Req #: 234050

Department: INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH METRICS & EVALUATION (IHME)

Job Location Detail: Office is located in Seattle; position is eligible to work fully remote within the U.S. (excluding U.S. territories)

Posting Date: 05/08/2024

Closing Info: Closes On 05/22/2024

Salary: $7,500 - $9,167 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 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 is timely, newsworthy, and engaging to a broad range of stakeholders.

About the role IHME has an opening for an experienced Senior Media Relations Officer (Public Information Specialist (E S 9)) 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 Senior Media Relations Officer position is a pivotal role designed for a highly experienced and dynamic individual who is passionate about transforming public health data into compelling stories that resonate with global audiences. This role calls for a strategic thinker with an exceptional ability to manage relationships, craft and disseminate persuasive narratives, and amplify the institute's impact through innovative media strategies. The ideal candidate will bring a wealth of media relations expertise, a deep commitment to addressing critical health challenges, and the creativity to leverage IHME's research for maximum global influence. With a focus on driving media coverage, building journalist relationships, and producing engaging media content across various platforms, the Senior Media Relations Officer will play a crucial role in shaping public discourse on health policy and practice, requiring not only a profound understanding of the media landscape but also a dedication to IHME's mission of improving health worldwide through evidence-based research.

IHME is a grant funded organization where all positions are contingent upon grant funding. This position is currently funded through at least the end of December 2025.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Relationship management and outreach

• Strategically manage and expand IHME’s network of media contacts, key opinion leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders; 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.

• Present 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.

• Provide 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.

• Provide subject matter expertise and content for 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.

• Serve as a spokesperson for IHME.

• Manage relationships with external vendors.Supervision

• Supervise employees to include hiring and training, assigning work hours, managing workflow, priority setting, contributing to professional growth and performance development, and providing course-correcting guidance when necessary.

• Create and manage work plans for team members, hold regular check-ins to monitor work progress, answer questions, and troubleshoot as needed.

• Provide direction, coaching, and support, ensuring team members have the clarity and guidance needed to be accountable for their work.

• Ensure the team delivers to the highest standards of the organization.

• Ensure the team works effectively and collaboratively with other teams within GIG and groups throughout IHME; promote cross-organization teamwork.

• Assess and map project deliverables to resource needs.

• Identify and foster opportunities to advance individuals’ knowledge and abilities.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

• Exhibit command 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. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field, plus at least 5 years of experience in media relations or public relations, to include at least 2 years’ experience focused on the area of media 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. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Previous supervisory experience with hiring, developing employees, priority setting, setting quality standards, and performance coaching.

• Excellent communications skills, both written and oral.

• Solid grasp of analytics as a means to measure the impact of mainstream and social media/web content.

• Adept diplomacy and exemplary interpersonal skills required. Must be agile at forming respectful and rewarding relationships with people with different levels of experience and expertise from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and professional setting.

• Demonstrated experience taking technical and/or highly scientific research and making it relevant, clear, and concise for the public.

• Evidence of previous public speaking engagements before large and small audiences. Aptitude for public speaking.

• 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.

• Experience and 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 senior leadership, external partners, and the Institute’s third-party service providers.

• Previous experience in managing the work of freelancers and working with external vendors, successfully overseeing work timelines, meeting deadlines, resolving work-related issues efficiently, and ensuring all team members and partners have the necessary information and resources to achieve goals.

• 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 DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field.

• Experience as a print or broadcast journalist.

• Substantive 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. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• This position sits on a global team and works with a global network of stakeholders, and as such evening and weekend work may be required to fulfill job duties.

• Travel may be required up to 15% of the year, both domestic and international.

• Office is located in Seattle, Washington. This position is eligible to work fully remote from anywhere in the U.S., excluding U.S. territories; 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.

• This position is open to anyone authorized to work in the U.S.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 equal opportunity, affirmative action employer (https://hr.uw.edu/eoaa/) . To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (TTY) or dso@uw.edu. 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.