Req #: 239694 Department: SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Job Location Detail: Job is based in Spokane, WA - Hybrid eligible Posting Date: 10/17/2024 Closing Info: Open Until Filled Salary: $5,250 - $6,084 per month Shift: First Shift Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230701\_a11y.pdf) As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty. **The School of Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for a Communications Specialist to join their team.** At UW Medicine, we work to improve health for all people through excellence in clinical, research, and education and training programs. As the only comprehensive clinical, research and learning health system in the five-state WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region, UW Medicine provides the most up-to-date care for each individual patient, leads one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive medical research programs, and provides innovative learning programs for students, trainees, and practitioners in the health professions. UW Medicine’s Strategic Marketing and Communications (SMC) team plays a unique and vital role in advancing UW Medicine’s mission to improve the health of all people by creating connections to the discoveries, knowledge, and care that improve people’s lives. Our team is comprised of 50+ dedicated professionals who work across a variety of marketing and communications disciplines for both the health system and UW School of Medicine (UWSoM), including brand and marketing strategy, news and media relations, internal and crisis communications, web development, UX/DX strategies, social media, writing, and graphic design. Our success lies in our core values: respect, teamwork, creativity, continuous improvement, and focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, that are reflected in all that we do. The UW School of Medicine and Gonzaga University formed a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership in 2016 to advance the health of communities across Washington state through medical and related health sciences education and research. The Partnership leverages the UW School of Medicine’s more than 50 years of teaching medical students in central and eastern Washington, and Gonzaga’s top-ranked undergraduate and graduate teaching faculty in biology, chemistry, physics, human physiology, nursing, and mathematics to graduate innovative, community-focused students. SMC is looking for a talented and self-motivated Communications Specialist to ensure communications align with UWSoM strategic priorities and to support the UW School of Medicine-Gonzaga University Health Partnership (UWGU HP) in Spokane, WA. Reporting to the Director, UWSoM MD/WWAMI Program Marketing Communications, the Communications Specialist will assist the UWGU HP communications team with initiatives including media relations, social media, and events, and will support other communications initiatives in the WWAMI region as needed. The Communication Specialist will have solid writing, media relations, web and digital communications skills. The professional will possess a can-do, problem-solving attitude and be adept at multi-tasking. Professional communications skills will be paramount as this person will work closely with a variety of individuals: deans, physicians, faculty, medical students, and SMC departmental teams. This role is key to elevating the visibility and reputation of the UWSoM MD program in Spokane and throughout WWAMI. Maintaining a strong reputation also serves to elevate UWSoM’s Research and Graduate Education programs. **DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES** Content creation and dissemination of news (60%) + Creates effective communications about UWSoM/WWAMI for a variety mediums in a variety of channels and regional markets. + Researches, writes, gathers, organizes, and edits content. + Develops relationships with reporters and editors, identifies opportunities for stories, pitches media. + Drafts digital media posts. + Writes and publishes web content. + Coordinates and supports earned media outreach and disseminates pitches for Spokane and eastern Washington. + Pays attention to other aspects of UWSoM, such as graduate medical education and research, and uses that information to inform additional stories for media placement. + Monitors stories and conversations; prepares reports.Relationship management (10%) + Develops and maintains relationships with deans, students, staff and partners. + Shares regular updates and metrics reports with stakeholders. + Works with members of a cross-functional communications team to help execute the communications priorities and strategy of UWSoM and the UW-GU Health Partnership. + Works with the digital media specialist to ensure news is disseminated through social media channels.Content strategy (15%) + Contributes to content strategy to meet specific business objectives for UWSoM in Spokane. + Understands the media climate in Spokane and applies that knowledge to content strategy and creation. + Prioritizes stakeholder requests for updates and changes. + Follows UW Medicine brand and editorial style guidelines.Event Planning and Execution (15%) + Assist with all aspects of the UW-GU Health Partnership’s Next Generation Medicine lecture series. + Assist with sponsorship booths and other events as needed. **MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS** + Bachelor of Arts degree in communications, marketing, journalism or related field and a minimum of two (2) years related professional communications experience. _Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration._ **ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS** + Professional demeanor. Strong time management and organizational skills while on tight deadlines and working on multiple projects simultaneously. + Excellent listening, verbal, and written communication skills. + Adept at generating ideas and solving problems. + Excellent client service skills. + Detail oriented with a strong ability to understand and communicate complicated concepts simply and clearly. + Self-starter who can work independently and with a team. **DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS** + Background in healthcare, medical education, or higher education. + Public relations and/or brand marketing experience. + Experience with digital media. + Experience with WordPress. + Basic knowledge of HTML coding. + Experience with analytics software such as Google Analytics. + Photography and video skills are highly desirable. **Application Process:** The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed. University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.