Avian Influenza Outreach Coord & Health Educ.

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 Health Department) 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), the NYC Health Department is undertaking an initiative to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the expanding multistate outbreak of Influenza A/H5N1 and strengthen readiness for any respiratory disease threat with the potential to result in large, disruptive outbreaks to communities. 

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 be supervised by the NYC Health Department.  This is a grant-funded position ending in January 2027

The Division of Disease Control performs identification, surveillance, treatment, control, and prevention of 90+ infectious diseases. It is one of the largest Divisions within the Health Department with seven bureaus including the Bureau of Communicable Diseases.

The Bureau of Communicable Diseases is responsible for the surveillance, prevention, and control of over 70 infectious diseases, including foodborne, waterborne, respiratory, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. Within the Bureau of Communicable Diseases, the Community Outreach and Health Education Unit is a collaborative and cross-cutting team that is in development. The team works across diseases on planning outreach and engagement with communities impacted by infectious diseases and on developing health education materials for preventing and controlling infectious diseases. 

Job Description

The NYC Health Department has an opening for an outreach coordinator and health educator. This position will help develop and foster relationships with members of the agricultural and animal health community in NYC and develop health education materials for various public and provider audiences. They will report to the Community Outreach and Health Education Unit lead.

Duties

• Coordinating health education initiatives related to avian influenza and respiratory diseases, in collaboration with the Respiratory Pathogens Unit, as well as assisting with initiatives on other diseases and conditions managed by the Bureau of Communicable Diseases (BCD) including foodborne, waterborne, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. 
• Arrange and conduct in-person visits to poultry markets in NYC to develop and foster relationships in order to facilitate communication with owners and staff.
• Establish and foster relationships with backyard flock groups in collaboration with partners at the NYS Department of Agriculture and NYC Parks Community Garden program, 
• Explore ways to engage and share information with the public and people at high risk of exposure to infected birds or animals, and people at greater risk of severe disease. 
• Create materials for the provider community as needed to support rapid identification and appropriate testing of patients at risk of avian influenza testing, 
• Working with disease subject matter experts to develop and implement theory- and evidence-based health education materials or initiatives with a focus on populations most at-risk for zoonotic and vectorborne diseases. Materials and initiatives may include instructional activities and other strategies to change individual health behavior, as well as contributing to bureau and agency driven organizational efforts, policy directives, mass media, and community-level programs.
• Collaborating with subject matter experts in BCD to maintain disease specific webpages, fact sheets, and existing health education materials for both a public and provider audience. 
• Developing social media proposals that promote health using innovative, targeted, and timely posts. Evaluating metrics to inform future social media posts.
• Understanding and addressing cultural differences, health inequities, and disabilities when creating content and materials.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate or graduate degree in field related to health education.
• Previous experience working in fields related to health education.
• Capacity and willingness to travel within NYC and be in the field 50% of the time.   
• 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 developing health education material and performing outreach activities.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and project management.
• Ability to effectively work independently as well as collaboratively and effectively on an interdisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills.
• Desire to grow professionally, develop new skills, and willingness to explore novel approaches.
• 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.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, or Arabic.

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 January 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.