[Hiring] Senior Health Communications Specialist @CDC Foundation

Role Description

The CDC Foundation is seeking a candidate for a full-time Senior Health Communications Specialist who will provide strategic support, technical assistance, and communications leadership for a team working to build an evidence base for effective drowning prevention strategies in the United States. This position is key to leading the development and implementation of a strategic communication plan in support of programmatic priorities and goals. The Senior Health Communications Specialist's primary responsibility will be leading communication and information dissemination for the Understanding and Preventing Drowning program.

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive strategic communications plan to advance program goals.
• Develop and implement communications strategies that elevate program visibility, amplify key messages, and enhance engagement across earned and social media channels.
• Lead the creation and dissemination of communications products and supporting materials for the program.
• Support the development of a program website including working with senior program leadership, other program team members, and web developers.
• Work with team members and external partner organizations to identify, draft, publish, and promote new stories and other information that amplify program outputs and communicate program impacts.
• Provide communications guidance, mentorship, and support to other team members, and in some cases partner organizations.
• Advise senior program leadership and program team members on communication strategies, message framing, media engagement, and other media topics as needed.
• Ensure that documents and other content conform to organizational policies, branding and style; and align with accepted water safety and drowning prevention terminology and best-practice safety advice.
• Coordinate with others on health media production, publications for professional and public audiences, and electronic health communication activities.
• Manage clearance processes for communication research, evaluation, and publications.
• Maintain robust familiarity with scientific and non-scientific literature for project-related publications.
• Build and maintain working relationships with communications peers internal to the CDC Foundation and with external partner organizations, including donors, government health agencies, and other drowning prevention and water safety organizations.
• Represent the CDC Foundation at technical and strategic planning meetings with internal and external partners.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, English, public health, public policy or related field required. Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in the field of communications, preferably within the public health or drowning prevention-related arena.
• Experience independently representing organizations to media members, or past experience as a news reporter, producer, or editor.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead the production of communication products, documents, and presentation materials that are high quality and error-free.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership, subject matter experts, external partners, and donor organizations.
• Proven ability to collaborate with a team while also completing specific tasks independently, on task and timeline.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong understanding of communication theory and its application to strategy.
• Experience engaging community partners and providing capacity building/skill-based support.
• Experience working on diverse health communications and social marketing campaigns.
• Cross-cultural competence and ability to work with a variety of partners from varying backgrounds.
• Experience translating scientific information into easy-to-understand language for non-scientific audiences.
• Ability to engage with, listen to, and learn from a broad range of partners, encouraging meaningful participation and developing productive working relationships.
• Strong project management skills and ability to meet deadlines, prioritize and stay organized.
• Experience working in a virtual environment with remote partners and teams.
• Willingness to travel domestically (up to 10% annually).
• Experience developing and managing effective social media content that translates complex public health information into clear, engaging, and audience-appropriate messages.
• Experience managing website content, structure, and enhancement projects, including collaborating with web developers, designers, and subject matter experts to optimize user experience.

Benefits

• Salary Range: $105,000-$125,000, plus benefits
• Grant funded, limited-term opportunity contingent upon funding
• Position End Date: June 30, 2027, with possibility for renewal contingent upon funding

Company Description

The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners to support the public health system, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in preventing and responding to threats to health. We are focused on building catalytic, flexible, and impactful partnerships to help improve the health and lives of people in all communities, everywhere.