Houston Methodist is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers. Houston Methodist consists of eight hospitals: Houston Methodist Hospital, its flagship academic hospital in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, and seven community hospitals throughout the greater Houston area. Houston Methodist also includes an academic institute, a comprehensive residency program, a global business division, numerous physician practices and several free-standing emergency rooms and outpatient facilities. Overall, Houston Methodist employs more than 27,000 employees and is supported by a wide variety of business functions that operate at the system level to help enable clinical departments to provide high quality patient care.
We are currently seeking to hire a Senior, Media Relations Specialist. In this role, you will be responsible for elevating public perception for the Houston Methodist brand by featuring leading research, innovation, and clinical excellence through earned media coverage for the assigned high-profile priority Centers of Excellence (COE). In addition, you will develop and execute proactive communications and media relations strategies by effectively cultivating and nurturing external media relationships while fully understanding their COE areas by collaborating with physician chairs and administrative leaders. You will also be responsible for stewarding impression and coverage results for their COE area of focus while managing national and international PR firms, media subscriptions and the PR intern program. The selected candidate will advise senior management on communications strategies.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Work with key HM experts in assigned beats to proactively develop messages and respond to reporter interviews
- Foster and maintain strong relationships with clients in assigned beats as well as key media contacts, and responsible for the promotion of those departments to the media
- Collaborate with physician and administrative leaders in assigned beats to identify research and clinical areas where earned media coverage cold help elevate HM’s reputation in these areas
- Proactively develop, write, and edit press releases, media alerts, and story pitches to effectively communicate key messages to journalists
- Actively participate in public and media relations strategies and tactics in assigned beats
- Collaborate with other communications representatives and marketing counterparts on key initiatives
- Develop and oversee proactive communications and local/national/international media relations for assigned areas
- Advise senior management and physician and administrative leadership on communications strategies
- Use media relations standards and strategies to contribute to HM’s positive reputation through news releases and media placements focused on assigned beats
- Independently ensure immediacy and accuracy of responses to after-hours media inquiries
- Develop clear, concise, and accurate communications and talking points
- Fact-checking content prior to leadership review
- Track and monitor the corporate PR budget, national and international PR firms, media subscriptions and the PR intern program
- Seek out innovative strategies to address primary beats in target local, state, national and international media
- Independently contribute to strategizing on all media relations beats
- Identify ways to support manager with proactive and reactive media needs
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or related field
- Six years of experience in Media/Public Relations
- Experience in Healthcare is preferred
- Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
- Exhibits leadership and authority in conversations
- Demonstrated good judgment and decision making and knows when to escalate issues
- Demonstrated conflict resolution skills
- Ability to positively influence management, physicians, and peers through excellent oral and written communications skills
- Ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and carry out job tasks in an organized manner
- Demonstrated initiative in managing projects and communication with stakeholders
- Demonstrated proficiency in writing, copyediting, and proofreading
- Strong Excel and presentation software skills
Equal employment opportunity is a sound and just concept to which Houston Methodist is firmly bound. Houston Methodist will not engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person employed or seeking employment with Houston Methodist on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law. VEVRAA Federal Contractor – priority referral Protected Veterans requested.