Job Description

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is one of the premier local health departments in the world and works to protect and promote the health of all New Yorkers by combating racial inequities, promoting social justice, and building capacity. The Environmental Health Division works to prevent, and control illness and injury related to environmental health risks through outreach and education, surveillance, and enforcement. The division’s Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation (BFSCS) protects the public from a broad range of hazards that may pose a threat to health or safety, including hazards related to food safety wherever meals are served to the public, including restaurants, cafeterias, mobile food vending units, schools, senior centers, and soup kitchens; second-hand smoke in workplaces, including restaurants and bars, and most other enclosed public areas; and conditions at senior centers. New York City is home to a world famous, vibrant food service industry that includes nearly 27,000 restaurants serving its residents and visitors. Ensuring proper sanitation in food service establishments is important to public health, including for the prevention of food-borne illness. The Department has a long history of public health innovation including requiring high food safety standards; using the restaurant setting to combat chronic disease; offer outreach, education and communication programs for industry and consumers; and develop technology to create efficiencies, encourage industry best practices, enable research, and promote transparency.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Responsible for drafting an inspection operational manual for the Program for all areas, including job descriptions for each role.
Responsible for updating and maintaining Program’s Operational manual.
Assisting with the drafting of policies and procedures for the Program to allow for compliance
Responsible for documenting every business process.
Assisting with the development of emergency procedures.
Creating a resource of contact details for internal as well as external parties.
Assisting with the creation of new policies and procedures.
Ensuring effective communication of policies.
Making recommendations to Senior Leadership regarding areas for improvement.
Frequently meeting with staff to review new policies and procedures. Conduct research and analysis for policy decisions. Assist with the development of solutions to complex policy issues, projects, or programs.
Monitoring or leading special projects as assigned.
Performing other duties as required.

Preferred Skills:

The Policy and Procedure director must be able implement new strategies and protocols as well as the knowledge to detect any current procedures needing improvement. This includes knowledge of how all bureau program’s function, including job title and descriptions.

Exceptional oral and written communication skills
Excellent organizational skills
Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Excellent analytical skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office
Knowledgeable in food safety, public health, and environmental health programs.

Why you should work for us:

- Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/)
- Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as:
o a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment.
o additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
o a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement.
o a tax-deferred savings program and
o a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
- Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
- Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the U.S., dedicated to protecting and improving the health of NYC. Our mission is to safeguard the health of every resident and cultivate a city where everyone, regardless of age, background, or location, can achieve their optimal health. We provide a wide array of 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 social justice initiatives. As the primary population health strategist and policy authority for NYC, with a rich history of public health initiatives and scientific advancements, from addressing the 1822 yellow fever outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.

Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers!

Commitment to Equity:

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.

The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Sye-Eun Ahn, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, at [email protected] or 347-396-6549.

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, including or supplemented by 30 credits in the eh biological and/or physical sciences, and four years of satisfactory full-time experience performing inspections to assure compliance with pertinent laws, rules and regulations governing the areas of food, drugs, and general environmental sanitation, eighteen months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or in supervising staff performing food, drug and general environmental sanitation inspectors or related work; or

2. An associate degree from an accredited college or university, including or supplemented by 12 credits in the biological and/or physical sciences, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience as described in question "1" above; or

3. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However all candidates must have at least 60 credits from an accredited college or university, including 12 credits in the biological and/or physical sciences, and at least two years of experience as a public health sanitarian, including or supplemented by eighteen months of experience in an administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory capacity as described in "1" or "2" above.