Community Affairs Advocate

Community Affairs Advocate

The Public Advocate, an independently elected public official, serves as a direct link between city government and residents, acting as a "watchdog" for New Yorkers. The Public Advocate is a non-voting member of the New York City Council, an ex officio member of all Council committees and introduces and co-sponsors legislation. The Public Advocate serves on various City committees and appoints members to several boards and commissions. The Office of the Public Advocate reviews and investigates residents' complaints about City services and administrative actions, assists people having difficulty receiving City services, assesses whether City agencies are responsive to the public, and recommends legislative or policy proposals to address identified service deficiencies. Reporting to the Deputy Director, Community Affairs, the Community Affairs Advocate is a core member of the Community Affairs Unit as a lead liaison for local stakeholders including but not limited to community boards, civic groups, community-based organizations, religious and cultural centers, and elected officials. With community engagement experience in diverse communities and existing relationships with local stakeholders, the Community Affairs Advocate will both identify key issues and implement campaigns and initiatives. Responsibilities include serving as the Public Advocate's primary point person and representative in the Borough of Staten Island; serving as the representative of the Office of the NYC Public Advocate at community meetings, press conferences, and other events and activities; advising and staffing the Public Advocate and First Deputy Public Advocate as needed, at coordinated borough-based events; cultivating and maintaining relationships with local stakeholders; maintaining working knowledge of community issues and relevant stakeholders; collaborating with members of the community engagement unit on citywide campaigns and initiatives, as approved; engaging and educating communities about office initiatives, services, and providing information about the functions of the Office of Public Advocate; disseminating borough and issue-specific news and event information; drafting reports, briefings, and correspondence relative to community events and critical and emerging issues/news in the respective borough as requested; and additional tasks as assigned.

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.

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.

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.