Senior Writer, School of Medicine

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

Job summary

UW Medicine Strategic Communications has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Writer to join their team. Reporting to the Director of Internal Communications, the Senior Writer creates executive and organizational communications across written, digital, presentation, and multimedia formats to inform, engage, and connect audiences across UW Medicine and beyond.

A primary area is developing internal and executive communications for the UW School of Medicine, shaping messaging that supports

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, writing, public relations, 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.
• Experience crafting and editing messages for internal and external audiences across multiple channels.
• Experience interfacing with executives and managing high-profile projects.

Responsibilities

• Draft and refine high-visibility executive communications across UW Medicine, ensuring the leader's voice and priorities are reflected.
• Write and adapt content for speeches, talking points, presentations, videos, and multimedia campaigns.
• Translate complex, time-sensitive information into clear, strategic messages for internal and external audiences.
• Guide message review and approval processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with institutional goals.
• Create engaging content across channels and formats, including email, intranet, presentations, and video.

Skills

Executive communications

Video content development

Content strategy

Editorial judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications/PR/journalism

Tools

PowerPoint

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 Harborview Medical Center, 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.

A primary area of responsibility will be developing internal and executive communications for the UW School of Medicine.

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 faculty, staff, physicians, nurses, researchers, students, 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 with emphasis on communications, writing, public relations, 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.

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

• Five to eight years of demonstrated success with organizational and executive communications for an academic organization, writing on behalf of C-suite leaders.


• Five years of communications experience in an academic health system.


• Experience working in a large, multi-faceted academic health system.


• Demonstrated experience in video creation, including scripting, storyboarding, directing, or producing.

Working Conditions

Hybrid – approximately one day per month in South Lake Union (with the option for more days in‑office as desired), and occasional on‑site presence at the UW School of Medicine.

About the Team

UW Medicine's Strategic Communications team plays a critical role in advancing 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 UW's School of Medicine, a leading public medical institution serving the five-state WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho).

Compensation

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