Deputy Press Secretary, Ethnic and Community Media

The Agency You’ll Join
The New York City Mayor’s Office is responsible for overseeing city services throughout the five boroughs, coordinating public agencies and departments, and managing public property. It leads efforts to make the city more affordable, reduce inequality, improve public safety, deliver efficient services, and strengthen New York City’s economy. The office values leadership, transparency, fairness, and efficiency, and actively seeks diverse talent from various sectors to join its team.

The Team You’ll Work With
The Mayor’s Press Office at City Hall monitors media, responds to inquiries, prepares senior officials for interviews, and plans media events to communicate accurate, timely information to the public. The Office of New Media and Cultural Communications transforms the traditional press arm into one that engages new media, ensuring the Mayor’s agenda reaches and mobilizes New Yorkers who have historically been left out of the governing process. It oversees constituency media relations and ensures a consistent narrative reaches all New York audiences, engaging new media and influencers to pitch and deliver stories where New Yorkers get their news.

The Problems You’ll Solve
This role sits at the intersection of press, partnerships, and culture, leading the execution of creator‑facing media strategy while driving engagement with ethnic and constituency media and other key community outlets. It is a strategic and execution‑heavy position for someone who can act as both a press secretary and a creative producer in fast‑moving, high‑visibility environments.

Responsibilities

Ethnic & Community Press Engagement

Build and maintain strong relationships with ethnic media outlets, journalists, and community voices.

Develop proactive media strategies to ensure consistent, meaningful engagement with ethnic and community press and other key outlets.

Creative Partnerships

Build and manage relationships with creators, neighborhood pages, cultural figures, and digital‑first outlets.

Oversee development of creator activations (press conferences, campaign rollouts, cultural moments).

Partner with talent teams, agents, and managers to secure participation and maximize reach.

Communications Integration

Integrate new media and community press into the broader communications strategy, ensuring alignment with traditional media.

Draft talking points, briefing materials, and Q&A tailored to creator and community media interviews.

Staff the Mayor at media opportunities and manage on‑the‑ground execution.

Rapid Response & Narrative

Identify moments to insert the Mayor into real‑time cultural and political conversations.

Coordinate quick‑turn creator and community media responses to breaking news and narrative shifts.

Help shape overarching narrative arcs across platforms and audiences.

About You

You have a deep online and cultural fluency both nationally and within New York City.

You have a strong understanding of ethnic media ecosystems and community‑based communications.

You are calm under pressure, fast‑moving, and highly organized.

You have strong political instincts paired with strong internet instincts.

You are detail‑oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalency required.

4+ years of experience in government communications, digital media, political campaigns, or creator partnerships.

Preferred Skills

Strong relationships with creators, influencers, digital outlets, and/or ethnic and community media.

Deep understanding of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging platforms.

Experience staffing principals and managing high‑pressure media environments.

Strong writing skills across formats (briefings, talking points, pitches).

Ability to operate both strategically and in rapid execution mode.

Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. City employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for two continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. Discuss the requirement with the agency representative at the time of interview.

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/.

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 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.

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