Senior Writer, UW Medical Center

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

Job summary

UW Medicine Strategic Communications is seeking a Senior Writer to craft executive and organizational communications across UW Medicine and beyond. This hybrid role focuses on translating complex information into clear messaging for internal and external audiences, supporting leaders, and advancing UW Medicine's mission through engaging content.

The Senior Writer will shape messages across written, digital, presentation, and multimedia formats, collaborating with leaders and partners in a

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.
• Experience interfacing directly with executives and managing high-profile projects.
• Experience 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.
• Experience supporting message-driving narratives using video, including writing, editing, and adapting scripts for live presentations, recorded video, and multimedia campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Draft and refine high-visibility communications on behalf of senior leaders across UW Medicine, ensuring each message reflects the leader's voice, priorities, and audience.
• Write and adapt content for speeches, talking points, presentations, videos, and multimedia campaigns that translate strategic priorities into clear, compelling messaging.
• 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.
• Create engaging, error-free content for a wide variety of audiences and channels, 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 and accessibility standards.
• Use communications platforms and digital tools to deliver targeted messaging, monitor engagement, and coordinate timing and channel strategy.

Skills

Executive Communications

PowerPoint & Email

Inclusive Messaging

Editing Leadership Content

Video Narratives

Fast-paced Environment

Proactive Opportunity Identification

Education

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

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, Harborview 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 constituencies 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 one day per week on site at UW Medical Center – Montlake campus, one day per week on site at UW Medical Center – Northwest campus, 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 UW Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic health centers, where exceptional care, research, and education come together to serve patients and communities across the region and beyond. UW Medical Center has two campuses: Montlake and Northwest.

Compensation

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