Communications Specialist

The Robert J. Margolis, MD, Center for Health Policy at Duke University (Duke-Margolis) seeks to address critical health policy challenges and improve health, health equity, and the value of health care through practical, innovative, and evidence-based policy solutions. The interdisciplinary nature of Duke-Margolis brings together policy experts, researchers, health care professionals, and students from across Duke’s schools of medicine, nursing, law, public policy, business, and engineering, and fosters extensive relationships with stakeholders both internal and external. These relationships span foundations, private sector organizations, state and federal governments, and global entities. The Center fosters excellence, leadership, and scholarship at every level.

The Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy is looking for a skilled communications strategist to join the Center’s Communications team to create content for the Center’s communications vehicles and to review, edit, and uphold the Center branding on its social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook). You will work with a team of nationally and internationally recognized researchers, educators, faculty, students, and health policy experts to create and edit compelling and accurate content for Duke-Margolis. Your primary duties will include following a content creation strategy, writing, editing, copyediting, and digital posting management, in collaboration with your colleagues, to produce and promote high-quality deliverables on deadline.

 

Duke-Margolis has offices in both Washington, DC and Durham, North Carolina. Candidates will be considered in either location. Some travel between offices is required. Employees are currently working in a hybrid capacity with a combination of teleworking locally to the area (DC/MD/VA or NC, respectively) and in-person team collaboration. To be considered, please include a cover letter with your application.

· Collaborate with teams across the Center to identify, research, report and write news articles, profiles, and features that convey the impact of the Duke-Margolis Center’s research and educational programs.

· Write original content as well as revise and copyedit other content for accuracy and quality, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax.

· Write website copy and social media posts, ensuring clarity and flow and structure of content—both written and visual.

· Manage content curation, synthesis, and distribution of the two Center newsletters, distributed to a total readership of ~8,000.

· Provide consultation to researchers and project teams in the development, review, design, and dissemination of publications, web interfaces, and social media promotion of project deliverables.

· Ability to manage multiple projects and consistently meet deadlines.

· Ensure that content—publications and social media postings--adheres to the Center’s style and branding guidelines; update guidelines as warranted.

· Ensure correct tone and voice of content written for publications and for social media

· Communicate and work with the Center’s production team to ensure that content is designed (when needed) and published by set deadlines.

· Coordinate/facilitate publication design with graphic designer team.

· Monitor external media coverage of Center news and people and promote media stories through the Center’s website and internal newsletter.

· Develop content and provide regular updates for the Center’s main and project-focused websites, working with Center-wide teams to ensure the content is current and adheres to Center and project/funder guidelines

· Collaborate with teams across the Center in developing and executing social media campaigns for Center activities; events; publications; career opportunities; new resources; and faculty, researcher and student appointments and achievements.

Perform other related duties incidental to the work herein described.

· A Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, English or a related discipline is required. 

· One year of related experience in advertising, marketing, media, promotions or public relations.

· Outstanding writing, editing and storytelling skills.

· Demonstrated ability to write/edit compelling content for a variety of platforms.

· Proven track record of producing strong, accurate content on deadline; ability to manage multiple projects with different deadlines essential.

· Excels at translating complex information into highly engaging, accessible content; strong news judgement and instincts for a good story absolutely critical.

· Strong project management and organizational skills.

· Ability to form and maintain strong relationships with colleagues across campus and from Durham to DC.

· Ability to work in a collaborative, detailed-oriented environment under tight deadlines, and with colleagues internal and external to the team.

· Proficient in managing multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of autonomy.

· Ability to travel approximately 10-20% depending on candidate’s location.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

To be considered for this position, applicants must submit materials online. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. As part of Duke University’s COVID-19 policies and procedures, all faculty and staff are required to have a COVID-19 vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment.

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.