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Job Description
*** OPEN TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE PERMANENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE TITLE OF ASSOCIATE PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST ***
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:
With a staff of more than 7,000 and a budget of $2.3 billion, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is the nation's premier city health agency. Its 100-plus programs protect and promote the health of the world's most culturally and linguistically diverse city. Each of these programs relies on the press office in the Office of External Affairs to convey critical messages to the public and respond to media inquiries in a timely, accurate fashion. Work on the frontlines of emerging local, national, and global health emergencies at the nation's premier health department. The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene serves at the forefront of responses to COVID, MPV, in addition to a diverse portfolio of issues that to affect the health of more than 8-million city residents. The press office also plays a critical role to support overdose prevention, mental health, environmental health, chronic disease prevention, and other programs that protect and promote the health of the world's most culturally and linguistically diverse city. The Health Department's press office operates a high-volume, 24/7 shop that serves as the main point of contact for local, national and international media, including some of the world's top journalists. This is a challenging role but one that offers excitement, fulfillment and an opportunity to work on behalf of the health of New York City.
DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
Must Be Permanant in Associate Public Information Specialist title or Reachable on Civil Service List.
Work closely with the Press Secretary and Deputy Press Secretaries to develop proactive press strategies that align with the agency's initiatives and announcements of major public health campaigns.
Independently prepares, edits and finalizes press materials; develop creative pitches for media outlets including, pitch to long-lead publications on key initiatives, disseminate pitches, follow-up and track media coverage using the press coverage database.
Draft statements and responses to inquiries based on internal research, obtaining final approval from agency representatives; maintain high quality, professional standards for all media responses; ensure responses are in agreement with agency standards for professionalism and accuracy.
Keep abreast with all local newspapers including community papers and those targeting special populations; Develop a targeted press outreach plan for specific and community audiences; contribute to the creation and updating of issue specific targeted media lists to ensure reach to target audiences.
Coordinate the planning of press activities including high-profile interviews, press conferences, and events.
Track and maintain database of press coverage; and, as assigned produce morning and afternoon clips.
Work in a 24/7 media environment, after hours and on weekends.
**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"
Qualifications
Qualification Requirements
1. A master's degree in journalism or public relations from an accredited college; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in public relations, journalism or advertising; or
3. An associate degree or completion of 60 credits from an accredited college and two years of full-time satisfactory experience in public relations, journalism or advertising; or
4. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2" or "3" above. However, all candidates must have at least 60 credits from an accredited college.
For Assignment Level II
To be eligible for placement in Assignment Level II, individuals must have, after meeting the minimum requirements described above for Assignment Level I, at least one additional year of the full-time experience in public relations, journalism, or advertising.
Additional Information
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.
Job Description
*** OPEN TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE PERMANENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE TITLE OF ASSOCIATE PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST ***
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:
With a staff of more than 7,000 and a budget of $2.3 billion, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is the nation's premier city health agency. Its 100-plus programs protect and promote the health of the world's most culturally and linguistically diverse city. Each of these programs relies on the press office in the Office of External Affairs to convey critical messages to the public and respond to media inquiries in a timely, accurate fashion. Work on the frontlines of emerging local, national, and global health emergencies at the nation's premier health department. The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene serves at the forefront of responses to COVID, MPV, in addition to a diverse portfolio of issues that to affect the health of more than 8-million city residents. The press office also plays a critical role to support overdose prevention, mental health, environmental health, chronic disease prevention, and other programs that protect and promote the health of the world's most culturally and linguistically diverse city. The Health Department's press office operates a high-volume, 24/7 shop that serves as the main point of contact for local, national and international media, including some of the world's top journalists. This is a challenging role but one that offers excitement, fulfillment and an opportunity to work on behalf of the health of New York City.
DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
Must Be Permanant in Associate Public Information Specialist title or Reachable on Civil Service List.
Work closely with the Press Secretary and Deputy Press Secretaries to develop proactive press strategies that align with the agency's initiatives and announcements of major public health campaigns.
Independently prepares, edits and finalizes press materials; develop creative pitches for media outlets including, pitch to long-lead publications on key initiatives, disseminate pitches, follow-up and track media coverage using the press coverage database.
Draft statements and responses to inquiries based on internal research, obtaining final approval from agency representatives; maintain high quality, professional standards for all media responses; ensure responses are in agreement with agency standards for professionalism and accuracy.
Keep abreast with all local newspapers including community papers and those targeting special populations; Develop a targeted press outreach plan for specific and community audiences; contribute to the creation and updating of issue specific targeted media lists to ensure reach to target audiences.
Coordinate the planning of press activities including high-profile interviews, press conferences, and events.
Track and maintain database of press coverage; and, as assigned produce morning and afternoon clips.
Work in a 24/7 media environment, after hours and on weekends.
**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"
Qualifications
Qualification Requirements
1. A master's degree in journalism or public relations from an accredited college; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in public relations, journalism or advertising; or
3. An associate degree or completion of 60 credits from an accredited college and two years of full-time satisfactory experience in public relations, journalism or advertising; or
4. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2" or "3" above. However, all candidates must have at least 60 credits from an accredited college.
For Assignment Level II
To be eligible for placement in Assignment Level II, individuals must have, after meeting the minimum requirements described above for Assignment Level I, at least one additional year of the full-time experience in public relations, journalism, or advertising.
Additional Information
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.
