Lead health-system communications and media relations for UC Davis Health, shaping strategic messaging and training others.

• Own broad responsibilities in content creation, media relations and risk messaging
• Extensive news media and media relations expertise and training experience
• Experience writing medical or complex content for lay audiences
• Ability to manage multiple projects and tight deadlines
• Knowledge of HIPAA, privacy regulations and compliant documentation
• Strong political acumen and stakeholder-facing messaging
• Proficiency with AP style and Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to gather information on diverse topics for interviews and talking points
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities

Responsibilities

• write clear, accurate, compelling and stylistically appropriate content.
• gather information on a wide variety of topics and issues, in order to conduct interviews with experts, prepare press releases or develop talking points for controversial issues.
• prepare press releases or develop talking points for controversial issues.
• represent the health system and Public Affairs in the conduct of highly visible work.
• communicate messages and expand reach with varied audiences using a variety of media platforms (web, social media, video and traditional platforms).
• extensive news media or media relations expertise and skills dissemination experience for training others.
• train others in media relations skills or disseminate expertise as needed.
• craft communications that respond to political realities and stakeholder needs.
• coordinate many details of multiple projects simultaneously, keeping everything on schedule and identifying and solving problems as they arise.
• gain extensive knowledge and understanding of UC Davis Health System’s faculty, staff and trainees; clinical, research, education and outreach programs; organizational structure and policies and procedures.
• apply state and federal laws, university policies and professional standards to all institutional communications that represent the health system and its various academic, clinical and research enterprises.
• demonstrated ability to write for various print formats (production scripts, text-documents, presentation formats, web communications, press releases, talking points).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in science, communications, journalism, English or related field.
• Minimum of 5-10 years of experience in journalism, public relations or communications-related field.
• Significant experience using a variety of media platforms, such as web, social media, video and traditional platforms to communicate messages and expand reach with varied audiences.
• Demonstrated experience writing medical, science, or other complex content for lay audiences.
• Demonstrated skill in strategic message development, audience identification and issues-management in alignment with an organization’s institutional goals.
• Extensive news media or media relations expertise and skills dissemination experience for training others.
• Strong political acumen and understanding of public perception, with the ability to craft communications that respond to political realities and stakeholder needs.
• Working knowledge of AP style, with willingness to learn and integrate custom UC Davis Health style variations.
• Ability to closely follow HIPAA and other privacy regulations and related documentation requirements.
• Solid oral and interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy.
• Must have ability to accept direction and edits and to exercise tact and sensitivity when working with colleagues and key stakeholders.
• Must be able to write clear, accurate, compelling and stylistically appropriate content.

Nice To Have

• Creative and resourceful in achieving objectives.
• Familiarity with or ability to learn Microsoft Office Suite.