New York City Campaign Finance Board Hiring for ASSISTANT PRESS SECRETARY at Manhattan, NY Full Time

The New York City Campaign Finance Board oversees New York City’s small donor democracy program and educates and engages voters via NYC Votes. The CFB has enjoyed a tremendous arc of progress over its 30-year history, and our updated flagship small donor democracy program is a centerpiece of this progress.

We eliminate barriers to participation by providing access to the resources New Yorkers need to vote or run for office and amplify the voices of small donors with New York City’s small donor democracy program.

We are dedicated to making New York City’s local democracy more open, transparent, and equitable. You would be working with a team that is mission driven and committed to continuous improvement.

The Public Affairs division promotes the agency’s key role in equipping all candidates and voters to power a fairer and more open democracy in New York City. The Public Relations Unit helps city voters learn about elections by developing programs like the citywide Debates and presenting information and stories that earn top-notch media coverage. Public Relations is also charged with handling press inquiries, drafting statements, issuing press releases, writing opinion pieces on behalf of CFB leadership, and pitching stories to related media outlets.

The New York City Campaign Finance Board is looking to hire an Assistant Press Secretary to join the Campaign Finance Board. In this role, the Assistant Press Secretary will be writing press releases and talking points, organizing local press events, and coordinating with local community and ethnic media outlets. To be successful in this role you should have a keen eye for detail. Fluency in a language other than English is a requirement.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for media relations, experience pitching stories to reporters, and an understanding of NYC politics. The Assistant Press Secretary will report directly to the Press Secretary. The Assistant Press Secretary will primarily focus on securing earned media coverage, building contacts, and managing relationships with local community-based news outlets, and assisting in providing press training for Campaign Finance Board Staff. A promising candidate will demonstrate sound judgment, sharp political instincts, and a connection to the mission and daily work of the CFB. The Assistant Press Secretary will be a collaborative, creative member of a mission-driven Public Affairs team that puts communicating helpful information to voters first. The Assistant Press Secretary is responsible for the following:

Cultivating Relationships with Community and Ethnic Media

• Creating and maintaining diverse press lists of ethnic media outlets that allow for the CFB to pitch to a multi-lingual audience.
• Developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to inform community-based media outlets about the NYC Campaign Finance Board, the public matching funds program, and voter empowerment initiatives.
• Building positive relationships with the press and maintaining relationships with ethnic media reporters, and media outlets in communities with historically low participation.
• Providing training for community-based and ethnic reporters on how to utilize CFB resources and services to expand agency reach.

Media Relations Management

• Assisting with the intake of media inquiries and aiding the Press Secretary in crafting appropriate responses to media requests.
• Responsible for keeping agency staff aware and up to date with any press coverage of the Campaign Finance Board, NYC Votes campaigns, and any developments in New York City and/or New York State government through the circulation of our press clips.
• Provide training to agency staff and Board Members for interviews, press conferences and other public appearances if necessary.
• Assisting in the creation of agency-wide press trainings, press content, and managing CFB subscriptions.

Essential Skills

• Ability to multitask in a high-pressure work environment.
• Strong writing and public speaking skills.
• An interest in campaign finance issues and NYC’s public matching funds program.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is a must.

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluency in speaking and writing Spanish or other languages is required.
• Proven experience in crisis communications.
• Pre-existing relationships with NYC-based reporters and other local media outlets.
• Captivating presentation skills with experience leading trainings or facilitating discussions.
• Open to receiving constructive feedback and utilizing it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
• Prior experience publishing long-form writing pieces, press releases, speeches, or online content.

Additional Information

The City of New York provides generous medical benefits (including dental and vision through respective unions or funds), retirement, tuition reimbursement, and additional ancillary benefits. CFB offers a flexible and hybrid work schedule, opportunities for career development, learning & development (leadership training, coaching), wellness programs, and much more!

The CFB is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to diversity. All individuals are encouraged to apply. If you anticipate needing any type of reasonable accommodation to apply for an employment opportunity, please contact [email protected] or (212) 409-1800.

How to Apply

All applicants must apply through NYC Government Jobs | Explore Careers | City of New York (https://cityjobs.nyc.gov/)

• Please search and apply to the job ID number listed above.
• Resume and cover letter are required for consideration.
• Note that only applicants under consideration will be contacted.

For more information on careers with the NYC Campaign Finance Board visit our website at https://www.nyccfb.info/ to access the full listing of job opportunities and to learn more about our agency.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by at least twelve semester credits (or the equivalent of twelve semester credits) in accounting, auditing, business or public administration, computer science, economics, finance, statistics, graphic design, personnel or human resources administration, user experience design, or a closely related area of study and one year of satisfactory full-time experience in accounting, auditing (including compliance or investigative auditing), business or public administration, business analysis, computer science, database administration, economics, finance, fiscal or economic management or research, statistics, graphic design, personnel or human resources administration, user experience design, or a closely related field; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and five-years of experience as described in “1” above; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to “1” above.

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.