The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of New York City’s children and families by providing child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care services. In child welfare, ACS contracts with private nonprofit organizations to support and stabilize families at risk of a crisis through preventive services and provides foster care services for children not able to safely remain at home. Each year, the agency’s Division of Child Protection conducts more than 55,000 investigations of suspected child abuse or neglect. In juvenile justice, ACS manages and funds services including detention and placement, intensive community-based alternatives for youth, and support services for families. In early care, ACS coordinates and funds programs and vouchers for close to 100,000 children eligible for subsidized care.

The Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ) within the Administration for Children Services is responsible for the oversight and management of secure and non-secure detention services for juveniles awaiting disposition in family and supreme courts, as well as a wide network of network of providers throughout the five boroughs that operate placement sites for youth who are adjudicated delinquent and are placed by the New York City Family Court as part of the Close to Home initiative. In addition, the Division oversees community-based delinquency prevention and alternative to placement programs for youth involved in, or at risk for involvement in, the juvenile justice system. Detention Services directly operates two specialized secure detention facilities – Crossroads in Brooklyn and Horizon in the Bronx.

Under general direction of the Deputy Commissioner, the Associate Commissioner of the Crossroads Juvenile Center is responsible for planning and day-to-day oversight of the administration and operation of the secure juvenile detention center. Some specific duties include, but are not limited to:

Oversight and management of Detention operations:
- Ensures optimal operation of the secure juvenile detention center in accordance with all relevant federal, state and city regulations, as well as in compliance with all agency policies, procedures and court orders and decrees.
- Ensures community safety is maintained at all times.
- Ensures that all youth services are coordinated within interdisciplinary teams and that family engagement is promoted.
- Oversees all aspects of juvenile detention center management, including safety and security, programming, plant operation, office management, budget, housekeeping, case management and food service.
- Coordinates with Associate Commissioner of Horizon and leads for Admissions, Court Services and MCCU to ensure optimal operations and alignment across Detention and facilitate short- and long-term planning.
- Facilitates resolution of high priority issues with other ACS divisions such as IT and Administration to ensure building needs are met.
- Ensures the safety, security and wellness of personnel and the health, welfare and safety of the youth in care.
- Maintains cooperative productive relationships with community groups, union locals, public and private agencies and oversight agencies.
Implementation of program performance improvement initiatives:
- Continues implementation of staff hall-based interdisciplinary teams within the secure juvenile detention center.
- Institutes standardized supervisory practices that support staff development.
- Implements a strong incentive driven youth behavior management system; seeks out national detention best practices for working with an older youth and young adult population.
- Utilizes comprehensive statistical analysis to focus on areas requiring improvement.
- Reducing the use of physical restraints.
- Reducing the rate of assaults and altercations among youth and against staff.
- Reducing the rate of gross security breaches.
- Develop and implement strategies to reduce the introduction of contraband into the detention facilities.

Responsibility for overall program efficiency and effectiveness:
- In coordination with the Associate Commissioner of Horizon, directs creation and revamping of policies and procedures as needed.
- Assesses and revamps organizational structure when required.
- Develop quality assurance tools and procedures.
- Develop a culture of continuous quality improvement.
- Coordinates with DYFJ Compliance unit to review and respond to federal, state and local oversight requirements and requests.
- Supports planning of staff training and development in partnership with Executive Director of Organizational Development and ACS’s James Satterwhite Academy.
- Develops and strengthens current incident review processes and restructure the unit responsible for comprehensive incident review so that it results in enhanced staff training and teaching opportunities.
- Reviews and prepares administrative reports and analysis of the implementation and evaluation of programs and services for the population.

This position will be expected to be on-site at Crossroads 80-100% of their working hours. Some work on evenings, weekends, and holidays will be required.

1. A four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience in group, community, educational, or institutional work involving juveniles (ages 10-18 years); at least eighteen months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial or educational or institutional work involving juveniles (age 10-18 years); or

2. An Associate degree from an accredited college or completion of 60 credits of study at an accredited college plus five years of satisfactory full-time experience as described in "1" above; or

3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of satisfactory full-time experience including eighteen months of administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory experience as described in "1" above;

4. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have a four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and eighteen months of administrative, managerial, executive, or supervisory experience as described in "1," "2," or "3" above.

The preferred candidate should possess the following: - Demonstrated superior judgment and management abilities ability to work with and understand adolescents and their families. - Experience with the juvenile justice system and related systems an understanding of the functions and operations of juvenile detention. - Experience and ability managing professional and civil service staff. - Ability to problem solve and make decisions in a timely manner. - Ability to work under pressure and with tight deadlines. - Strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills. - Ability to lead and work as part of a team, as well as independently to achieve necessary results and ability to prioritize tasks and undertake several critical projects at one time.

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

New York City Residency is not required for this position

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.