Director of Content and Copy

Job Description

Job Description

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 will work be supervised by DOHMH. This is a grant-funded position ending in November 2027.

The Office of External Affairs manages 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 Bureau of Communications, housed within the Office of External Affairs, develops culturally responsive public health marketing campaigns; generates and crafts materials to inform New Yorkers of health information and program services, ensuring accessibility for all; provides access to translation services for collateral materials and clinics; maintains the agency’s website; and publishes content on the agency’s social media platforms. Within Creative Communications, the Content group oversees the writing, editing, and creation of content to inform New Yorkers of key health topics and emergency situations.

Job Description

DOHMH has an opening for a Director of Content and Copy. Reporting to the Executive Director of Creative Communications, the Director of Content and Copy is responsible for the creation and development of program-specific and/or Health Department-wide written communications projects, in collaboration with the larger Creative Communications team. The Director oversees the day-to-day operations of the Content team, workflow, and management of staff.

Duties:

• Oversee and approve content on all editorial projects and requests, including Health Department reports, brochures, and other communications collateral. Monitors project deliverables and timelines and takes corrective action, as needed.
• Advance the Health Department’s mission and strategic plan by generating relevant, accessible, and high-quality written content. Demonstrates strategic thinking and planning in the creation and proofing of all Health Department written content, ensuring that tone and language are accessible, straightforward, and consistent across mediums.
• Lead the Content group, a team of five staff members, including writers, editors, and interns. Directly supervise one managing editor and one copyeditor. Provide strategic guidance, creative direction, and hands-on support to team members in execution of assigned projects.
• As a supervisor, the Director will foster productivity and accountability, support professional development, encourage teamwork, and lead the group’s collaboration with colleagues in other divisions and bureaus across the agency.
• Select and manage activities of contracted vendors and consultants to procure writing and copyediting services as needed and ensure that appropriate contracts are in place.
• Coordinate and collaborate with other members of the Creative Communications team (Health Media and Marketing, Digital Communications, Language Services, Design, and Project Management) as projects call for interaction and support. Work closely with the Digital Communications team to develop and maintain content for the Health Department’s website. Works closely with the Language Services Director to ensure all written materials are appropriately and strategically accessible in other languages.
• Liaise with Health Department divisions and bureaus and effectively fosters relationships throughout the Health Department community with a diverse range of stakeholders to improve collaboration.
• Function effectively within Creative Communications leadership team as a senior editorial, writing, and content strategy resource, demonstrating leadership and sharing experience.

Qualifications:

• A Baccalaureate degree form an accredited college or university with 24 semester credits in English, journalism, public relations, communications, advertising, marketing, or business administration, plus five (5) years of full-time paid experience in public relations, journalism, advertising, communications or marketing, including two (2) years in a managerial, administrative, supervisory or consultative capacity; or
• A combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" above. Graduate study in English, journalism, public relations, communications, advertising, marketing, or business administration may be substituted for up to one year of required experience on the basis that 30 semester graduate credits is equivalent to 1 year of experience. However, all candidates must have at least two (2) years of managerial, administrative, supervisory, or consultative experience in public relations, journalism, advertising, communications, or marketing.
• 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.

Additional Desired Qualities:

• Experience with stakeholder engagement and project management.
• Excellent communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to manage and report complex information.
• Experience with data collection, analysis and interpretation.
• Desire to grow professionally, develop new skills and willingness to work outside of comfort zone.
• Experience working with the public health sector and coordinating projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize and work in fast-paced environment with hard deadlines.
• Fluency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrates knowledge of writing, copyediting, storytelling, and strategic, creative, and critical thinking
• Clear and exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Ability to communicate complex messages clearly and simply to highly diverse New York City audiences
• Self-motivated with exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects, tasks, and timelines
• Demonstrates a professional, courteous, and respectful attitude in dealing with colleagues, direct reports, leadership, and stakeholders.
• Ability to supervise, delegate, and provide consultation and technical assistance to individual program components on media communications
• Leadership abilities in developing and motivating professional staff, including developing in-service training and resources to enhance performance and growth
• Capacity to identify new strategies to meet the agency’s overall mission and communications mission.

Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Schedule.
• 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.
• Ongoing training and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development.

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.

At PHS, we place immense value on diversity within our teams, understanding that varied backgrounds and experiences significantly enhance our community and propel us toward our goals. If you find you don’t have experience in all the areas listed above, we still encourage you to apply and share your background and experiences in your application. We are eager to discover how your unique perspective can bring positive transformations to our team and help advance our mission of creating healthier, more equitable communities.

We look forward to learning more about you!

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

Monday-Friday
35 Hours per week