Drug-Checking Operations Lead Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention Care and Treatment BADUPCT

Division/Program Summary Description: The Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention Care and Treatment (BADUPCT) works to close gaps and reduce overall morbidity and mortality related to alcohol and substance use among New Yorkers. BADUPCT develops implements and evaluates interventions and prevention strategies through contracting of treatment recovery and support services; policy analysis and development; epidemiology and surveillance; dissemination of treatment and management guidelines; harm reduction initiatives; public and provider outreach and education; and community involvement and interagency collaboration. The Bureau amplifies the voices of those most impacted and focuses on inequitable structural social service and communication factors that drive disparities.

The Research and Surveillance (R&S) Unit conducts alcohol and drugrelated surveillance program evaluation and research maintains databases designs research protocols produces reports writes scientific articles for peer review journals and facilitates program and policy development.

In 2021 BADUPCT established a drugchecking pilot to gain more insight into the unregulated drug supply and provide factbased information to people using the service. Using Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and immunoassay test strips trained drugchecking technicians currently offer pointofcare drugchecking services at five syringe service program locations including two sites that offer overdose prevention services.

With an annual budget of approximately $3 million dollars per year Overdose Data to ActionLimiting Overdose through Collaborative Actions in Localities (OD2A: LOCAL) aims to strengthen NYCs response to the opioid overdose epidemic and reduce overdose deaths. Informed by critical new surveillance and in collaboration with crosssector partners across levels of government BADUPCT will implement focused prevention and response strategies to reach populations that bear the heaviest burden of opioid use and associated morbidity and mortality which includes expanding the drugchecking initiative.

Position Summary: The DrugChecking Operations Lead will provide administrative and operations oversight for the DrugChecking Program. In this capacity they will be responsible for strategizing methods of sample collection managing relationships with partnering sites and consultants/contractors coordinating logistics and collecting samples for shipping to the laboratory managing invoices and ensuring data are shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as required.

Job Duties and Responsibilities: The DrugChecking Operations Lead will provide administrative and operations oversight for the DrugChecking Program. In this capacity they will be responsible for strategizing methods of sample collection managing relationships with partnering sites and consultants/contractors coordinating logistics and collecting samples for shipping to the laboratory managing invoices and ensuring data are shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as required.


Reporting to the DrugChecking Program Manager the DrugChecking Operations Lead will be responsible for the following:

Oversee daytoday operations for the DrugChecking Program
Strategize and pilot novel methods of sample collection that reflect geographic variation across the city to better monitor the unregulated drug supply
Engage stakeholders in the identification of drugchecking data needs and analyze results to inform the development of data products
Contribute to research activities related to the DrugChecking Program including developing research study protocols and instruments recruiting participants analyzing results
Contribute to the dissemination of drugchecking findings including for presentations manuscripts and other data products
Build relationships with staff at communitybased sites including harm reduction specialists outreach workers and program managers to ensure seamless and effective service delivery
Coordinate logistics for the shipping of samples to a secondary testing lab partner with drugchecking technicians and partner sites including picking up samples from sites across the city on a routine basis
Process and track receipt of sample data from the secondary testing laboratory partner
Maintain records for the routine submission of drugchecking program data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Oversee the work of drugchecking consultants and contractors including developing scopes of work supervising and ensuring the timely completion of deliverables and processing invoices
Develop and refine DrugChecking Program policies and procedures for the safe collection storage and shipping of samples
Coordinate DrugChecking Program presentations and events
Stay up to date on the latest trends developments and innovations related to drug checking harm reduction and substance use to enhance the overall effectiveness of the program
Contribute to the Bureaus racial justice and health equity activities
Perform all other responsibilities and projects as assigned by supervisors

Preferred Skills:
Experience working in a field related to substance use
Experience in managing a budget and/or contracts
Familiarity with using public health program data to inform service delivery
Able to work independently have excellent oral and written communication and organizational skills and be a flexible team player
Detailoriented with outstanding organizational skills
Able to multitask in a fastpaced highvolume environment with proficiency in Excel Access Word and PowerPoint
Sensitive to various ethnic racial and cultural backgrounds gender identities sexual orientations and socioeconomic conditions


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 Educations website ()
Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as:
oa premiumfree health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually per a 2024 assessment.
oadditional health fitness and financial benefits may be available based on the positions associated union/benefit fund.
oa public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement.
oa taxdeferred savings program and
oa 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 antitobacco 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 COVID19 pandemic we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.

Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers!

The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process contact SyeEun Ahn Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at or.

Qualifications :

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical biological and environmental sciences and public health) A masters 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 fulltime experience in a responsible supervisory administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A masters 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 fulltime 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 masters 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.

Additional Information :

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 individuals sex race color ethnicity national origin age religion disability sexual orientation veteran status gender identity or pregnancy.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Fulltime