Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.

As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises — from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic — we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.

Our Agency’s five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:
1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a “response-ready” organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods
3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness
4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health
5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change

Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism’s impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.

Program and Job Description:

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is a world-renowned agency with a long tradition of protecting and promoting health in the most culturally and linguistically diverse city in the nation. The Bureau of Communications manages many of the agency's most critical interactions with the public, from raising awareness and promoting health behaviors, to advancing policies and responding to health emergencies.

The Publications team edits, manages the design and printing of, and produces the agency's public-facing materials such as toolkits, reports, guidebooks, brochures, fact sheets, infographics, posters, postcards, and more on topics from overdose prevention and mental health care services, to quitting smoking, lowering blood pressure, and finding doula care. Most of the Publications team's work is also posted to the Agency's website for viewing or download.

The Publications team collaborates with a variety of health experts from across the agency on high-visibility projects and strives to present the agency's content in plain language that is accessible to all New Yorkers, including parents and caregivers, teens, health care staff, and community partners, among others.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Will report to the Director of Publications and directly supervise editing staff while managing their own Publications projects.

Edit and proofread content for the public, simplifying complex topics and language into clear, concise messages while meticulously applying AP and house style to grammar and punctuation.

Provide thoughtful and precise reviews of both short-form and long-form content for complex topics, seeking to improve the reader's understanding and experience of the content at every step.

Coordinate with contracted design and print vendors to ensure designs and printed materials meet the agency's standards for style, accessibility, and print quality.

Develop and maintain emergency information materials that can be deployed rapidly during health emergencies.

Work with the Director of Publications and other high-level managers throughout the agency on complex projects.

Assist the Director of Publications with various administrative and strategic planning support tasks.

1. Master’s degree from an accredited college in emergency management, public health, disaster management, emergency preparedness/administration, public administration, or related field and one (1) year of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following area(s): emergency preparedness planning/management, emergency medical services, fire or public safety, law enforcement, homeland security, public health, mental health, environmental/occupational health and safety or a related specialized area; or

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two (2) years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one of the areas described in “1” above; or

3. A satisfactory equivalent combination of education and experience. However, all candidates must have a minimum of one (1) year of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one of the areas described in “1” above.

Excellent communication skills, particularly writing and editing complex topics for plain language. At least two years of editing experience, including familiarity with track changes in Word and Comment tools in Adobe, and using AP style or a strict house style guide. Strong project management and relationship management skills. Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills. College courses in English, journalism, technical writing, or publishing. Experience supervising or training colleagues. Experience handling multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Passion and commitment to improving New York City's public health.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at a href= "https://studentaid.gov/pslf/", target = "_blank"u StudentAid.gov/PSLF/u/a

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.

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.