Here at AL DÍA, we do a fair amount of watchdog reporting to ensure that the city’s Latino population is well-represented. That goes for both the public and private sectors. So when there’s an effort to close the representation gap, we’d be remiss not to signal boost it.

Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration is currently seeking a press aide for Latino media outreach to join its communications team.

A full-time position, the aide will be tasked with developing a comprehensive Latino media outreach strategy, serving as a liaison for Latino media outlets, and supporting the communications team’s daily outreach.

It’s one of many new positions that the Kenney administration has created in City Hall. Other welcome additions include the city’s first diversity and inclusion officer and a pre-K director. Yesterday, Kenney appointed the newest director for the Office of Black Male Engagement, a position created under former Mayor Michael Nutter.

So why a Latino media aide and not a Latino Male Engagement Director, or a Black media director?

“I can only speak to the process of why I decided we needed a Press Aide for Latino Media Outreach,” Kenney’s communications director Lauren Hitt said in an email Friday. “There’s a significant Latino population here, and so I think it makes sense to have someone in the Communications Office who can literally communicate with them.”

Obviously, Spanish language fluency is a requirement for the job.

The aide work closely with Hitt and her team’s two deputy directors: Mike Dunn, the veteran City Hall bureau chief for KYW Newsradio; and Ajeenah Amir, who oversees Public Engagement Office communications, among other departments. Hitt notes that Amir will also be working with Jack Drummond, the new Black Male Engagement Director, to develop Black media outreach.

Hitt said that the Latino aide will in no way be a gatekeeper between Latino media and other divisions of the mayor’s office:

“It will be the Press Aide for Latino Media’s responsibility to be proactively engaging with the Latino community through the media. If you have a question about a Department that falls under Mike [Dunn’s] portfolio of Departments, you’d still go to him. And you can always reach out to me if you’re unsure of who to contact about something."

You can read more about the position requirements here. Note that the deadline to apply has been extended. Email press@phila.gov to apply or receive more information.