Associate Executive Director, Public Affairs and Community Relations

New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs and Community Relations. This pivotal role involves managing communications, media relations, and community outreach for a historic hospital renowned for its contributions to public health. The ideal candidate will lead a dynamic team, develop strategic communications, and engage with various stakeholders to promote health initiatives. This position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact in a vibrant community while working in a supportive environment that values integrity and excellence. If you are passionate about public health and skilled in communication, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Comprehensive Health Benefits

Retirement Savings and Pension Plans

Loan Forgiveness Programs

Paid Holidays and Vacation

College Tuition Discounts

Professional Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• Seven years of experience in Communications or Public Relations.
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office and social media management.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications or related field.

Responsibilities

• Manage internal and external communications for the hospital.
• Develop strategic communications to promote health initiatives.
• Serve as spokesperson and handle crisis communications.

Skills

Communications

Public Relations

Media Relations

Crisis Communications

Social Media Management

Strategic Thinking

Event Planning

Fluency in Spanish

Fluency in Chinese

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Communications

Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Social Media Platforms

Job description

Associate Executive Director, Public Affairs and Community Relations

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue is America’s oldest public hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU School of Medicine, the 844-bed hospital is a major referral center for highly complex cases, with its 6,000 employees including highly skilled, interdisciplinary clinical staff. It sees more than 110,000 emergency room visits and 500,000 outpatient visits annually. Bellevue is an academic medical institution of international renown. We have served as an incubator for major innovations in public health, medical science, and medical education. Bellevue is a Level I Trauma Center delivering around-the-clock care in adult, pediatric, psychiatric and pediatric psychiatric emergencies as well as in the nationally-designated categories of cardiology, neurology, toxicology, and neonatology. In addition to providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient state-of-the-art care Bellevue is a city-wide medical specialty referral source. Bellevue’s clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Comprehensive Children’s Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality care health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person-centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

Job Description

The Associate Executive Director manages the Office of Public Affairs and Community Relations at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue This person must appreciate Bellevue’s role as a historic, high-profile hospital and ambulatory care facility. Responsibilities include internal and external communications, media relations, social media, crisis communications, marketing, community relations and development. This person provides opportunities to promote Bellevue Hospital's mission and services and increase positive visibility in the community, and supports NYC Health + Hospitals corporate initiatives.

BONUS POINTS IF YOU HAVE DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE ASIDE FROM THE FOLLOWING:

Leadership

• Manage a Public Affairs team that handles media, social media, photography, graphics, events planning and execution, community relations, and outreach.
• Drive and support essential communication needed to keep employees, patients, their families, and our community informed of vital information.
• Provide information, counsel and support to the CEO and other members of leadership as a member of the CEO’s Cabinet.
• Work with CEO on maintaining positive relations with elected and appointed officials to support patients, staff, and the hospital/ambulatory care center, including assisting with NYC capital budget requests made to City Council, the Manhattan Borough President, and other requests made to city, state, and federal agencies.
• Serve as spokesperson for Bellevue.

Public Relations

• Develop strategic communications to promote NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and its health initiatives through press releases, advisories, interviews, and placement of stories.
• Work closely with news media; coordinate responses to media inquiries in consultation with facility and health system staff and leadership.
• Crisis communications and crisis management of the NYC, national and international media during challenging times (from several days because of weather, to more than a year during the Ebola crisis, to more than three years during the COVID-19 crisis).
• Prepare executives, professional staff, and patients for media interviews, press conferences, and presentations before print, TV, radio, and online news media.
• Create talking points and briefing papers.
• Produce news conferences, briefings, and events.

Writing, Communications and Social Media

• Write press releases, media advisories, media statements, and emails to staff highlighting staff accomplishments, patient success stories, facility accomplishments, etc.
• Produce newsletter: Write and edit; assign stories; assign and coordinate visuals.
• Maintain very active social media presence including Facebook, X and LinkedIn. We regularly use social media to connect with our patients and help them access services.
• Contribute content including text, photos, and videos to the NYC Health + Hospitals social media pages: Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, etc.

Intergovernmental Relations

• Liaison with Central Office Communications, Intergovernmental Affairs and the Mayor’s Office.
• Represent Bellevue and its interests in meetings and joint projects with other governmental agencies and entities.
• Work closely with Central Office Communications & Marketing on media requests, and producing news stories, photos, and videos.
• Foster, strengthen, and maintain relationships with elected officials and their leadership teams at the city, state, and federal levels.

Community Relations

• Provide staff support and attend regular meetings of:
• Community Advisory Board (CAB)
• Three auxiliaries: Auxiliary to Bellevue Hospital Center; Bellevue Association; and Children of Bellevue

Community Outreach

• Participate in events to promote NYC Health + Hospitals/ Bellevue in the larger community, working with city agencies and community organizations.
• Conduct outreach to the community by coordinating our expert doctors and other health care professionals to go speak about health topics of interest to groups including local
• Community Boards and community-based organizations.
• Plan and execute major events and activities to highlight staff and promote services to patients, for example: health fairs featuring health screenings and connecting patients to care.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Media Studies, Public Relations, Marketing, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• College studies or experience in Public Health or related field a plus.
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Media, Government, and Legislative Affairs or related fields, or a satisfactory equivalent
• Strong Microsoft Office skills with tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Project and SharePoint
• Strong social media skills (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
• Ability to work quickly to meet demands of news cycle
• Experience in health-related industry a plus
• Fluency in Spanish or Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) a plus

Preferred Skills

• Proven strategic thinking skills and great judgement
• Team player
• Must be able to meet and deal with the public at all levels
• Flexible hours: must be able to work nights and weekends

How To Apply

If you wish to apply for this position, please apply online by clicking the "Apply for Job" button.

NYC Health and Hospitals offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• Comprehensive Health Benefits for employees hired to work 20+ hrs. per week
• Retirement Savings and Pension Plans
• Loan Forgiveness Programs for eligible employees
• Paid Holidays and Vacation in accordance with employees' Collectively bargained contracts
• College tuition discounts and professional development opportunities