Public Relations Specialist – Digital Content & Newsroom

Burtch Works; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Burtch Works is seeking a Public Relations Specialist – Digital Content & Newsroom to support a growing healthcare digital newsroom in New Hyde Park, NY. This hybrid role focuses on publishing workflow, content management, SEO, and editorial storytelling for consumer health audiences.

The ideal candidate writes and edits with strong editorial judgment, collaborates across medical and newsroom teams, and progresses toward original health content and multimedia storytelling as they grow.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in journalism, communications, English, or related field.
• Equivalent professional experience in writing, editing, or digital publishing will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day digital publishing workflow from intake to publication.
• Coordinate multiple publishing priorities and deadlines in a fast-moving newsroom environment.
• Build, format, and publish webpages within a CMS such as Drupal.
• Review, edit, and optimize content for web publishing with headlines, metadata, and taxonomy.
• Maintain high editorial standards and adhere to style guidelines.
• Coordinate assets, imagery, and consent documentation.
• Develop original consumer-focused health articles and patient stories as responsibilities expand.
• Translate complex medical information into clear, engaging consumer content.
• Identify content opportunities via search trends and audience insights.
• Adapt print materials into optimized digital content.
• Collaborate with physicians, editors, and marketing to publish high-quality content.
• Adapt to evolving publishing tools and workflows.

Skills

Strong writing

Editing

Storytelling

CMS familiarity

SEO awareness

Editorial judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Journalism or related field

Equivalent professional experience

Tools

Drupal

WordPress

Job description

Job Title: Public Relations Specialist – Digital Content & Newsroom

Location: New Hyde Park, NY – Hybrid with 1x a week onsite (Tuesday)

About The Company

We are one of the largest healthcare organizations in the region, combining world-class clinical care, research, education, and innovation with a mission to improve the health of the communities we serve.

Our Communications team operates a growing digital newsroom that transforms clinical expertise, patient stories, and health information into engaging, accessible digital content. As our content strategy becomes increasingly digital, we're expanding the team responsible for publishing, developing, and optimizing stories that educate consumers, strengthen our digital presence, and connect audiences with trusted health information.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Public Relations Specialist – Digital Content & Newsroom to support the continued growth of our digital newsroom. Despite the title, this is not a traditional PR or crisis communications role. It's a digital publishing and journalism opportunity combining editorial judgment, content management, SEO optimization, and storytelling.

Initially, you'll take ownership of the newsroom's day-to-day publishing workflow, managing incoming press releases, opinion pieces, and editorial content from request through publication. As you become comfortable with our platforms and processes, you'll expand into developing original health content, patient stories, and consumer-focused articles.

The ideal candidate is a strong writer and editor who is equally comfortable working behind the scenes in a content management system. You're organized, proactive, adaptable, and naturally curious about digital publishing, SEO, and emerging AI-driven search. Most importantly, you're someone who takes initiative, anticipates needs, and can independently move work forward while maintaining exceptional editorial standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day digital publishing workflow, managing incoming press releases, opinion pieces, and editorial requests from intake through publication.
• Coordinate multiple publishing priorities and deadlines, responding effectively to time-sensitive requests in a fast-moving newsroom environment.
• Build, format, and publish webpages within a CMS such as Drupal, ensuring content is accurate, consistent, and ready for digital audiences.
• Review, edit, and optimize incoming content for web publishing, refining headlines, keywords, metadata, tagging, taxonomy, and page structure to support SEO and AEO/GEO best practices.
• Maintain high editorial standards through careful proofreading, fact-checking, and adherence to established style guidelines and brand requirements.
• Coordinate publishing assets and approvals, including imagery, supporting materials, and required consent documentation.
• Develop original consumer-focused health articles, patient stories, and editorial features as responsibilities expand.
• Translate complex medical and scientific information into clear, engaging, accessible content that addresses consumer questions and interests.
• Identify relevant content opportunities using search trends, keyword research, audience insights, and emerging healthcare topics.
• Adapt existing print publications and editorial materials into optimized, digital-first content.
• Collaborate with physicians, clinical experts, media relations, marketing, and newsroom colleagues to develop and publish high-quality content.
• Adapt to evolving publishing tools, workflows, and technologies while proactively identifying issues, solving problems, and keeping projects moving.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Public Relations, Digital Media, or a related discipline preferred.
• Equivalent professional experience in writing, editing, or digital publishing will also be considered.

Experience

• Experience writing, editing, or producing digital content within journalism, communications, publishing, healthcare, or another content-driven environment.
• Hands-on experience working within a content management system; Drupal experience is valuable but not required, and WordPress or comparable CMS experience is highly transferable.
• Experience managing editorial workflows, coordinating publishing deadlines, and maintaining quality across multiple assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to research unfamiliar topics, edit for clarity and accuracy, and adapt content for different audiences and digital platforms.
• Early-career candidates with strong writing, editorial, or digital publishing experience—including meaningful college newsroom or publication experience—are encouraged to apply.

Skills

• Strong writing, editing, and storytelling ability with a journalistic mindset and the ability to produce clear, accurate, engaging content for consumer audiences.
• Digital publishing aptitude with comfort working in the back end of a CMS to build, format, optimize, and publish webpages.
• Working knowledge of SEO and emerging AEO/GEO practices, including keywords, headlines, metadata, tagging, taxonomy, and content optimization.
• Exceptional attention to detail and editorial judgment, with a commitment to accuracy, consistency, style guidelines, and high-quality published content.
• Strong organization and adaptability, with the ability to manage competing deadlines, respond to unexpected requests, and remain effective as processes and platforms evolve.
• Proactive, independent problem-solving skills with the initiative to anticipate needs, troubleshoot challenges, and move assignments forward without constant oversight.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to incorporate editorial feedback and coordinate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in journalism, digital publishing, healthcare communications, science writing, or health content.
• Experience working in a digital newsroom or managing a high-volume editorial publishing queue.
• Experience with Drupal, WordPress, or another enterprise CMS.
• Familiarity with keyword research, content analytics, and optimizing articles for traditional search engines and AI-driven discovery.
• Experience adapting print content for digital publication or supporting multimedia storytelling through video, podcasts, or photography.
• Experience using AI-assisted writing or editorial tools to improve content development and publishing efficiency while maintaining editorial quality.

Why Join Us

This is an opportunity for someone who loves journalism and storytelling but wants the stability, resources, and long‑term growth potential of a major healthcare organization.

You'll join a collaborative digital newsroom where your work is visible and your contributions directly support the organization's ability to deliver trusted health information to a broad audience. You'll have an opportunity to grow. As you develop expertise in our publishing platforms and editorial processes, you will take on more original writing, consumer health storytelling, and potentially multimedia projects.

For someone who enjoys the combination of writing, digital publishing, technology, and independent ownership, this is an opportunity to build a meaningful career while helping important healthcare stories reach the people who need them.