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 Center for Health Equity & Community Wellness (CHECW) aims to eliminate racial inequities resulting in premature mortality, with a focus on chronic disease, by addressing the social and environmental factors that impact health. CHECW works to increase placed-based investments in priority neighborhoods with community programming and services based on epidemiology; influence and leverage the health system to promote whole-person care; intensify the agency's approach to tackling big salt, sugar, and tobacco; and finding innovative ways to improve the built environment and address the social determinants of health and root causes of health inequities. CHECW is comprised of the Bureau of Brooklyn Neighborhood Health, the Bureau of Bronx Neighborhood Health, the Bureau of Harlem Neighborhood Health, the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention, the Bureau of Health Equity Capacity Building, the Bureau of Equitable Health Systems and the Bureau of Finance, Administration and Services. Shop Healthy NYC is a New York City Health Department initiative that aims to increase access to healthy food and engage residents and organizations to support sustainable food retail changes in their community. The program grew out of years of intensive work with more than 1,000 retailers in neighborhoods with the city's worst health outcomes, and targets multiple types of food retailers. To ensure a long-term impact on food access, Shop Health NYC aims to influence supply and demand by: 1) reaching out to food retailers to increase stock and promotion of healthy foods, including intensively working with stores to meet specific criteria; 2) collaborating with distributors and suppliers to facilitate wholesale purchases and widespread promotion of health foods; and 3) engaging community constituents (customers) to support participating retailers and increase neighborhood access to healthy foods. The Bureau of Health Equity Capacity Building seek to hire a Food Access Specialist. The Food Access Specialist will provide technical assistance to Shop Healthy Program participating store, fruit and vegetable vendors within Harlem and the Bronx.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Under general supervision, provide technical assistance to Shop Healthy Program participating stores, fruit and vegetable vendors.
Collect data for the assessment of product, placement and promotion in food retail stores.
Distribute and deliver materials and incentives to stores, local farms & gardens, regional & local distributors.
Utilize mapping tools to develop weekly work plans; Utilie data collection tools such as Survey 123.
Develop and maintain appropriate tracking reports store progress/completion.
Track and maintain accurate records of inventory.
Provide information and interact with the public in office and park settings.
Report on data collection activities via various platforms (Microsoft Excel, Word, & Teams).
Conduct health education activities with customers in-store.
Facilitating events that promote interaction and collaboration.
Maintain open lines of communication with partners to ensure mutual goals are met.
Identify, cultivate, and establish partnerships and opportunities for joint initiatives, programs, and campaigns that create mutual benefits for our organization and community partners.

***IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:

Please note: If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:
- A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver’s license.

- Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.

- Current Resume

- Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)

Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting’s “Minimum Qualification Requirements” section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.

If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment. By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card.

**LOAN FORGIVENESS

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 StudentAid.gov/PSLF.

"FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL”

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

Bachelor's degree with a specialization in an environmental, or social science, or in public health Preferred experience in the utilization of data collection tools via apps Previous experience working with a retailer, specifically related to management or distribution of inventory Ability to tailor presentation based on the audience type Demonstrated capability to lead implementation of special community level initiatives. Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability, to summaries, reports, presentations with data visualization tools. Demonstrated ability to effectively establish and maintain working relationships with community groups. Knowledge of Bronx or Harlem local communities and local organization leadership Proficiency in computer software including Microsoft Word, Excel, Team, and Outlook. Strong writing, communication, organizational and interpersonal skills. Able to work outdoors in varying weather conditions. Understanding of and/or experience in food retail or food distribution Ability to lift up to 70lbs.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

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.