The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is the City agency responsible for regulating for-hire transportation in New York City, including taxis and for-hire vehicles such as Uber and Lyft. TLC licenses about 175,000 drivers, 115,000 vehicles, and 1,000 businesses, which together transport about a million passengers a day, making TLC the most active for-hire transportation regulatory agency in the world with oversight of a key component of the city’s transportation network. With the introduction of new apps and technologies, TLC is on the front lines of a rapidly changing mobility landscape and our innovative efforts--whether requiring minimum pay for app drivers, ensuring wheelchair accessible service, making our licensed fleet more environmentally sustainable, working to eliminate traffic fatalities, or preventing discriminatory service--often serve as a model for other cities.

TLC is seeking a Director of Policy Research to lead the data-driven Policy Research Unit working to review, monitor, evaluate, address, and implement a diverse set of agency policies, programs, and services affecting the for-hire transportation industry and the communities that utilize them, including ensuring there is adequate and equitable service in areas of the city that most need it, electrifying the taxi and for-hire vehicle fleets, and safeguarding the financial well-being of drivers. This is a position for someone who is interested and familiar with transportation policy issues, understands the value of bringing data to bear on complex policy and programmatic issues, can get up to speed quickly on unfamiliar topics, and gets into the weeds on a topic without losing sight of the big picture. The Director will supervise one or more Policy Analysts, will report to the Assistant Commissioner for Policy, and will support the work of the agency by: conducting policy and data research and analysis; drafting policy recommendations, memos, and reports and presenting those recommendations to senior staff and external stakeholders; developing, monitoring, and evaluating pilot programs; designing, conducting, and analyzing the results of surveys; analyzing data relating to industry, mobility, and labor trends; conducting qualitative and field research through stakeholder engagement; tracking legislative, technological, and industry developments in New York and other jurisdictions; and representing the division and agency in meetings with stakeholders and other City agencies.

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

- Demonstrated experience in, and passion for, using qualitative and quantitative research to inform policy in government or public service, ideally in New York City government and/or transportation policy. - Strong data analysis skills, including prior experience with large data sets, statistical analysis, SQL queries, and using Python an/or R to read and transform large data sets. - Experience managing long-term projects. - Creative thinking, with excellent research, writing, and verbal communication skills. - Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time, and balance projects with a high degree of independence. - Collaborative mindset, for managing your own team, working with other teams at TLC, and working with stakeholders such as other government agencies and TLC licensees. - Familiarity with TLC and prominent issues in for-hire transportation policy.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

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.

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.