Ready New York, NYC Emergency Management’s public education program, is seeking a community engagement specialist to lead the strategic planning and outreach efforts focused on engaging NYC’s immigrant communities and people with limited English proficiency, especially in neighborhoods affected by Post-Tropical Storm Ida.

The Community Engagement Specialist will:

- Conduct emergency preparedness presentations and events to immigrant communities in Ida-affected neighborhoods.
- Support the enrollment of people with limited English proficiency into Notify NYC, the City’s official source of emergency information.
- Manage interpretation requests for emergency preparedness events and presentations, including scheduling interpreters, troubleshooting issues, and collecting feedback.
- Assist with the development and implementation of strategies to engage new contacts throughout New York City’s diverse populations while maintaining the existing network.
- Conduct presentations for other targeted outreach campaigns as needed, including presentations to older adults, people with disabilities, and youth.
- Assist with the day-to-day operations of the Ready New York program, including database and event management, coordinating and leading trainings, organizing guide and material requests, responding to inquiries via email, 311 and other means, as well as managing special events.

The Community Engagement Specialist position requires a creative individual who has demonstrated excellent community development and communication skills. In addition to being a strong presenter, they must be able to manage and coordinate multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously. This position requires someone who has a working knowledge of New York City, its immigrant community and has shown commitment to developing community resilience. The selected candidate will be expected to work non-traditional hours to meet program needs including some evenings and weekends.

The selected candidate will be assigned to periodic Emergency Operations Center team and will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies. The selected candidate will also participate in drills and exercises, assist with Ready NY presentations to external groups, and will undertake special projects as assigned.

*PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

- The selected candidate will be assigned to an on-call Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team and will be expected to work non-business hours during some emergencies. These non-business hours include nights, weekends, holidays, and extended week hours outside of a 9AM-5PM schedule. The selected candidate will also participate in trainings to build skills and competencies in emergency response; will participate in drills and exercises associated with the on-call EOC team; and may volunteer to assist with Ready NY emergency preparedness presentations to external groups. EOC teams are on call for three weeks at a time, with six weeks off in between.

- This position is CDBG-DR funded and has two (2) years of guaranteed funding, which will start once the position is filled. There is a possibility of extension beyond the two years.

- IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS JOB, PLEASE SUBMIT A SEPARATE COVER LETTER IN THE ATTACHMENTS SECTION OF THE APPLICATION PORTAL.

1. A master’s degree from an accredited college in emergency management, public administration, urban planning, engineering, economics, political science, the physical sciences or related field and one year of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following: emergency management, fire, police, or military service, public safety, public health, public administration, urban planning, engineering, or another specialized area to which the appointment is to be made; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in the areas listed in “1” above; or
3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a state’s
department of education or a recognized accrediting organization and six years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in the areas listed in “1” above, at least two years of which must have been in one of those areas, or another specialized area to which the appointment is to be made.

- Experience working with community groups and immigrant populations - Strong presentation skills and the ability to contribute to program development - Proficiency in Mandarin or Cantonese strongly preferred - Superior written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills - Ability to mediate and negotiate with individuals and groups - Familiarity and comfortability with traveling throughout NYC’s five boroughs for community events. Driver’s license is a plus. - Ability to prioritize and manage several projects simultaneously - Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint) and virtual platforms such as MS Teams and Zoom **Studies have shown that women, people of color, and other under-represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they are able to perform every task in the job description. We are interested in finding the best candidate for the job and will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education and experience to meet qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.**

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 https://studentaid.gov/pslf/

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.