Deputy Press Secretary

City of New York•New York, NY

7d•$62,868 - $100,000

About The Position

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love. The Office of Communications oversees all public relations for the agency and is responsible for crafting a proactive strategy to promote agency initiatives, programs, and accomplishments to the media, our partners, our staff and the public. The division manages all interactions with the press, social media channels, the agency’s website, internal communications, as well as digital and print materials. The Deputy Press Secretary is a highly motivated candidate who must be a creative planner, a critical thinker and passionate about how we use communications to make real change in our communities. The position works with all levels of the agency to promote and defend HPD’s programs, policies, and initiatives in the media while building strong relationships with members of the press, the HPD community, City Hall and other agencies, and external partners. The best candidate is passionate about all forms of communications and views their role as an integral part of tackling New York City’s housing crisis.

Requirements

At least 3-5 years of full-time experience in communications, public relations, journalism, or related fields.
Handle multiple deadlines in a fast-paced and quickly changing environment.
Strong analytical and organization skills, attention to detail, and ability to fact-check and synthesize complex issues on a range of housing and urban policy topics.
Discretion in handling sensitive and confidential matters and excellent judgment.
Ability to work well independently and as a team player, switching often between the two.
Passion for new media / social media required.
A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Authorization to work in the United States is required for this position.
The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development does not provide sponsorship for international employees for visa applications, extensions, or status changes, including H-1B visas.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet all qualifying requirements for this position at the time of application.

Responsibilities

Proactively pitch stories and interviews to individual reporters.
Respond to media inquiries, working with staff around the Agency to understand the issues, distill the pertinent information, and shape the Agency’s message. Incoming inquiries often require a few hours turnaround and occasionally need to be handled outside of normal work hours.
Plan and attend Agency press events and other public-facing events; arrange logistics in coordination with City Hall, other agencies, and external partners.
Draft press releases, briefing materials, talking points, public remarks, and op-eds for the Commissioner and senior staff.
Build relationships with new and existing press contacts, continuously grow and update the press list, and identify new media outlets and reporters to cover Agency news.
Prepare HPD’s spokespeople for interviews and public speaking engagements; oversee interviews with local, regional and major national media outlets
Pore through the news on a daily basis to identify stories relating to the Agency and relevant policy areas, as well as stories that generate new ideas, and share relevant coverage with appropriate agency teams.
Ensure consistency in message, tone, data, and facts in various agency publications and public presentations.
Write and edit content for communicating with agency partners and implement new ways of communicating effectively with partners.
Amplify positive news, in partnership with the Digital team, internally as well as externally.