DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Director Of Communications

The Commission on Human Rights (the "Commission") is the City agency charged with enforcing the New York City Human Rights Law ("City Human Rights Law"), one of the most expansive civil rights laws in the nation, prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. The Commission investigates, litigates, and adjudicates claims of discrimination brought by the public. Where the Commission finds unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation have occurred, it obtains compensation to victims, orders companies to take corrective action, and can assess civil penalties. The Commission also engages in training and education to ensure New Yorkers understand their rights and responsibilities under City Law. The Director of Communications reports to the Deputy Commissioner of External Affairs and works to develop and implement the communications and public relations strategy for the agency. The Director of Communications leads a team of communications professionals to advance the agency's mission and execute strategies that advance awareness of the NYCHRL, the CCHR activities, and human rights issues impacting New Yorkers. The position collaborates with agency stakeholders, media, press, bloggers, advocates, community groups, elected officials and the general public.
Job duties include developing communications and marketing strategies to advance Commission goals, managing the agency's communication budget, directing all aspects of agency communications and marketing, maintaining consistent strategic visibility for the Commission via broadcast and print media (ethnic and non-ethnic), social media and other platforms, identifying new campaigns to educate New Yorkers about rights and obligations under the Human Rights Law (HRL), developing and building positive relationships with media, elected officials, agency stakeholders and the community, convening focus groups and utilizing other research techniques, to inform the development and evaluate the impact of campaign strategies, developing and disseminating multi-lingual materials to educate New Yorkers about their rights and obligations under the HRL, cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with journalists, including ethnic media editors and other contacts as appropriate in print and broadcast media, acting as an agency spokesperson and serving as a key contact for media, elected officials, agency stakeholders and the community, ensuring the Commission's message reaches a broad cross-section of NYC communities through significant ethnic media ad buys, coordinating and collaborating with members of the Mayor's Office Communications Team, the City Hall Press Office about Commission strategy and incoming stories, as well as with press and communications staff at sister agencies, as appropriate, supervising staff in the Communications Team and supporting professional development through assignments and training opportunities, leading the completion of reports required under the HRL or Charter through the development and review of content, and other duties as assigned.
Minimum qualifications include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college with 24 credits in English, journalism or public relations, plus five (5) years of full-time paid experience in public relations, journalism or advertising, including two (2) years in an administrative, supervisory or consultative capacity; or a combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" above. Graduate study in English, journalism, or public relations may be substituted for up to one year of required experience. However, all candidates must have at least two (2) years of administrative, supervisory, or consultative experience in public relations, journalism or advertising.