Outreach Assistant, Bureau of Veterinary and Pest Control Services

Overview

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, childcare, radiation control, recreational and drinking water quality, air quality, climate health, vector control, veterinary public health and pest control.

• Serve as community liaison for the prevention of rabies, animal bites and the benefits of licensing pets.
• Provide guidance to individuals who have been bitten by an animal and respond to suspected rabies exposure.
• Organize and provide training on safe handling of animals by children and adults.
• Coordinate, track and triage animal bites reported by hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care, private medical practices and other agencies.
• Maintain files and databases of animal bite incidents.
• Advise the public on issues with requirements for rabies vaccination and pet confinement for pets that have bitten or been bitten by another animal.
• Provide information to owners on the dog licensing law and how to license pets.
• Advise communities and individual pet owners on the responsibility to spay and neuter their pets to keep them healthy and prevent unwanted strays.
• Coordinate with animal shelters on specimen collection for timely rabies submissions and process requests for rabies testing in the public health laboratory database.
• Collect case information and assist with drafting alerts for rabies positive specimens; conduct follow‑up and management of exposed individuals and pets.

• Flexible, adaptable, customer‑focused, and goal oriented with a commitment to high standards of excellence.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Experience using database systems.

• High school graduation or equivalent and three years of experience in community work or community centered activities related to duties described above; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to the above.

• Premium‑free health insurance plan with annual savings over $10K.
• Additional health, fitness, and financial benefits available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
• Defined benefit pension plan.
• Tax‑deferred savings program.
• Robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
• Work From Home policy: up to two days per week from home, depending on the position.

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,  or 347‑396‑6549.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. City employees 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.

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 (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

High school graduation or equivalent and three years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to duties described above; or equivalent education and/or experience.