*** OPEN TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE PERMANENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE TITLE OF Administrative Public Information Specialist (10033)

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 Office of External Affairs oversees many of the agency's most critical interactions with the public, from raising awareness and promoting healthy behaviors to advancing policies and responding to health emergencies. The office serves as the agency's in-house publisher, advertiser and marketer of trendsetting, culturally responsive campaigns, and initiatives, maintains a strong digital presence and oversees press relations and government affairs. The Executive Communications Manager will craft messages for the Commissioner of Health to communicate important information to the public, as well as play a key role in conceiving and crafting the agency's overall message in service to its population agenda. The Executive Communications Manager will hold primary responsibility for drafting keynote speeches, remarks, talking points, opinion bylines, and other written deliverables produced in the Commissioner's voice. This person will also contribute to the creation of slides and other visual aids used by the Commissioner during speaking engagements, both internal and external. This role will report to the Assistant Commissioner of Communications, and work closely with the Press Office, Government Affairs team, and the Office of the Commissioner to plan and execute speaking events and media interviews. They will also manage a deputy responsible for research, logistics and drafting, as necessary.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

The Executive Communications Manager's responsibilities will be as follows:

Advise the Commissioner on communications strategy, and work directly with him to generate ideas, shape arguments, craft language, and refine his delivery.

Produce speeches, remarks, talking points, op-eds, and other written materials in the Commissioner's voice.

Develop high level messaging to promote the Department's health agenda and to elevate the Commissioner's voice

Prepare the Health Commissioner for public appearances and internal appearances, including speeches, panels, broadcast media, radio, and other formats.

Proactively seek out opportunities to amplify the Commissioner's message, including but not limited to speaking engagements, events, partnerships, and bylines ” as part of the Department's overall communications strategy.

Contribute to messaging for the Department as a whole, including in response to crises and fast-moving developments.

Work with the social media team to craft content in the Commissioner's voice for digital materials.

Guide and contribute to content development for internal agency events ensuring that internal messaging is consistent and aligned with overall policy priorities.

1. A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college with 24 credits in English, journalism or public relations, plus five (5) years of full-time paid experience in public relations, journalism or advertising, including two (2) years in an administrative, supervisory or consultative capacity; or
2. A combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" above. Graduate study in English, journalism, or public relations may be substituted for up to one year of required experience. However, all candidates must have at least two (2) years of administrative, supervisory, or consultative experience in public relations, journalism or advertising.

Be an innovative thinker and excellent writer with a track record for translating complex policy ideas and strategies into motivating, persuasive language. Written extensively in a principal's voice, whether in government, consulting, advocacy, academia, or another sector, working directly with them to capture their unique voice. Written opinion pieces for a principal that have been published in national media outlets, as well as speeches that they've delivered before live audiences in major forums. coach principle for speaking engagements and media appearances and understand how best to prepare for each. Strategically consider, and write for, a variety of audiences. Ability to prioritize and execute multiple projects on tight deadlines. Contribute thoughtfully and respectfully to strategic discussions, often in rapidly evolving situations. Experience designing or contributing to the design of slides or other visual aids used within a presentation. You are knowledgeable about to use data to tell stories and deliver key messages. Edit others' work to ensure quality and message consistency.

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.