Media Relations Officer
Global Impact Group
Job posting information
Job type: Staff
Salary range: $6,667 - $7,793 per month
Location: Seattle, WA, Remote eligible within U.S.A.
Date posted: April 25, 2024
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 Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent research organization at the University of Washington. Its mission is to deliver to the world timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence to improve health policy and practice. IHME carries out its mission through a range of projects within different research areas including the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors; Future Health Scenarios; Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency; Resource Tracking; and Impact Evaluations.
IHME is committed to providing the evidence base necessary to help solve the world’s most important health problems. This requires creativity and innovation, which are cultivated by an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment that respects and appreciates differences, embraces collaboration, and invites the voices of all IHME team members.
About the team
The Global Impact Group (GIG) serves IHME’s vision of all people living long lives in full health through innovative communication and collaboration. GIG explains, amplifies, and delivers research findings of the most critical health challenges across a range of channels to reach its target audiences, working with scientists and decision-makers to strengthen the evidence base of research, allowing them to take informed action. Within GIG, the Media team promotes IHME’s research, faculty, staff, and its products using compelling multimedia content that’s timely, newsworthy, and engaging to a broad range of stakeholders.
About the role
IHME has an opening for an experienced Media Relations Officer on the Global Impact Group team. The primary purpose of this position will be to drive global media coverage of IHME’s work, build relationships with journalists, and create opportunities for data-driven storytelling as part of the Media team.
The Media Relations Officer will work in close collaboration with IHME leaders and researchers to expand stakeholders’ understanding of and trust in IHME’s research and data by increasing earned media globally and maximizing the production of owned media, including IHME’s podcast, newsletter, videos, and blogs. This requires strategic relationship cultivation with a wide range of journalists and media outlets covering local, national, and international topics to reach the informed public and varied audiences, including policymakers and other decision-making leaders and their staff in and out of government, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, health service organizations, and donors.
The Media Relations Officer is responsible for proactively identifying, creating, and disseminating information that forms the basis of high-quality stories that demonstrate the policy-relevance of IHME’s research and data in clear and compelling ways. In collaboration with an agile team, they must execute the tactics for media outreach and uptake and use analytics to measure and analyze the impact of that outreach and uptake.
This position is contingent on project funding availability, and is currently funded through at least the end of June 2026.
Relationship management and outreach
- Strategically manage and expand IHME’s network of media contacts, key opinion leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders with support and oversight from the Assistant Director, Media; proactively identify opportunities for new relationships, actively manage ongoing relationships, and strengthen relationships with journalists to disseminate IHME’s evidence-based research effectively and seek to impact global health policy.
- Coordinate with internal and external colleagues as necessary to field and obtain answers to inquiries and requests from journalists for findings and interviews with experts in IHME’s research network. Provide responses in a timely and professional way.
- Develop and maintain a calendar of media outreach, speaking and conference participation opportunities.
- Assist in compiling summaries of research, implications, and opportunities to multiple audiences, including media, local government, and donors, among others.
- Liaise with colleagues across teams to track and manage a schedule of research publications and participate in relevant meetings and discussions related to publications.
- Contribute as needed to media training to faculty and staff to help them prepare for on-camera and off-camera interviews with journalists, podcast interviews, respond to tough questions, and shape the narrative with key messages.
- Assist with IHME-led trainings for journalists on how to use Global Burden of Disease data and data visualizations.
- Communicate collaboratively and effectively with other members of GIG, as well as other faculty and staff, key communications staff at UW and UW’s School of Medicine, and other stakeholders to engage IHME’s growing research network in working with the media to explain research findings.
- Assist colleagues with providing information necessary for translation of media materials into multiple languages.
- Help manage relationships with external vendors.
- Serve as a spokesperson for IHME, if necessary.
Writing and analytics
- Research and write content for all outreach products including press releases, media advisories/alerts, media pitches, social media, messaging briefs, Q&As, fact sheets, infographics, podcasts, blog, newsletters and other online content, including messaging, graphics, and videos.
- Work with faculty and staff to transform complex research into compelling and policy-relevant messages that are comprehensible to targeted non-scientific audiences.
- In all avenues, communicate to diverse audiences in a language and manner that connects with their interests while explaining in clear terms IHME’s work and mission.
- Monitor, log, and measure earned media coverage, and create reports and slide shows for IHME’s Senior Management Team, Executive Committee, Board, Independent Advisory Committee, faculty, staff, funders, partners, donors, and collaborators.
- Contribute as needed to work on owned media platforms, including podcast and newsletter, to help amplify earned media coverage. Brainstorm topics, angles, guests, questions, and overarching messages for podcast and newsletter, and assist with podcast production if necessary.
Knowledge command
- Develop in-depth familiarity with media organizations and journalists around the world, including their political and cultural contexts.
- Regularly review the landscape of international media coverage on a range of population health, global development, and other health-related topics including business, economics, and technology to identify ways for IHME’s work to be woven into the global dialogue.
- Recognize, assess, and address risks and crisis situations that could potentially affect IHME’s reputation and brand.
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field plus at least three years of experience in media relations or public relations, or a combination of work in journalism and media relations interacting with internal and external stakeholders and influential partnerships. Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
- At least 1 year experience focused on media relations.
- Excellent communications skills, both written and oral.
- Ability to take technical and highly scientific research and make it relevant, clear, and concise for the public.
- Aptitude for public speaking before large and small audiences.
- Creative, strategic thinker with a solutions-oriented mindset.
- Strong work ethic and ability to manage multiple work streams and numerous stakeholders simultaneously, setting and shifting priorities as needed.
- Adaptable with a focus on accountability and results-oriented while able to meet ongoing deadlines.
- Professional maturity with an ability to work both independently and collaboratively to achieve objectives, displaying good judgment and strong decision-making skills.
- Outstanding organizational skills, attention to detail, commitment to accuracy and high-quality work.
- Ability to work effectively in a team-based structure with excellent interpersonal skills that foster productive relationships with colleagues at all levels of the organization including leadership, external partners, and the Institute’s third-party service providers.
- Experience in working with freelancers and external vendors.
- A commitment to working to alongside others at IHME to illuminate the health impacts of systemic racism and to work within IHME to make our organization more diverse and inclusive. See IHME’s DEI statement here https://www.healthdata.org/about/dei
- Experience as a print or broadcast journalist.
- Knowledge of public health research and policy, data science, and other related research fields.
- Prior experience transforming statistical information into compelling written and spoken content targeted at a general audience.
- Proficiency in more than one language to help build a global, multilingual team.
- Project management experience.
- This position sits on a global team and works with a global network of stakeholders; as such, evening and weekend work may be required to fulfill job duties.
- Travel may be required up to 10% of the year, both domestic and international.
- Office is located in Seattle, Washington. This position is eligible to work fully remote; work schedule required to overlap 50% of IHME Office hours between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
- Valid passport or the ability to obtain one is required.
Further Information: See IHME’s website: www.healthdata.org
Application information
To Apply: Please apply through the UW Hires Website and enter Requisition number.
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.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [email protected].
Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent research center at the University of Washington (UW). Its mission is to deliver to the world timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence to improve health policy and practice. IHME carries out its mission through a range of projects within different research areas including the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors; Future Health Scenarios; Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency; Resource Tracking; and Impact Evaluations. Our vision is to provide policymakers, donors, and researchers with the highest-quality quantitative evidence base so all people live long lives in full health.
IHME is committed to providing the evidence base necessary to help solve the world’s most important health problems. This requires creativity and innovation, which are cultivated by an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment that respects and appreciates differences, embraces collaboration, and invites the voices of all IHME team members.