Ryan Long Fellowship

The Public Advocate, an independently elected public official, serves as a direct link between city government and residents, acting as a “watchdog” for New Yorkers. The Public Advocate is a non-voting member of the New York City Council, an ex officio member of all Council committees and introduces and co-sponsors legislation. The Public Advocate serves on various City committees and appoints members to several boards and commissions. The Office of the New York City Public Advocate reviews and investigates residents’ complaints about City services and administrative actions, assists people having difficulty receiving City services, assesses whether City agencies are responsive to the public, and recommends legislative or policy proposals to address identified service deficiencies.

The New York City Public Advocate’s Ryan Long Fellow will focus on how the Office of the Public Advocate interacts with and assists constituents. The Fellowship will offer a fully immersive experience in Public Service and a unique introduction to city agencies. The Ryan Long Fellow will assist in the case management process from beginning to end.

Responsibilities:
-Intake - speak with constituents in person and via telephone to gather information regarding their complaints
-Advocacy - serving as a liaison between the city agency and the constituent to resolve the problem and/or making referrals to other entities
-Follow up - provide proactive constituent and agency outreach through timely and comprehensive communications
-Entering and maintaining data in our constituent services database
-Report directly to the Director of Constituent Services
-Represent the Public Advocate at offsite events and meetings
-Perform other related duties as required

Qualifications:
-Currently enrolled Undergraduate or Graduate student
-Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and multi-task
-Strong written, presentation and interpersonal skills
-Bilingual/multilingual proficiency is a plus

Additional Information:
-20 Hours Weekly (September 2026 - June 2027)

COLLEGE AIDE (ALL CITY DEPTS) - 10209

For Assignment Level I:
Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school.
For Assignment Level II (Information Technology):
Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school 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.
For Assignment Level III (Information Technology Fellow):
Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or other area relevant to the information technology project(s) assigned, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study. Appointments to this Assignment Level will be made by the Technology Steering Committee through the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

SPECIAL NOTE
Maximum tenure for all Assignment Levels in the title of College Aide is 6 years. No student shall be employed more than half-time in any week in which classes in which the student is enrolled are in session. Students may be employed full-time during their vacation periods.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.