College Aide (CS)

About the role

The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), Division of Infrastructure, is seeking two proactive, analytically minded College Aides to join the Construction Support team. Reporting directly to the Deputy Director, the role sits at the heart of operational delivery across active multi‑million‑dollar roadways, water, and sewer projects, bridging field operations and executive program management to provide high‑level visibility into how major urban capital works move from active construction through final project closeout.

Responsibilities

• Operational & Closeout Governance: Track and accelerate capital project closeout milestones, ensuring vital engineering deliverables, warranties, and regulatory documentation transition smoothly from the field to asset‑owner agencies.
• Engineering Records QA/QC: Audit, organize, and cross‑reference critical construction submittals, change orders, payment documentation, and technical inspection reports for compliance and completeness.
• System & Process Optimization: Help modernize internal tracking dashboards and reporting tools, identifying bottlenecks and proposing smarter, automated workflows to keep projects on schedule.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Collaborate with senior leadership to draft, refine, and standardize technical guidance and internal protocols that govern division‑wide construction operations.
• Data Synthesis & Executive Briefings: Transform raw project data into clear, visual progress reports, milestone summaries, and executive trackers for the Deputy Director and senior leadership.

Requirements

• Must be a matriculated student enrolled in an accredited college or graduate school (U.S. Department of Education‑recognized institution). Foreign credentials require independent equivalency verification from an approved evaluation service (see NYC DCAS Foreign Education Evaluation Guide).
• Assignment Level I: Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school; employment conditioned on continued student status.
• Assignment Level II (Information Technology): Matriculation with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or closely related field, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study.
• Assignment Level III (Information Technology Fellow): Matriculation with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or other area relevant to assigned IT project(s), including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study. Appointments made by the Technology Steering Committee through the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
• Maximum tenure for all Assignment Levels is 6 years.
• No student may be employed more than half‑time in any week when enrolled classes are in session; full‑time employment permitted during vacation periods.

Preferred Skills

• Academic Pathways: Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Data Analytics, Information Systems, Public Administration, or a related technical/management field.
• Data Organization & Dashboarding: Advanced comfort with Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookup functions, structured data sets, formatting) and exposure to dashboarding or reporting platforms such as Microsoft Power BI, SharePoint, or Smartsheet.
• Technical Acumen: Ability to interpret engineering terminology, construction contracts, and project milestones; familiarity with viewing/navigating AutoCAD drawings or construction documents is a plus.
• Analytical Problem‑Solving: Knack for spotting discrepancies across large datasets or complex filing systems and a keen interest in standardizing and optimizing workflows.
• Communication & Professional Poise: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to summarize complex operational data into concise, well‑structured memos and executive updates.
• Initiative & Curiosity: Self‑starter attitude with enthusiasm for learning the operational, fiscal, and regulatory mechanics behind public infrastructure delivery.

Benefits

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a City of New York employee, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs (details at studentaid.gov/pslf).
• Residency Requirement: New York City residency generally required within 90 days of appointment. City employees with two continuous years of service may be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County (determine applicability with agency representative at interview).

Pay

$17.50 – $21.90 per hour

Schedule

Part‑time, up to 35 hours per week. During the school year: up to 17 hours per week; during summer: full‑time 35 hours per week. Work location: 30‑30 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101.