Press Secretary

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Office of the Bronx Borough President seeks a qualified and motivated Press Secretary to support the Communications Department. This role prepares all external communications on behalf of the Borough President, helping to create a transparent and fluid partnership with the public and press. The Press Secretary serves as the senior speech writer and is responsible for the drafting of talking points & speeches for the Borough President and executive team and managing relationships with the press. The Press Secretary acts as the second, formal spokesperson and media liaison for all local news outlets. Ideal candidates possess excellent oral and written communication skills, can work effectively under the leadership of the Communications Director to execute a successful communications effort with outside parties.

Requirements

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of full-time experience in journalism or communications with a mandatory 18 months in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity or in the supervision of professionals involved in journalism or communications; or
Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have 18 months of supervisory, administrative, managerial or executive capacity as described in "1" above.
Excellent oral and written communication skills

Responsibilities

Providing guidance to the executive team on how to deliver speeches effectively and make changes to speeches as needed.
Ensuring that speeches are in line with the vision and mission of the office and are consistent with the messaging of the administration.
Editing speeches for grammar, syntax, and flow to ensure they are of the highest quality.
Working within tight deadlines and being able to juggle multiple assignments simultaneously.
Fielding and responding to incoming reporter inquiries, developing talking points, tracking news trends, and planning activity against that appropriately.
Developing and executing media strategies that align with and fulfill overarching communications priorities recommended by the Director of Communications.
Establishing and managing relationships with media outlets to ensure maximum reach.
Monitoring breaking news and responding appropriately to the relevant borough or city-wide news.
Composing citations and proclamations for community residents/organizations/events.
Drafting all written press communications coming from the Office of the Bronx Borough President including quotes, statements, and speeches on behalf of spokespeople, and op-eds.
Staffing the Bronx Borough President and/or Deputy Borough President at press events and managing media interactions.
Preparing ongoing metrics reports of media relations, including providing media clips featuring the Borough President and the Deputy Borough President.