Senior Media Relations Officer

The Senior Public Information Officer/Writer serves to inform key audiences, including external and internal audiences, about the science and research news of the UCLA Health Sciences and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. This position works with UCLA Health faculty and staff to identify newsworthy scientific story ideas and vet research developments across the basic and translational science fields – with an emphasis on cardiology, pulmonology, OB/GYN, and emergency medicine – to prioritize and create promotional strategies using press releases, research alerts, editorials, essays, blog posts and other forms of content for external audiences and the general public. Responsibilities include staying abreast of the research landscape at DGSOM/UCLA Health, building connections with researchers, developing story ideas about neuroscience and basic science at UCLA Health Sciences, researching existing and emerging scientific literature and trends to identify newsworthy angles, and writing compelling content to bring those topics to life in an engaging manner.

The Senior Public Information Officer/Writer must have a strong understanding of science and its impact and be able to translate complex scientific studies into lay-friendly language. They must be able to engage researchers and clinicians, conduct interviews and follow-up as necessary, and maintain relationships to create and build trust and credibility as a foundational aspect of supportive promotion. They must also understand how to engage the general public, identifying the elements most likely to resonate with a broad audience while also effectively communicating scientific advances and relevance. Strong organizational skills and the ability to self-manage to execute multiple projects on deadline are a must.

This position will work closely with a team of media specialists to identify and develop strategies for projects, initiatives, and research developments to increase awareness among the public and news media. Position must have a consistent attention to detail, be enthusiastic about explaining science and have demonstrated experience in doing so.