Communications Specialist

WVU Medicine Berkeley and Jefferson Medical Centers; Martinsburg (WV); On-site; USD 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

BMC Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia is seeking a Communications Specialist to advance public understanding of the health system's services, goals, and research through clear, compelling messaging.

As a writer and editor, you will produce news releases, features, and multimedia content, interview faculty and staff, and coordinate with other communicators to maintain consistent brand messaging across all channels.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in communications, journalism, marketing, or English.
• 3 years in health-care communications, media relations, or related field.
• Strong writing, editing, and interview skills.

Responsibilities

• Promotes recognition and support for the organization's services and achievements with strategic communications.
• Serves as contributing writer and develops multimedia content across media.
• Maintains contact with sources to highlight achievements via news releases and features.
• Interviews faculty and staff on medical topics and explains research to the public.
• Coordinates with other communicators to ensure consistent messaging.
• Plans events with communication impact and organizes staff efforts.

Skills

Public relations

Communications

Writing

Editing

Media relations

Interviews

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or English

Job description

Experience

• 3 years in one of the following:
• news, communication, marketing, advertising, or public relations program for a healthcare organization, college, news media organization, government agency, business, or other large knowledge-based organization, or
• interviewing, writing, and editing, or
• media relations, or
• 2 years in one of the above and 1 year in web content creation, editing, or publishing or
• 2 years in one of the above and 1 year in event planning

Preferred Qualifications

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND/OR LICENSURE

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or English.

CORE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Promotes wider public recognition, awareness, and support of the organization's services, activities and achievements. This should include a long-term strategic view of policies, goals and mission in assigned areas, and communications strategies to inform the public and other audiences of these goals and achievements.
• Serves as contributing writer and assists with the planning, development, production and assessment of communications in all media. Develops multimedia content, including digital video, audio and still photography.
• Maintains regular and frequent contact with sources across the organization to solicit relevant information to highlight and promote achievements through distribution as news releases, opinion pieces, Web features and other communication vehicles.
• Interviews faculty and professional staff on medical and scientific topics, interprets and explains the organization and research to the public and other audiences
• Demonstrates the capacity to understand the significance of assigned areas, and places information before faculty, staff and the public in an accessible and compelling form. Coordinates with other communicators from across the organization to achieve this goal
• Participates in planning special events that have communication needs and public relations/marketing impact.
• Organizes and coordinates the work of other staff and students as assigned.
• Develops and directs clear communication strategies and messages, maintaining consistency across the organization.
• Maintains positive relations with public, state and federal officials, as well as WVU constituency groups and stakeholders
• Supports the organization as assigned, including writing ad copy and TV and radio scripts, coordinating video and photography shoots; writing and editing for high profile publications websites and speeches.
• As a Communications Specialist, you could be assigned to work in any of these assigned roles: Internet/Intranet focused, Publication focused, News focused, Corporate Communication/Community Relations focused.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Shift

United States of America (Exempt)

Company

BMC Berkeley Medical Center

Cost Center

512 UH Marketing

Address

2500 Hospital Drive
Martinsburg
West Virginia

Equal Opportunity Employer

West Virginia University Health System and its subsidiaries (collectively "WVUHS") is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. WVUHS strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. All WVUHS employees, other workers, and representatives are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment.