Deputy Director of Compliance and Payments

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live. As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises from New York City's yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including 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 racial and social justice work, among others. Our Agency's five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are: 1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a "response-ready" organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods 3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness 4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women's health 5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism's impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes. PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION: The Division of Mental Hygiene of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is responsible for policy, programs, and providing oversight related to mental health, alcohol and/or drug use prevention care and treatment, as well as developmental delays & disabilities. The work of the Division is informed by the goals of improving clinical and rehabilitative services; integrating mental health, substance use, and primary care; promoting healthy childhood development; reducing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic health inequalities; and promoting mental health recovery. The Bureau of Administration within the Division is responsible for administering over 600 contracts with community-based and non-profit Organizations, as well as hospitals and is responsible for budgeting, research, analysis, compliance, payments, and verification of claims or invoices submitted by these contracted entities. JOB DESCRIPTION: Mental Hygiene's Finance team operates in collaborative, service-oriented environment, where flexibility and the ability to achieve results are valued. Supervisors and Managers lead teams and/or lines of service, assuming increasing levels of responsibility towards the Bureau's success. Managers align daily operations to the Division's strategic priorities, engage stakeholders in researching and planning, as well as drive performance using well-defined success metrics, along with effective people and project management strategies (including but not limited to the assignment of work, maintenance of performance standards, maintaining baseline staff knowledge and professional development). All managers are expected to deliver timely and quality work products & services, as well as participate in ongoing improvement activities, proactively deepen their knowledge of fiscal, claiming, and research operations. Managers must serve as principal ambassadors for both the Bureau and Division, and are expected to handle confidential matters, promote established priorities, deescalate conflict, and proactively escalate issues along with proposed solutions. Deputy Directors function as members of the Division's management team, assist in guiding the Bureau's overall direction, share responsibility for coordinating joint projects with peers, and have certain degree of latitude for high-level decision-making. The Deputy Director of Compliance and Payments operates under the direction of the Executive Director of Finance, with wide latitude to exercise independent action and decision making. The Deputy Director will have direct oversight of a payments staff compromising of One (1/2) Supervisor(s), and 4-5 finance and research analysts. The role is service-oriented and is first to step in to manage relationships between the Bureau's payments team and the contracted Community Based and Non-profit Organizations (service providers). The role additionally collaborates closely and directly with the various other units of the Finance team (procurement, financial analysis and research, contractual funding, etc.), as well as the Bureau's Contracts team. The Deputy Director will also work closely with all Division of Mental Hygiene's Bureaus, as well as the agency's central Finance Division such as the Revenue, Closeout, Fiscal Management, and Audit Services teams (among others). Responsibilities/Duties: Supervise and provide leadership to a staff of 1 or 2 Supervisors, with 4-5 analysts Research best accounting practices and cost allocation procedures based on the city's Human Sector Cost Allocation policies Prepare research analyses and reports as necessary, including, but not limited to, trend analyses, spending reports and forecasting. Provide technical assistance to Program staff, contracted providers, and others as necessary Coordinate with other administrative functions in order to process payments Assist with setting up accruals Ensure compliance with DOHMH requirements by researching federal/state/city guidelines for MHy contracts Research, establish, and implement control mechanisms to facilitate fiscal monitoring of contractual expenditures. Oversee all payments to MHy contracted providers ensuring timely payments to providers. Act as the principal point of contact for MHy on all Audit reviews and findings on contracts. Develop and implement policies and procedures to improve efficiency for the work of the Payments team. Work collaboratively with the agency's central Finance/Fiscal offices to ensure the Division is adhering to agency policies. Develop research and reports on payments and spending Ensure timely closeout of contracts each year in collaboration with Revenue and Closeout units Participate in any special projects as assigned Minimum Qualifications 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. Preferred Skills Knowledge of Government contracts and familiar with researching the various governing policies of City's financial and invoicing systems such as HHS-A, PASSPort, and FMS - Exceptional writing, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills desired - Capacity to handle and prioritize multiple competing demands in a fast-paced environment. - Familiarity with Mental Hygiene services (mental health, developmental disabilities, alcohol & drug abuse behavioral health, etc.) - Strong familiarity with MS Office products such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and potentially Visio, and Access . click apply for full job details