New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection employs 6,000 workers who reduce pollution, manage stormwater, and deliver one billion gallons of drinking water to the City’s nine million residents daily. The Department aims to enhance customer communications and public trust by designing and implementing a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The FUSE Executive Fellow will help lead efforts to develop and test the system, guide its implementation, integrate CRM with existing systems, train employees, and establish best practices for managing these systems throughout a large and complex city department.
Fellowship Dates: April 22, 2024 – April 21, 2025
Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.
ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP
FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.
When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.
Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.
PROJECT CONTEXT
New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) manages a wide range of responsibilities, including managing the city’s water, sewer, and wastewater treatment facilities — critical infrastructure for millions of residents, visitors, and workers. DEP’s mission is to “enrich the environment and protect public health for all New Yorkers by providing high-quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution.”
Within DEP, its Bureau of Customer Services serves over 835,000 accounts across New York City and neighboring communities via water and wastewater billing, meter operations, and customer services. These systems collectively generate more than $4 billion in annual revenue.
DEP is working to improve external communications with customers and the general public, including developing and utilizing a broader set of tools to enhance coordination and automation of email, texting, and phone calls. Implementing more agile customer communications will require a sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) system.
The Department will partner with FUSE to develop and implement a CRM system, with the FUSE Executive Fellow responsible for scoping the project, gathering requirements, and working with a vendor to design and test the system. The work could also include guiding efforts to train employees and implement a new customer communication strategy. The project will help improve the quality and speed of customer service for New Yorkers, bolster DEP’s ability to carry out its mission, and strengthen trust in local government.
PROJECT SUMMARY & POTENTIAL DELIVERABLES
The following provides a general overview of the proposed fellowship project. This project summary and the potential deliverables will be collaboratively revisited by the host agency, the fellow, and FUSE staff during the first few months of the fellowship.
The FUSE Executive Fellow will lead efforts to identify, procure, and implement a CRM for the DEP’s Bureau of Customer Services to improve customer communications. The Executive Fellow should be skilled at navigating complex organizations and be sensitive to DEP’s mission and the daily operational demands its employees face. The successful candidate will have experience implementing and or managing complex CRM systems.
Implementing the CRM system at DEP will require integrating it with existing information systems, training the many employees who will interact with the CRM, and establishing procedures and best practices for getting maximum value from the system. The process will require gathering information from numerous stakeholders and then working collaboratively with internal stakeholders and the IT vendor to design and test a solution.
The FUSE Executive Fellow would begin the following process and complete as much of it as practical during the one-year time fellowship and will be responsible for the following objectives.
- Connect with stakeholders at DEP to understand the agency’s mission and goals, as the development of a CRM system would need input from and benefit all units within the Bureau of Customer Services. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop a deep understanding of DEP’s current customer communications limits and establish a vision for how a CRM would improve communications and public trust in the agency. The Executive Fellow should also review private sector and public sector best practices to identify how a CRM can best serve DEP and its customers. This information-gathering phase should allow the Executive Fellow to create a scope for the CRM project.
- Work with technical experts and DEP managers to design, develop, and test the CRM implementation and operational procedures. A vendor or City staff will do the actual technical work. Still, the Executive Fellow’s role will be critical to ensure DEP ends up with a functional CRM that allows the agency to meet its goals of communicating better with customers and operating more efficiently.
- Guide efforts to implement the CRM and train Bureau of Customer Services employees and other DEP employees on using the system. Measures include working with marketing communications leaders in the agency to develop the processes, procedures, and messages the new CRM would enable.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
- Executive Sponsor – Rohit Aggarwala, Chief Climate Officer and Commissioner; Department of Environmental Protection
- Project Supervisor – Albert Kramer, Director of Business Services; Department of Environmental Protection
QUALIFICATIONS
In addition to the qualifications listed below, a background in launching or managing a CRM system in a complex business environment is strongly preferred for this project.
- Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
- Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
- Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to difficult challenges.
- Responds quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies and other processes.
- Communicates effectively both verbally and in writing and excels in both active listening and conversing.
- Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
- Establishes and maintains strong relationships with a diverse array of stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, and particularly including community-based relationships.
- Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
- Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy, while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.
FUSE is an equal opportunity employer with diversity, equity, and inclusion core values. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.
How to Apply
Click here to apply online. Priority application deadline: February 16, 2024