New York City seeks a 'bloodthirsty' rat czar: Ad for director of rodent mitigation job to fight serious, gnawing problem is ... actually pretty funny

• New York City is hiring a "director of rodent mitigation" for a salary of between $120,000 and $170,000.
• The individual selected for the role will be tasked with "keeping the city's rats in check and on notice."

New York City is looking for a leader to fight one of its biggest and most persistent foes — rats.

In a job listing posted this week, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations announced it is hiring a director of rodent mitigation who will be tasked with "keeping the city's rats in check and on notice." The salary range for the "24/7 job requiring stamina and stagecraft" is listed between $120,000 and $170,000.

The cheeky posting goes on to describe a qualified candidate who has a "virulent vehemence for vermin" with "the drive, determination, and killer instinct needed to fight the real enemy — New York City's relentless rat population."

"The ideal candidate is highly motivated and somewhat bloodthirsty, determined to look at all solutions from various angles, including improving operational efficiency, data collection, technology innovation, trash management, and wholesale slaughter," the listing reads.

At one point the listing even appears to reference to "Ratatouille," the popular Pixar-animated movie about an aspiring rat chef named Remy, who secretly directs Alfredo Linguini from under his hat in a kitchen in France.

"Rodents spread disease, damage homes and wiring, and even attempt to control the movements of kitchen staffers in an effort to take over human jobs," the listing reads.

While New York City has long been synonymous with rats, sightings have skyrocketed. According to data from the New York City Sanitation Department, as of October there were 21,600 sightings and complaints about rats so far in 2022, up 71% from October 2020.

As a result, the city has increased efforts to curb the rodent population, including establishing a new policy that New Yorkers must bring trash bags to the curb no earlier than 8 p.m. or they will face a fine beginning April 2023.

The push even led to the creation of an T-shirt through a collaboration between the Department of Sanitation and streetwear brand Only NY. Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch made an anti-rat statement in November that went viral, and became the subject of countless memes, New York City marathon signs — and now a shirt.

Her infamous comment is emblazoned on the front: "The rats are absolutely going to hate this announcement, but the rats don't run this city. We do."