Senior Manager, External Affairs

Agency You’ll Join

The New York City Mayor’s Office is responsible for overseeing city services throughout the five boroughs, coordinating public agencies and departments, and managing public property. The administration is leading the fight in making the city more affordable, reducing inequality, improving public safety, ensuring delivery of efficient and effective services, and working to make New York City’s economy stronger. We value leadership, transparency, fairness, and efficiency as we actively seek diverse talents from various sectors to join our team.

The Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (OCCECE) is responsible for delivering on the Mayor’s Universal Child Care priority. This includes setting the Administration’s child care strategy, coordinating work across City agencies to deliver a high‑quality early care and education system that is responsive to child care providers and meets family needs, collaborating with a range of partners internal and external to City government, and engaging with the public.

The Office serves as a central hub for citywide policy implementation and coordination across more than a dozen agencies, including New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), Administration of Children’s Services (ACS), Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and Department of Social Services (DSS), and fosters strategic partnerships with all levels of government, private entities, nonprofits, and foundations. The Office works closely with families and providers to ensure their voices are represented in the design and implementation of City policy and programs.

The Senior Manager, External Affairs, will report to the Executive Director and work in close partnership with other senior leaders on the team.

• Partner with the City Hall and agency communications teams to set the child care communications strategy for the administration and collaborate on all public statements, press, and media related to child care matters.
• Develop and maintain messaging materials for the Office, including talking points and standard presentation materials for public appearances.
• Coordinate with partner agencies on communications and marketing strategy for the City’s early childhood programs and initiatives.
• Manage the Office’s social media presence.
• Partner with the Intergovernmental Affairs team to set the child care engagement strategy for the administration and collaboratively engage with city, state, and federal elected officials on child care matters.
• Oversee public reporting on behalf of the Office.
• Drive preparation for all Office engagement with elected officials, including City Council hearings and regular meetings with relevant Council Committees and Sub‑Committees.
• Maintain ongoing communications with a wide variety of community, civic, and media organizations related to childcare & early education policy and service delivery.
• Manage discrete special projects related to communications and external affairs.
• Perform other related duties incidental to the work listed above.

• Knowledge of and experience with New York City and State government.
• Respond well to rapid-response, fast‑paced work.
• Excellent communication skills: public speaking, presentations, interpersonal communication, and both formal and informal writing.
• Can navigate policy and political differences between key stakeholders.
• Can provide leadership and engage with government, the public, industry leaders, stakeholders, and high‑level policy decision makers.
• Empathic, understanding, and tactful in your approach to engaging community members in difficult conversation topics.
• Can work well under pressure and maintain an enthusiastic work ethic, including embracing different work styles.
• Know discretion, sensitivity, and pay attention to detail.
• Demonstrate a commitment to equity and public service.
• Demonstrate cultural competency to effectively work with diverse populations.

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5‑7+ years of work experience in communications, external affairs, intergovernmental affairs, policy advocacy, or a combination thereof.
• Knowledg…