Policy & Communications Coordinator, Division Management & Systems Coordination

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:

DOHMH strives to protect and promote the health of all New Yorkers. With a vision to be a city where all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, where they are from or where they live, our core values are science, equity, and compassion. A world-renowned public health agency responding to urgent public health crises from New York City's yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic, DOHMH has been a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and resource. From food policy, tobacco, HIV/AIDS, family child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial justice work, DOHMH's impact to public policy across the nation has been vast. Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity, DOHMH has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling the impact of racism on the health of New Yorkers and more broadly. In 2021, the New York City Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis . With commitment to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity, and access, DOHMH continues to work in and with communities with historic disinvestment and disease burden to decrease unfair and avoidable health outcomes so all New Yorkers can achieve their full health potential.

We strongly encourage people to apply and contribute your diversity in thought, racial identity, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability status, veteran status, and/or LGBTQI+ status to enhance the work of the DOHMH and promote the health of all New Yorkers. We welcome applicants who share the vision for a city where all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, where they are from or where they live. DOHMH extends this vision of wellness by providing every member of our team and prospective job applicants dynamic benefits: Benefits - NYC Health , and a robust Worksite Wellness program with a wide range of offerings. As a current or prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. Please review the notice to see if you may be eligible for programs and how to apply at nyc.gov/studentloans .

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Conduct research to inform the Health Department's position on proposed federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.

Assist the Senior Policy Analyst in maintaining a database to track developing laws.

Draft comments, position statements, and memoranda on proposed laws and regulations.

Assist in responding to inquiries from elected officials, the Office of Commissioner, City Hall, press, and constituents regarding the Division's policies and programs.

Assist in the development of the Division's annual legislative and regulatory agendas.

Assist in preparing for Board of Health, City Council, and other hearings.

Assist in the development and review of communications materials, including presentations, guidance documents, FAQs, dear colleague letters, flyers, press releases, webpages, and social media postings.

Review Webpage Change Requests and Communication Project Requests.

Liaise with the agency's Office of External Affairs to facilitate intergovernmental affairs requests and communications projects.

Other duties, as appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Preferred Skills

Experience in legislative analysis. Knowledge of domestic infectious disease trends, epidemiology, and prevention. Knowledge of health care delivery and payment systems, health disparities, and social determinants of health. Knowledge of BIPOC, LGBTQI+, TGNCNB, immigrant, justice-involved, and homeless and unstably housed health-related topics. Strong written and oral communication skills with ability to communicate in different styles and to varied audiences. Ability to engage and facilitate cooperation among multiple stakeholders. Excellent organizational skills with ability to prioritize work and produce high quality results on time with attention to detail.

Residency Requirement

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.

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.