Special Assistant/Director of Administrative Rules

Description
Duties Description
The Special Assistant serves as Director of the Department of State's (DOS) Division of Administrative Rules (DAR), and is responsible for managing and overseeing DOS' critical role in the rule making process for all state agencies and entities, including the receipt, review, formatting, compiling and publication of content of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (NYCRR), as well as production of the weekly State Register, the official journal providing the public with information on the rule making activities of State agencies, including publication of rules that agencies are considering proposing for adoption.

The incumbent is also responsible for managing work on DOS forms and publication activities, including digital forms transformation, development of interactive and customizable documents, creation and adaptation of forms and publications for accessibility and application on the DOS public web page, development and production of department posters and signage, production of digital and printed materials, and facilitation of translated forms and publications per the DOS Language Access Program.

Specific Duties Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Manage and direct workflow and activities to ensure productivity, ensuring deadline are met and deliverables are completed; develop and manage workplans for addressing work surges, and to evaluate progress and outcomes of workflow.
• Evaluate processes and protocols to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of DAR functions.
• Initiate and facilitate necessary process improvement, automation, and modernization projects and efforts.
• Liaise with managers of state agency regulatory units to monitor State Register and NYCRR workflow, identify focus areas, and ensure a positive customer experience.
• Report regularly to assigned Deputy Secretary of State on status and progress of DAR workload, including tracking and production reports related to NYCRR publication and other division deliverables, to ensure work stays on target and meets production milestones, report on program accomplishments for weekly and annual reports.
• Oversee DAR's overall relationship with the contracted printing vendor to ensure successful publication of State Register issues and NYCRR volumes; to maintain a productive working relationship with vendor staff to identify and address technical, logistical, or contract management issues; and to communicate production issues, and collaborate with vendor to identify and implement solutions.
• Participate in the development and/or review of legislative or regulatory proposals that impact State Register and NYCRR operations.
• Manage the work of graphic designers and related staff in the design, development, production, posting, and printing of new forms, publications and visual marketing materials, as well as revision and digital transformation of existing materials to enhance use and functionality, and update content where necessary; oversee the official identification/documentation and compiling of agency forms for use by programs and divisions.
• Oversee the language translation of agency forms, documents and publications, as required and covered under language access policy.
• Develop and implement strategic planning documents.
• Manage workforce planning efforts, including recruitment and hiring of staff, and securing space, equipment, and training/development resources to support optimal administration of DAR services.
• Engage in both direct and indirect supervision of a staff of 17 professional, paraprofessional, and clerical staff:
• Review work products to check for accuracy, timeliness and completeness, and make edits or revisions, as necessary.
• Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of subordinate staff; review and approve time and attendance.
• Provide training, orientation, and duties and performance expectations to new staff.
• Monitor and evaluate subordinate staff performance.
• Participate with other DOS division managers in various forums focused on information sharing, best practices, knowledge building and transfer, networking, and team building.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree and five years of relevant professional experience. Two of those years must have been in a supervisory capacity over professional staff.

Substitutions: Four years of specialized experience or associate's degree and two years of specialized experience may substitute for bachelor's degree; J.D. or master's degree may substitute for one year of specialized experience; Ph.D. may substitute for two years of specialized experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree field in Communications, Graphic Design, Public Relations, Digital Communications, Management, or Business.
• 10 years of overall professional experience, with 3 in a supervisory capacity, managing the work of a diverse team of professional, technical, paraprofessional, and support staff.
• Experience in a public sector agency.
• Experience in a production environment with regular and established deadlines and workload targets, with focus on process design, evaluation and improvement.
• Experience with publication review and production, including editing, proofing, and formatting.
• Experience with graphic design, development, and distributing or printing of visual media, such as forms, brochures, pamphlets, posters, etc.
• Experience with, and proficiency in, software applications used to develop and produce visual media, including applications that convert traditional paper forms into dynamic digital formats.

Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and transcript(s) that clearly demonstrate how they meet the minimum or preferred qualifications for the position.

It is essential that candidates clearly and concisely indicate exactly how they meet the above minimum qualifications in their resume. Failure to show how you meet the minimum qualifications above may result in disqualification and removal from consideration.

Additional Comments
The Department of State is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, veteran status, disability status, arrest record or criminal conviction history, or any other category protected by law.

We are happy to provide reasonable and religious accommodations during the hiring process for those in need. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please send a request to

For new State employees appointed to graded positions, the annual salary is the hiring rate (beginning of the Salary Range) of the position. Promotion salaries are calculated by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations and negotiated union contracts.

NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: The Department of State employees may be approved for a maximum of 50% telecommuting, however, they are required to apply and obtain approval through management in accordance with The Department of State Telecommuting Program Guidelines.