Director of Design
Summary
Director of Design for NYC DOHMH's Creative Communications team (employed via Public Health Solutions, grant-funded through Nov 2027). Leads a team of graphic designers and videographers, approving the look and feel of print and digital public health campaigns, managing staff, workflow, and vendors. Based in Long Island City, NY with a hybrid schedule.
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 DOHMH) 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), DOHMH is undertaking a new initiative that will meet critical infrastructure needs and make possible strategic investments that will have lasting effects on public health. Investments and improvements through this initiative will help modernize DOHMH’s foundational capabilities and data infrastructure, enabling it to partner in complex health and health care environments and, in turn, support better public health outcomes, including COVID-19. This initiative supports larger efforts to rebalance investments in public health and more equitably serve communities and populations.
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 work be supervised by DOHMH. This is a grant-funded position ending in November 2027.
Program Overview:
The Office of External Affairs manages many of the agency’s most critical interactions with the public, from raising awareness and promoting healthy behaviors to advancing policies and responding to health emergencies. The Bureau of Communications, housed within the Office of External Affairs, develops culturally responsive public health marketing campaigns; generates and crafts materials to inform New Yorkers of health information and program services, ensuring accessibility for all; provides access to translation services for collateral materials and clinics; maintains the agency’s website; and publishes content on the agency’s social media platforms. Within Creative Communications, the Design group oversees the artwork, design, layout, and creation of print and digital media to inform New Yorkers of key health topics and emergency situations.
Job Description:
DOHMH has an opening for a Director of Design. The Director of Design is responsible for the look and feel, creation, and development of program-specific and/or Health Department-wide creative projects, in collaboration with the larger Creative Communications team. The Director oversees the day-to-day operations of the Design team, workflow, and management of staff.
Specifically, the Director of Design will:
- Oversee and approve look and feel of al design projects and requests. Monitor project deliverables and timelines and takes corrective action as needed.
- Advance the Health Department’s mission and strategic plan by generating attention-grabbing, accessible, and high-quality designs. Maintain the Health Department’s brand identity across many different topics. Demonstrate strategic thinking and planning in the creation of collateral and other design materials.
- Lead the Design group, a team of graphic designers and videographers.
- Provide strategic guidance, creative direction, and hands-on support to team members in execution of assigned projects.
- As a supervisor, the Director will foster productivity and accountability, support professional development, encourage teamwork, and lead the group’s collaboration with colleagues across the agency.
- Select and manage activities of contracted vendors and consultants to procure design and printing services as needed and ensure that appropriate contracts are in place.
- Coordinate and collaborate with other members of the Creative Communications team (Editorial, Digital Communications, Marketing, and Language Services) as projects call for interaction and support. Work closely with the Editorial team to develop and maintain art for priority messaging and health education materials and with the Digital Communications team for the Health Department’s website and social media pages.
- Liaise with Health Department divisions and bureaus and effectively foster relationships throughout the Health Department community with a diverse range of stakeholders to improve collaboration.
- Function effectively within Creative Communications leadership team as a senior design, creative, and strategy resource, demonstrating leadership and sharing experience.
- Approve the use of the Health Department logo on materials created outside the Communications team.
Qualifications:
- A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in business administration, public administration, urban planning, economics, urban affairs, marketing research, finance, or political science and three years of satisfactory full-time professional experience handling business promotion related to capital projects, urban planning, economic development, or financial development at least two years of which must have been in a managerial or executive capacity; or
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and five years of satisfactory full-time professional experience as described in "1" above, including two years of managerial or executive experience described in "1" above; or
- A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Thirty (30) graduate semester credits from an accredited college or university will be considered equivalent to one year of the required experience. However, all candidates must have two years of managerial or executive experience as described in "1" above and a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.
- Experience in a managerial capacity must include, but is not limited to, responsibilities such as: strategic planning for an office/division; creating and implementing policies; setting standards and best practices defining and documenting project scope; root cause analysis with recommendations; collaborating with other managers and executives to define future state of a program; and/or forecasting.
- Experience in an executive capacity must include, but is not limited to, responsibilities such as managing multiple bureaus, areas and/or divisions; formulating the organizational strategy/governance; formulating the organization's architectural strategy; developing, setting and enforcing the organization's policies; developing partnerships; and/or developing the organization's budget, cost savings, and revenue generation.
Additional Desired Qualities:
- Demonstrate knowledge of graphic design, photography, videography, web design, and print production and strategic, creative, and critical thinking.
- Ability to communicate complex messages through clear and simple design to highly diverse New York City audiences.
- Self-motivated with exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects, tasks, and timelines.
- Demonstrates a professional, courteous, and respectful attitude in dealing with colleagues, direct reports, leadership, and stakeholders.
- Ability to supervise, delegate, and provide consultation and technical assistance to individual program components on media communications.
- Leadership abilities in developing and motivating professional staff, including developing in-service training and resources to enhance performance and growth.
- Capacity to identify new strategies to meet the agency’s overall mission and communications mission
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 trainings and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development.
Additional Information:
- This is a temporary grant-funded position ending in November 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.
Monday-Friday
35 Hours Per Week