Senior Policy Analyst

Company Overview

With an annual budget of $2.3 billion and more than 7,000 employees throughout the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is one of the largest public health agencies in the world, serving 8 million New Yorkers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We're tackling a broad range of public health issues with innovative policies and programs and getting exceptional results, but our work is never finished. The breadth of our innovative programs provides the widest range of choices for every member of our team.

The selected candidate will be an employee of Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization which is the fiscal and administrative manager of the grant but will work be supervised by the NYC Health Department.

Program Description

The Center for Population Health Data Science (CPHDS)- launched in October of 2023- aims to catalyze critical data modernization work and enable the agency to make progress toward linking public health, healthcare, and social service for timely and effective public action. We are working towards making these data more accessible, timely, equitable, meaningfully usable, and protected – and actively used to protect and promote the health and well-being of New Yorkers. We aim to strengthen agency-wide data capabilities by empowering our workforce, enhancing intra- and inter-agency data sharing, and using modern technology to yield trusted and integrated data and insights. A real-time and comprehensive view of city needs is needed to enhance public health actions and improve health outcomes for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.  This position will be based at the Health Department’s office in Long Island City, NY, with the possibility of hybrid work.  

Position Overview

The Senior Policy Analyst will work under the direction of the Policy & Strategy Implementation Lead to support policy work at CPHDS, including external policy work (legislation and regulations) and internal policy development, translating legal and policy requirements into data governance and system practices. This position will mostly focus on policies pertaining to data security, confidentiality, privacy, and interoperability. While this role does not involve statistical or quantitative analysis, this position does work closely with technical teams. Experience with state and national data-sharing initiatives (e.g. SHIN-NY, TEFCA), and federal/national interoperability standards and technology (HTI-5, USCDI, FHIR, HL7, etc.) is preferred. This position will also support strategies and policies around the use of AI, including assessing risks (e.g. re-identification of data) and opportunities (e.g. organizational policies to implement AI tools).

The Senior Policy Analyst will support the development and implementation of the New York City Health Department’s Enterprise Data Platform (EDP), a centralized analytics platform that integrates sensitive public health data, including clinical, surveillance, and programmatic datasets. This position will help shape how public health data are both protected and utilized in modern, interoperable systems to advance New York City’s ambitious public health goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead or coordinate responses to legislation and proposed regulations at the federal, state, and local levels related to CPHDS programs and the populations we serve, including drafting position papers and comments.
• Develop and maintain a workflow to identity and monitor bills of interest.
• Manage discrete policy workstreams under the direction of the Policy Lead.
• Independently draft policy briefs and memoranda on policy topics and initiatives.
• Collaborate across CPHDS and the Health Department, representing CPHDS in policy workgroups and initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of CPHDS’s annual legislative and regulatory agendas.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of cross-cutting policy initiatives impacting black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), immigrants, LGBTQI and TGNCNB persons, homeless and unstably housed persons, justice involved persons, and other priority populations.
• Research, review, and summarize current and emerging best practices, guidance, and other local and national efforts from other jurisdictions, organizations, and associations to inform the Health Department’s policies.
• Maintain awareness of recognized frameworks and standards for privacy and security (e.g., NIST Privacy Framework, HIPAA Safe Harbor, FAIR data principles) as well as interoperability (e.g., HL7, FHIR, LOINC, USCDI).
• Collaborate with data stewards, program managers, analysts, and system owners to understand and address program-specific legal and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of agency-wide policies and protocols related to data privacy, security, and confidentiality.
• Evaluate risks of AI use in public health data and help develop internal policies and guidance for implementation of AI tools.
  
  

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Public Health or a related field
• 3–5 years of relevant experience in policy related to public health, data privacy, data governance, or a related field
• Experience in policy analysis, such as legislative or regulatory analysis and/or data governance, including drafting policy position statements and briefs.
• Broad knowledge of public health topics, including health care delivery systems, health equity, and social determinants of health.
• Excellent writing skills with ability to communicate in different styles and to varied audiences (e.g., memoranda, policies, abstracts, manuscripts, grants, proposals, protocols, presentations).
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities, including the ability to identify and elevate risks and decision points.
• High attention to detail, organizational skills, and flexibility, with the ability to manage multiple evolving projects and priorities simultaneously
• Outstanding interpersonal and teamwork skills, including excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent communication and coordination skills with ability to engage and facilitate cooperation among multiple stakeholders.
• Project management skills, including the ability to prioritize work and produce high quality results on time with attention to detail, with minimal direction and supervision.
• Experience navigating government processes, regulatory environments, or large bureaucratic organizations.
• Experience with the New York State Legislature or New York City Council.
• Knowledge of health care IT and data systems, including electronic health records.
• Knowledge of clinical and public health data governance and data protection frameworks and regulations (e.g., HIPAA, NIST Privacy Framework)
• Knowledge of BIPOC, LGBTQI , TGNCNB, immigrant, justice-involved, and homeless and unstably housed health-related topics.
  
  

Benefits

• Hybrid Work Schedule.
• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays.
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Commuter Benefits.
• Company Paid Life Insurance and Disability Coverage.
• 403 (b) employer matching and discretionary company contributions.
• College Savings Plan.
• Ongoing training and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development.
  
  

Additional Information

• This is a temporary grant-funded position ending November 2027.
• This individual must reside in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) by their confirmed start date.
• Preference may be given to individuals residing in New York City (5 boroughs) or surrounding New York State counties.
• This individual will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies.
  
  

At PHS, we place immense value on diversity within our teams, understanding that varied backgrounds and experiences significantly enhance our community and propel us toward our goals. If you find you don’t have experience in all the areas listed above, we still encourage you to apply and share your background and experiences in your application. We are eager to discover how your unique perspective can bring positive transformations to our team and help advance our mission of creating healthier, more equitable communities.

We look forward to learning more about you!

PHS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA individuals, and veterans.

Monday-Friday

Possibility of hybrid work

35 Hours Per Week