Senior Writer, Harborview Medical Center

University of Washington Medicine; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 92,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

UW Medicine's Strategic Communications team seeks a Senior Writer to craft executive and organizational messaging that informs, engages, and connects audiences across UW Medicine and beyond. Reporting to the Director of Internal Communications, you translate complex and time-sensitive information into clear, strategic content across written, digital, and multimedia formats.

In this hybrid role, you will work on high-visibility projects for senior leaders, shape communications that reflect

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, writing, PR, journalism, or related field.
• Three to four years of demonstrated success in organizational and executive communications for a healthcare organization and developing written and video content on behalf of C-suite leaders.

Responsibilities

• Draft high-visibility communications on behalf of senior leaders across UW Medicine, ensuring each message reflects the leader's voice and audience.
• Write and adapt content for speeches, talking points, presentations, videos, and multimedia campaigns that translate priorities into clear messaging.
• Translate complex information into clear, concise, strategic messages for internal and external audiences.
• Guide message review and approval processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with goals.
• Create engaging content for physicians, nurses, staff, patients, and community across email, intranet, presentations, video, social media, and features.
• Develop, edit, and fact-check content to ensure brand voice, standards, and accessibility.
• Use digital tools to deliver targeted messaging and coordinate timing with partners.
• Build relationships with leaders and staff to stay informed on priorities and emerging needs.
• Provide editorial review and strategic consultation to strengthen messaging across channels.
• Support urgent communications in crisis and rapid-response scenarios with coordination with leaders and experts.

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, writing, public relations, journalism, or a related field

Tools

PowerPoint presentations

Job description

I've got three senior writer positions open on my team!

Posted by: Elizabeth Sharpe, Director of Internal Communications

The other two openings on this team, UW Medical Center and School of Medicine, are posted separately on this board.

I'm looking for seasoned, highly versatile writers with a portfolio of stories, quick-turn copy — and especially — significant experience writing and supporting video messaging on behalf of C-suite-level executives, and experience working in healthcare or an academic institution. Also, the writer must be comfortable in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, and be a go-getter who loves to take initiative and proactively identify stories and communications opportunities.

Job Description

UW Medicine Strategic Communications has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Writer to join their team.

About this Opportunity

Reporting to the Director of Internal Communications, the Senior Writer is responsible for creating compelling executive and organizational communications that help inform, engage, and connect audiences across UW Medicine and beyond. This role translates complex, sensitive, and time-sensitive information into clear, strategic messaging across written, digital, presentation, and multimedia formats. The Senior Writer plays a visible role in shaping communications that support senior leaders, strengthen organizational alignment, and advance UW Medicine's mission through engaging content, thoughtful storytelling and strong editorial judgment.

This hybrid role combines remote work with regular onsite presence to support interviews, reporting, outreach and engagement, and multimedia content development.

Key Responsibilities

Executive and Leadership Communications – 45%

• Draft and refine high-visibility communications on behalf of senior leaders across UW Medicine, ensuring each message reflects the leader's voice, priorities, and intended audience.
• Write and adapt content for speeches, talking points, presentations, videos, and multimedia campaigns that translate strategic priorities into clear, compelling messaging.
• Navigate a variety of topics and translate complex and sensitive information into clear, concise, and strategic messages for internal and external audiences consistent with institutional priorities.
• Guide message review and approval processes, exercising sound judgment to ensure communications are accurate, timely, polished, and aligned with institutional goals.

Strategic Communications and Storytelling – 35%

• Create engaging, error-free content for a wide variety of audiences, including physicians, nurses, staff, patients, and community members, and across channels and formats, such as email, intranet, presentations, video, social media, and feature stories.
• Develop, edit, proof, and fact-check content to ensure consistency with UW Medicine's brand voice, style standards, and accessibility expectations.
• Use communications platforms and digital tools to deliver targeted messaging, monitor engagement, and coordinate timing and channel strategy with communications partners.

Communications Consulting and Editorial Support – 10%

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with leaders, faculty, staff, and other constituents across UW Medicine to stay informed on priorities and emerging communications needs.
• Provide editorial review and strategic communications consultation to help colleagues and partners strengthen message clarity, effectiveness, and audience alignment.

Crisis and Rapid-Response Communications – 5%

• Support urgent and sensitive communications needs by helping develop and deliver timely, accurate messaging for emerging issues and in critical situations.
• Collaborate with leaders, subject matter experts, and communications partners on coordinated crisis and rapid-response communications efforts.

Required Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, writing, public relations, journalism, or a related field.
• Three to four years of demonstrated success in organizational and executive communications for a healthcare organization and developing written and video content on behalf of C-suite leaders.

Additional Qualifications

• Experience in interfacing directly with executives and managing high-profile projects.
• Experience in developing PowerPoint presentations and organization-wide emails on behalf of senior leaders.
• Experience ensuring messaging is consistent, inclusive, and accessible across major channels and audiences.
• Extensive experience writing and editing organizational and leadership communication materials with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Experience supporting message-driving narratives using video, including writing, editing, and adapting scripts for live presentations, recorded video, and multimedia campaigns.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume and often ambiguous/fast-changing environment.
• Ability to proactively identify communications opportunities and develop supporting materials.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5-8 years of demonstrated success with organizational and executive communications for a healthcare organization, writing on behalf of C-suite leaders.
• 5 years of communications experience in a hospital.
• Experience working in a large, multi-faceted healthcare organization.
• Demonstrated experience in video creation, including scripting, storyboarding, directing, or producing.

Working Conditions

Hybrid – approximately three days per week on site at Harborview Medical Center and one day per month in South Lake Union (with the option for more days in-office as desired).

About the Team

UW Medicine's Strategic Communications team helps advance the organization's mission to improve the health of all people by delivering clear, timely, and effective communications to internal and external audiences. This role has a primary focus on supporting Harborview Medical Center, a comprehensive healthcare facility dedicated to providing specialized care for a broad spectrum of patients from throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the most vulnerable residents of King County.

Compensation

Pay Range: $92,004.00 – $102,816.00 annual, plus benefits.