Director of Public Affairs; Deputy Director III - DPH - EXEMPT

Overview

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) aims to provide equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare. SFDPH values diversity in its workforce and seeks to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status. Becoming a City employee means joining a team that cares about making a difference and shaping the present and future of San Francisco.

When you work for the City, you’re choosing a job with purpose.

The Director of Public Affairs (0953 Deputy Director III) is a senior executive-level manager responsible for department-wide public affairs, communications, public records, and media strategy affecting multiple major divisions within DPH, including Population Health, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Laguna Honda Hospital, Behavioral Health, Primary Care, and Administration.

Under policy direction of the Director of Health and the Deputy Director of Health, the Director of Public Affairs operates at the highest level of department leadership, providing vision, leadership, and execution across communications, media relations, legislative messaging, and public-facing strategy. The role engages with City and County department heads, elected officials, the Mayor’s Office, the Board of Supervisors, and media outlets on complex and sensitive public health matters with significant organizational, fiscal, and public trust implications.

The Director translates executive direction into coordinated action across the department’s public affairs and communications ecosystem, establishing priorities, timelines, and decision pathways for high-impact initiatives, aligning senior leaders, and ensuring accountability and credible public records within governance and operational frameworks. The role elevates risks, surfaces trade-offs, and reinforces accountability to ensure commitments are credible and executable.

The Director of Public Affairs plays a critical cross-divisional role in protecting public trust, advancing public health priorities, and ensuring effective communication during routine operations and crises. Decisions in this role have department-wide and citywide impact.

• Directs the development and implementation of department-wide public affairs, communications, and media strategies spanning multiple DPH divisions.
• Ensures alignment between public messaging, department priorities, and operational realities.
• Independently represents DPH on highly complex and sensitive public health issues affecting public safety, regulatory standing, and departmental credibility.
• Provides executive oversight of public records and disclosure functions, including coordination with designated custodians and legal partners.
• Coordinates and aligns senior executives across DPH to resolve cross-divisional issues requiring policy, procedural, or communications solutions, including disclosure-related matters.
• Sets department-wide priorities and guides leadership through decision points, reinforcing execution discipline and risk management.
• Leads media strategy and oversees all media relations for the department; coordinates with the Mayor’s Office and Board of Supervisors on policy messaging.
• Represents the department before commissions, boards, committees, and federal, state, and local agencies.
• Leads public affairs and communications strategy during public health emergencies, regulatory actions, and other high-impact events.
• Directly supervises department-wide communications and public affairs functions and associated public records operations; promotes high performance and continuous improvement.
• Develops, administers, and monitors budgets exceeding $5 million, including matters affecting over $10 million in revenues and expenditures.

• Education:
  
  Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, AND
• Experience:
  
  Four (4) years of managerial experience in public affairs, communications, government affairs, media management, or a closely related field, including supervision of staff.

EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION:
Additional…