Health Communication Specialist

Position Highlights

Position Title: Health Communication Specialist – Division of Community-based Prevention and Care

Location: Remote

Position End Date: 6/30/2027

Salary: $60,000 plus benefits

Overview

The CDC Foundation is seeking a Health Communications Specialist to provide strategic communications support across multiple programs within the Division of Community-Based Prevention and Care, including oral health, asthma, community health workers, cancer, and community-health alignment.

• Promoting community-clinical linkages to prevent and manage asthma, cancer, and oral health
• Engaging and advancing the community health worker workforce, and promoting community health alignment by working closely with community health centers
• Implementing change practices within health systems to address health inequities
• Collecting and disseminating surveillance data on a wide variety of content areas described above

This position will regularly interact with program and evaluation staff to meet the communications needs of the Division. Under the direction of the Division Director and with guidance from the Bureau’s Health communications director, the Health Communications Specialist is responsible for creating and implementing a communications plan that supports and promotes the work in topic areas designated by the Division Director. The Health Communications Specialist identifies key messages, channels for communicating key messages (traditional and emerging), and identifies or develops content appropriate for those channels, ensuring cultural relevance and suitable literacy levels. 

The Health Communications Specialist will also provide a structural analysis of systemic and historical racism and the resulting health inequities and apply this lens to their work, tailoring communications plans and activities to this analysis.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in health communications, public health, or a related field. 
• 2-4 years professional, related experience. 
• Knowledge of behavior change messaging, marketing, and other communications principals and experience in applying these principles to previous work.
• General understanding of and commitment to health equity, including racial equity, and addressing the social determinants of health. 
• Experience developing communications materials and awareness campaign(s), including formatting and creating visually appealing communications materials.
• Ability to work independently and take direction as part of a team.
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills/communication skills and experience working in collaborative team environments.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, implement, and evaluate communications message strategies that meet public health mission and goals.
• Provide marketing and communications expertise in the development and implementation of printed and online publications, websites, presentations, and collateral materials including via traditional and emerging health communications modalities. 
• Work with program teams to develop effective and cost-efficient opportunities for message planning, research, message development, and message delivery. 
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with partners, contractors, and stakeholders.
• Develop content for posting on various digital media outlets, including ensuring consistency across communication channels and working within state requirements and guidelines. This may require work with partners or contractors. 
• Ensure communication activities are based on accepted principles, methods, and best practices. 
• Attend internal and external meetings as requested. 
• Complete assigned deliverables, including required reports, within established time frames. 
• Manage project work, as needed, including quality assurance and deliverable compliance.
   

Special Notes

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and  MDPH in order to best support the State of Massachusetts in their public health programming.

This position is currently a remote position. CDC Foundation retains the right to make adjustments to this as required. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law. We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.

The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.

Relocation expenses are not included.

About the CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners to support the public health system, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in preventing and responding to threats to health. In this role, we are focused on one priority: building catalytic, flexible and impactful partnerships—with corporations, philanthropies, individuals and organizations—to help improve the health and lives of people in all communities, everywhere. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.