Senior Media Relations Specialist

Children's National Medical Center; Silver Spring (MD); On-site; USD 82,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Life insurance

Tuition assistance

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Children’s National Health System is seeking a Senior Media Relations Specialist to lead national and regional PR activities for marquee services. You will craft compelling press materials, manage media inquiries, and build strong relationships with reporters while coordinating with marketing, digital leadership, and internal communications.

The role requires a strategic thinker with 5+ years in public relations, excellent AP style writing, and the ability to drive multi-platform campaigns in a

Qualifications

• Experience developing public relations, marketing, advertising and digital communications strategies.
• Excellent written communication skills, including writing for web, social media, marketing and traditional media and editing for all audiences.
• Strong understanding of online communications and tools.
• Experience with media distribution platforms and research and evaluation tools for marketing, advertising, web and media relations.
• Ability to display initiative, work autonomously, and offer solutions to problems.
• Consistently able to display independent thinking and assume responsibility for projects.
• Displays sound judgment and is able to make independent decisions guided by the business goals of the department and organization.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to prioritize workload.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including AP Style. Knowledge of MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements national/regional proactive PR plans for marquee and differentiating services and events.
• Manages and prioritizes across responsibilities: assigned service lines, incoming media calls, pitches, opportunistic stories, etc.
• Writes and edits media materials, ranging from press releases, talking points, media advisories, messages
• Maintains existing relationships with reporters, while building relationships with new reporters, through incoming media requests and proactive pitching
• Coordinates and supports media team involvement in any institutional events, establishing themselves as a reliable member on the team
• In collaboration with the Manager and Director, develop and execute PR plans for specific assigned priority services
• Meets regularly with leadership, service physicians, and clinical staff, building strong relationships within the service
• Identifies potential media story opportunities and works proactively with the Manager and Director to develop and execute an integrated media strategy and messages
• Monitors news coverage of relevant priority services, proactively identifying communication opportunitiesDevelops service line and spokespeople media analyses as necessary
• Serve as a consultant to various teams and committees in developing and executing public relations and communications strategies
• Recommend and implement strategies and tactics to meet team's goals and enhance Children's strategic goals
• Collaborates and shares service line information with the internal, web, and marketing teams
• Collaborates with peers, reporting out to the Manager, on the recruitment and management of the department's interns
• Participates in special projects such as high-profile visits and tours that require the support of the media relations team
• Identify, develop and media train key physicians and other speakers to become go-to quotable sources for media.

Skills

PR strategy

Media relations

Writing: AP style

Digital communications

Media monitoring

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Prioritization

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Kids Are Our Everything.

Department

Marketing & Communications

Pay Range

$82,222.40 - $137,051.20

The Senior Media Relations Specialist will participate and take an active role in the planning, implementation, management and evaluation of media/public relations activities for Children's National Health System in accordance with accepted national standards and administrative policies.

What You'll Bring:

Minimum Education

• Bachelor's Degree (Required)
• Master's Degree (Preferred)

Minimum Work Experience

• 5 years Related and progressive experience (Required)

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Experience developing public relations, marketing, advertising and digital communications strategies.
• Excellent written communication skills, including writing for web, social media, marketing and traditional media and editing for all audiences.
• Strong understanding of online communications and tools.
• Experience with media distribution platforms and research and evaluation tools for marketing, advertising, web and media relations.
• Ability to display initiative, work autonomously, and offer solutions to problems.
• Consistently able to display independent thinking and assume responsibility for projects.
• Displays sound judgment and is able to make independent decisions guided by the business goals of the department and organization.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to prioritize workload.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including AP Style. Knowledge of MS Office.

Functional Accountabilities

External Media Relations

• Develops and implements national/regional proactive PR plans for marquee and differentiating services and events. Works with marketing and digital leadership and internal communications to execute successful multi-platform plans
• Manages and prioritizes across responsibilities: assigned service lines, incoming media calls, pitches, opportunistic stories, etc.
• Writes and edits media materials, ranging from press releases, talking points, media advisories, messages
• Maintains existing relationships with reporters, while building relationships with new reporters, through incoming media requests and proactive pitching
• Coordinates and supports media team involvement in any institutional events, establishing themselves as a reliable member on the team

Strategic Communication Development

• In collaboration with the Manager and Director, develop and execute PR plans for specific assigned priority services
• Meets regularly with leadership, service physicians, and clinical staff, building strong relationships within the service
• Identifies potential media story opportunities and works proactively with the Manager and Director to develop and execute an integrated media strategy and messages
• Monitors news coverage of relevant priority services, proactively identifying communication opportunitiesDevelops service line and spokespeople media analyses as necessary

Intradepartmental Collaboration

• Serve as a consultant to various teams and committees in developing and executing public relations and communications strategies
• Recommend and implement strategies and tactics to meet team's goals and enhance Children's strategic goals
• Collaborates and shares service line information with the internal, web, and marketing teams
• Collaborates with peers, reporting out to the Manager, on the recruitment and management of the department's interns

PR Infrastructure and Planning

• Participates in special projects such as high-profile visits and tours that require the support of the media relations team
• Identify, develop and media train key physicians and other speakers to become go-to quotable sources for media.

Benefits That Support You:

• Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, prescription, infertility, and transgender health services.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation accrual from day one, sick leave, holidays, and a personal day.
• Financial wellness support, including a 401(k) plan and healthcare and dependent care spending accounts.
• Employer-paid life, AD&D, and long-term disability coverage, with optional supplemental plans.
• Additional perks, including tuition assistance, fitness resources, employee assistance, commuter benefits, and more.

Why Join Us:

• Nationally Recognized Excellence - Consistently ranked among the Top 10 Children's Hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
• Leading Pediatric Care - One of the largest and most comprehensive children's hospitals in the country, offering nationally ranked specialties and cutting-edge treatments.
• Innovation & Research - A premier academic medical center with a strong commitment to pediatric research, education, and advancing the future of child health.
• Mission-Driven Culture - Dedicated to providing family-centered care while fostering a collaborative, supportive environment for clinical teams.

The disclosed salary range includes the minimum and maximum rates within which Children's National believes an individual's base pay rate will fall for this position. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the maximum of the pay range. The exact pay rate for this position will be based on a variety of factors in alignment with the Children's National compensation philosophy. These factors are legitimate and non-discriminatory including, but not limited to, the current market conditions; organizational needs; the individual's combination of prior work experience, level of education, knowledge, skills, and other qualifications. Children's National is committed to providing a fair and competitive total rewards package to each of our employees. This base salary range does not include our comprehensive benefits package or any additional compensation for which this position may be eligible.

Childrens National Hospital is an equal opportunity employer that evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, identity, or other characteristics protected by law. The "Know Your Rights" poster is available here: and the pay transparency policy is available here:Know Your RightsPay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster.

Please note that it is the policy of Children's National Hospital to ensure a "drug-free" work environment: a workplace free from the illegal use, possession or distribution of controlled substances (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act), or the misuse of legal substances, by all staff (management, employees and contractors). Though recreational and medical marijuana are now legal in the District of Columbia, Children's National and its affiliates maintain the right, in accordance with our policy, to enforce a drug-free workplace, including prohibiting recreational or prescribed marijuana.