College Aide, Bureau of Veterinary and Pest Control Services

About the role

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.

The Office of Vector Surveillance and Control (OVSC) is responsible for field and laboratory activities to detect vector-borne pathogens such as Zika virus, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease in mosquitoes and ticks, and to prevent their transmission to humans and other hosts.

The program also conducts research to understand transmission cycles within the City and to develop strategies for reducing the impact of these diseases on residents. With climate change increasing the risk and geographic range of vector-borne diseases, OVSC's role is becoming increasingly critical.

In addition, the office conducts public education and outreach to raise awareness about preventing mosquito and tick bites and encourages reporting or eliminating potential vector breeding sites. The Division of Environmental Health seeks four College Aides IA (Freshman - Sophomore) for its Bureau of Veterinary and Pest Control Services.

Duties Will Include but Not Be Limited to

• Helping with identification of vectors of human diseases such as mosquitoes and ticks
• Conducting field survey and lab procedures for environmental assessment of vector-borne diseases
• Assisting with public-outreach activities, including presenting and distributing educational flyers to the public
• Performing different administrative tasks including data entry and compiling daily and weekly reports, as required

Preferred Skills

• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Basic computer literacy with a desire to learn additional computer skills
• Strong customer service orientation with courteous telephone manner

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
• 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.

Additional information

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.

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!

Qualifications & Requirements

For Assignment Level I

Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school.

For Assignment Level II (Information Technology)

Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or closely related field, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study.

For Assignment Level III (Information Technology Fellow)

Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or other area relevant to the information technology project(s) assigned, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study. Appointments to this Assignment Level will be made by the Technology Steering Committee through the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

Special Note

• Maximum tenure for all Assignment Levels in the title of College Aide is 6 years.
• No student shall be employed more than half-time in any week in which classes in which the student is enrolled are in session.
• Students may be employed full-time during their vacation periods.