety.
• Experience presenting program initiatives and related research findings to executive leaders or at conferences.
• Experience with MS Access and Excel.
• Excellent managerial, interpersonal, and communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skill

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.

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