Assistant Commissioner, Public Information

The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is an integral part of the City’s evolving criminal justice system, participating in reform initiatives and strategies aimed to move the City towards the smallest jail system possible without compromising public safety. DOC is solely responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment for staff, visitors, volunteers, and people in custody inside our jails. Importantly, safe jails enable DOC to provide people in custody with the tools and opportunities they need to successfully re-enter their communities. DOC operates facilities and court commands across the five boroughs with over 7,500 diverse professionals and knowledge experts.
The Office of Public Information is dedicated to disseminating up-to-date information about DOC to our personnel and the public and facilitating external communication with the media. DOC seeks to recruit a dynamic candidate to serve as the Assistant Commissioner for Public Information. Under executive direction and with wide latitude for independent decision-making and initiative, the incumbent will report to the Deputy Commissioner of Public Information and will be responsible for ensuring DOC communication strategy is consistent and reflects the organization’s strategic vision. The successful candidate will be responsible for the following tasks:
– Develop and deploy effective communication strategies and tactics to inform and engage departmental
employees
– Improve audience-focused communication, tailoring messaging to drive impact; serve as a resource
across departments and functional units to advise and align communication planning
– Measure effectiveness and engagement through surveys, focus groups and metrics to evolve DOC’s
communication strategy
– Support the creation of compelling communication assets that connect employees to departmental
objectives, initiatives and goals
– Identify and leverage effective communication channels across the organization; cultivate employee
engagement through building community with impactful messaging
– Inform and engage employees through activating an internal network to source news for use across
channels, town halls, newsletters, departmental memos, intranet, lead local intranet content planning
and delivery
– Manage departmental ceremonies and events in collaboration with the ceremonial unit
– Evaluate and plan modifications and improvements for digital communications
– Audit communication channels to increase content quality and navigation; research competitive best
practices and new approaches to influence the evolution of employee engagement and communication
– Enhance staff engagement activities and manage strategic and external partnerships
– Provide communications advice to the senior leadership team; perform related duties as assigned.
– Provide coverage in the absence of the Deputy Commissioner on communication issues, both internal
and external.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A Master’s Degree from an accredited college in Public Administration, Personnel Administration,
Business Administration, Human Services, Criminal Justice, Political Science, Psychology or a related
field, plus three years of satisfactory experience of a nature to qualify for the duties and responsibilities
of the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, or
executive capacity or supervising personnel performing activities related to the duties of the position; or
2. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and five years of satisfactory experience of a nature to
qualify for the duties and responsibilities of the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in
an administrative, managerial, or executive capacity or supervising personnel performing activities
related to the duties of the position; or
3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and nine years of satisfactory, full-time
progressively responsible experience as described in “1” above, 18 months of which must have been in
an administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory capacity.

Preferred Skills

– Professional experience in internal communications or corporate communications is preferred – At least five years of executive management experience knowledge of city government a plus – Exceptional project management skills, interpersonal skills, presentation skills, and writing skills – Ability to work effectively and build relationships within all levels in an organization, working with other communication partners in advertising, marketing, and public relations – Ability to adapt to rapid change, multi-task, and meet restrictive deadlines – Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as strong listening skills and ability to produce effective talking points for by senior management – An uncompromising commitment to quality, and ability to develop communication strategies for all levels of staff – Experience with current web practices, supporting technologies, new media (including social media and viral messaging, etc.) – Ability to be on-call and work after business hours.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.