This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer

THE AGENCY

The Department of City Planning (DCP) promotes strategic growth, transit‐oriented development and sustainable communities to enhance the quality of life in all five boroughs of New York City, in part by initiating comprehensive, consensus‐based planning and zoning changes for individual neighborhoods and business districts, as well as establishing policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide. DCP also supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for actions such aszoning changes, special permits and a variety of other discretionary approvals. In addition, the Department assists both government agencies and the public by providing policy analysis and technical assistance relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.

THE ROLE

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the TTO will set the overall technological vision and a clear set of IT priorities for the Agency. The TTO will manage an overall staff of ~50 technologists in the Agency’s five IT sections (see below). The Chief Information Officer will be responsible for the entirety of the Agency’s tech footprint, software/hardware decisions, data management and publishing, development of custom applications, technical training, GIS, and other initiatives.

The TTO is to develop and maintain the division’s work program by staying close to the evolving needs of our critical planning divisions, and to identify, propose and introduce new technology-based solutions to help the Agency advance its overall agenda, or to become more productive in delivering it. An added emphasis is placed on advancing a strategy for the use of open source and cloud computing technologies to reduce the agency’s dependence on proprietary software and technology vendor lock-in.

The ongoing supervision and management of the program of work by the TTO will ensure new programs and enhancements are delivered on-time and on-budget. It is expected the TTO will also ensure responsible, timely, IT spend forecasts and budget monitoring, with cost-effective specification choices and a regular evaluation of additional cost saving opportunities.

The TTO will be committed to maintaining the Agency’s reputation as a leader in open data, and may build and maintain infrastructure to enable self-service access to agency data and high-quality metadata for the public and other city agencies.

The TTO is also responsible for the professional development of all IT staff. This includes thoughtful consideration of skills and training needs given the goals of the division, and aligned hiring, and retention and promotion policies. The TTO will ensure staff understand the divisional goals, and are motivated to contribute at a consistently high level.

As with any City agency IT department, relationships with technologists in other areas of the city are critical. The TTO will build collaborative, effective relationships with DoITT, the city’s centralized IT shop, and foster constructive working relationships with TTOs in our partner agencies.

DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING IT DIVISIONAL OVERVIEW

PC and Network Services (PCNS)

PCNS provides services related to all agency computer hardware and software, and is responsible for managing the local and wide area networks at the six City Planning office locations. Services include telecommunication with CityNet (NYC’s network used for mainframe access, email services, video, and other data transmissions among City agencies), with the Internet, and to agency issued hand held devices.

PCNS is responsible for maintaining network security. This includes maintaining back-up systems on all agency servers, complying with citywide security directives, and cooperating with City oversight agencies to protect against deliberate and accidental system corruption. PCNS procures and maintains network hardware and operating systems that are upgraded as technology changes and new services are required.

PCNS also provides and maintains the personal computers and related hardware and software in City Planning. The Help Desk/Desktop Support staff responds to requests for help and assistance with computer related problems. PCNS also evaluates new needs for hardware and/or software. Technicians research and evaluate products, and recommend cost effective solutions.

Database and Application Development (DAD)

DAD is responsible for designing, developing and maintaining the agency’s major computer databases and applications.

DAD’s major systems include mainframe and server-hosted applications that track the agency’s land use and environmental review processes. Over the next 18 months, DAD staff will work closely with contractor staff to redesign and build a new system to support online applications and seamless cross-divisional review.

DAD collects, processes, and provides land use, housing, economic and demographic data that are used for developing neighborhood and community development plans, major citywide studies, and tax revenues and economic studies. Data maintained by DAD include

  • a tax lot (parcel) zoning database
  • PLUTO - a database of land use, geographic and zoning information derived from data maintained by several NYC agencies. PLUTO is used by staff throughout city government and by hundreds of users in the public via the open data offerings on the department’s website.

DAD builds and maintains other databases and applications to support the work of the department’s divisions.

Geographic Systems Section (GSS)

GSS designs, develops and maintains specialized geographic computer applications and files. The Geosupport System is a citywide service that standardizes and validates locations (such as addresses, tax lots, buildings and street intersections) and relates these to political and administrative districts. It is used by over 40 city agencies for their operational and planning activities, including emergency response teams. Geosupport is available on Windows-based PCs and servers, IBM Mainframes and on Linux servers. Server and web-based applications can access any of these versions through a tool called (GeoX), or through DoITT’s GeoClient API (Geosupport in the Cloud).

GSS’ geographic research unit maintains a wide range of GIS datasets and related data files. These include the LION street center line file, various political and administrative district boundaries, and the Property Address Directory (PAD) which contains geographic information about NYC’s approximately one million tax lots and the buildings on them. GSS also maintains (with DoITT) the Citywide Street Centerline file (CSCL).

Web Team The Web Team is responsible for the design, development and maintenance of DCP’s website, www.nyc.gov/planning. The team coordinates with DoITT to assure adherence with citywide standards and requirements for the website. The web team works with staff throughout the agency and the executive office to assure that information is timely and accurate.

The Web Team is also responsible for the department’s intranet site, DCP Commons and builds web applications, often in collaboration with programmers and database developers from the GIS Team and the DAD and GSS sections.

GIS Team

The GIS Team maintains the data and application infrastructure used by DCP’s staff for desktop geographic inquiry and analysis. The team manages the ArcGIS/SQL Server database of geographic data used in developing plans, analyzing land use applications and providing related information to the public. The team members also coordinate with other agencies to provide geographic data resources that support the agency’s work.

Customized applications and interfaces are developed by the team to enhance the access to, and use of, the various geographic resources both within the agency and for the public.

The team provides assistance in the use of the geographic information and software for agency planning and community development initiatives, and leads agency-wide GIS Users’ Group meetings.

CIVIL SERVICE TITLE: Computer Systems Manager – M6, commensurate with experience

SALARY RANGE: $125,000 - $145,000, commensurate with experience; full NYC benefits package

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 9 (or until filled)

TO APPLY: ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE NYC JOBS/ESS WEBSITE. Inquiries may be submitted to DCPrecruit@planning.nyc.gov.

  • City Employees – Click here and log in to ESS.
  • Non-City Employees – Go to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/
  • Search for job ID number: 236408
  • Click on the job business title: Chief Information Officer
  • Click on “Apply Now” at the bottom of the posting

Only applicants under consideration will be contacted.

Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.

Authorization to work in the United States is required for this position.

THE DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND A COPY OF THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS IS AVAILABLE IN THE HUMAN CAPITAL DIVISION. THE DEPARTMENT MAKES AVAILABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABLED APPLICANTS.

Read the official job posting document here.