Division Counsel, Bureau of Environmental Science and Policy
Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.
As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises — from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic — we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.
Our Agency’s five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:
1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a “response-ready” organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods
3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness
4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health
5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change
Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism’s impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.
PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION:
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Division of Environmental Health works to prevent and control illness and injury related to environmental and occupational health risks through outreach, education, surveillance and enforcement. With staff of 1,000, the Division covers a broad range of subject matter, including oversight of environmental investigations, lead poisoning injury prevention, occupational health, food safety, child care, radiation control, recreational and drinking water quality, air quality, climate health, vector control, veterinary public health and pest control.
The Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy (BESP) in the Division of Environmental Health at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) works to inform and improve its mission to ground Health Department programs and policy in science and law to support a healthy and equitable natural, built, and occupational environment for all New Yorkers. We promote environmental health through legal and data-driven program support, using innovative methods to track environmental determinants of health with a focus on New Yorkers disproportionately impacted by environmental risk. We share data and research findings to encourage evidence-based decision-making, and partner with communities in community science and outreach to address stakeholder concerns and empower residents.
A Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: BESP is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. BESP leadership and non-leadership staff collectively strive toward racial and social justice by continuously monitoring for and eliminating systemic inequities in all aspects of our work while promoting a culture of education, empowerment, and healing.
Proposed Duties
• Support the Bureau of Child Care on all legal matters.
• Represent the Department in hearings before the OATH Hearings Division. Draft and file appeals of OATH Hearings Division decisions and respond to respondents appeals;
• Assist the Bureau of Child Care on enforcing all applicable laws and regulations. Draft policies, procedures and guidance documents.
• Review and analyze Office of Administrative Trails and Hearings (OATH) Hearings Division decisions and appellate rulings; develop and recommend strategies to improve adjudication outcomes;
• Draft, revise and review agency regulations or legal guidance documents as needed to promote public health working collaboratively with unit, program, division and Office of General Counsel staff;
• Represent agency in negotiations with regulated people or entities. Draft summons, orders, settlement agreements and other legal documents issued to regulated people or entities;
• Assist Senior counsel with training inspectors and staff to appear effectively at hearings; Support use remote participation at OATH hearings; Identify successful training and appearance models and replicate across the Division as appropriate.
Minimum Qual Requirements
Graduation from an accredited United States law school as defined in the Rules of the New York Court of Appeals (Sections 520.3 or 520.5) or admission to the New York State Bar.
Preferred Skills
o Excellent research, writing, and oral skills.
o Ability to manage multiple projects.
o Current working knowledge of NYC City or Health Department procedures, policies and practices is a plus
Additional Information
**IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:
Please note: If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:
• A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver’s license.
• Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.
• Current Resume
• Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)
Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting’s “Minimum Qualification Requirements” section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.
If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment. By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card.
**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 StudentAid.gov/PSLF.
“FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL”
To Apply
Apply online with a cover letter to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/. In the Job ID search bar, enter: job ID number # 580733.
We appreciate the interest and thank all applicants who apply, but only those candidates under consideration will be contacted.
The NYC Health Department is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and gender non-conforming persons to apply.
All applicants will be considered without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, age, prior record of arrest; or any other basis prohibited by law.
NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your resume that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program.
Residency Requirement
NEW YORK RESIDENCY IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS TITLE.