Senior Media Specialist

Company overview:
With an annual budget of $2.3 billion and more than 7,000 employees throughout the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) is one of the largest public health agencies in the world, serving 8 million New Yorkers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We're tackling a broad range of public health issues with innovative policies and programs and getting exceptional results, but our work is never finished. The breadth of our innovative programs provides the widest range of choices for every member of our team.

With grant funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOHMH is undertaking a new initiative that will meet critical infrastructure needs and make possible strategic investments that will have lasting effects on public health. Investments and improvements through this initiative will help modernize DOHMH’s foundational capabilities and data infrastructure, enabling it to partner in complex health and health care environments and, in turn, support better public health outcomes, including COVID-19. This initiative supports larger efforts to rebalance investments in public health and more equitably serve communities and populations.

The selected candidate will be an employee of Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization which is the fiscal and administrative manager of the grant, but the work will be supervised by DOHMH. This is a grant-funded position ending in November 2027.

The Bureau of Communications is seeking a Senior Media Specialist to join its Press unit; The communications unit is housed within the Health Department's Office of External Affairs. This Unit manages external facing press, social media content and websites.

Job description:

DOHMH has an opening for a Senior Media Specialist. This role will work at the Health Department’s Press office that operates at 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.

Duties:

Senior Media Specialist is a challenging position but one that offers excitement, fulfillment, and an opportunity to work on behalf of the health of New York City.

• Research and write press and other public-facing materials about the agency’s public health initiatives, including speeches, op-eds, and public statements. Audiences include the general public, medical professionals and other public health stakeholders.
• Liaise with divisional and programmatic leads to develop and maintain a calendar of announcements and product releases.
• Manage, maintain, and distribute up-to date messaging documents, including but not limited to briefing packages and talking points.
• Review and edit press materials to ensure they are well-written, in plain language, concise and consistent with agency’s style and work.
• Work with the agency’s programs and bureaus to ensure that all external materials are easily understandable by their target audiences, and skillfully negotiate edits and revisions with program staff.
• Manage a wide range of editorial projects from draft to completion, working with internal subject matter experts and members of the media.
• Ensure that the NYC Health brand and content is used consistently and appropriately on all external materials and work with programs to develop appropriate voice.
• Work on urgent/emergency materials as needed.
• Manage the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the press office.

Qualifications:

• A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in English, journalism, or public relations and two (2) years of full-time paid experience in public relations, journalism, or advertising.
• The ideal candidate for this position must be a pro-active and self-motivated individual with the ability to work in teams and in a highly dynamic environment with multiple stakeholders and timelines.
• Salary - $85,000 - $85,000

Additional Desired Qualities:

• Must work well independently and as a team member.
• Excellent communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills.
• Must be available to work after hours, weekend and during emergencies as needed.
• Ability to prioritize and work in fast-paced environment with hard deadlines.
• Prior government experience is a plus.

Benefits:

• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays.
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Commuter Benefits.
• Company Paid Life Insurance and Disability Coverage.
• 403 (b) + employer matching and discretionary company contributions.
• College Savings Plan.

Additional Information:

• This is a temporary grant-funded position ending in November 2027.
• This individual must reside in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) by their confirmed start date.
• Preference may be given to individuals residing in New York City (5 boroughs) or surrounding New York State counties.
• This individual will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies.

PHS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, and veterans.

Monday-Friday
35 Hours