Communications Specialist, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance - Hybrid in Nashvill at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, Tennessee, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

04 Jul, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

06 Apr, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Communications strategy, Community engagement, Writing, Editing, Proofreading, Social media management, Digital marketing, Content management systems, Graphic design, Project management, Public relations, Health literacy, AP style, Data analytics, Multimedia production, Healthcare terminology

Industry

Hospitals and Health Care

Description

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research. Organization: MVA Community Engagement/Educa Job Summary: The Communications Specialist plays a mission-critical role in developing and executing high-impact communication strategies that enhance the visibility, engagement, and impact of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) Team. This role will serve both organizations in a shared capacity, supporting their communications and trust-building community engagement efforts. The communications specialist will plan, write, and develop communications materials to inform and engage various audiences, including community members, healthcare professionals, researchers, and institutional partners. They will work closely with leadership, and communications teams to ensure that messaging aligns with the goals of stakeholders. This role requires a resourceful communicator with a strong, community‑engaged approach who can adapt strategies to meet the needs of various populations, organizations, and individuals. The ideal candidate has proven experience in community engagement and excels at translating complex health and academic information into clear, compelling communications across multiple platforms. Experience in healthcare and/or academic environments is preferred, with a strong preference for a master’s degree. Graphic design skills are highly desirable, as the Communications Specialist will help shape the organization’s visual identity and creative work. . Preferred Skills & Experience: Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with experience in crafting compelling narratives and health education content. Experience in social media management, digital marketing, and website content management (WordPress or similar CMS). Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or other design tools. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with various audiences. Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines and work independently. 2+ years of experience in communications, marketing, or public relations, preferably with an emphasis in community engagement in healthcare, nonprofit, or academic settings. Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with experience in crafting compelling narratives and health education content. Experience in social media management, digital marketing, and website content management (WordPress or similar CMS). Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or other design tools. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with various audiences. Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines and work independently. Master’s in Public Health, Communications or related fields (or 5+ years of experience in related fields) Familiarity with AP Style and healthcare terminology. Experience using analytics tools (Google Analytics, social media insights) to measure communication impact. Background in public health, various health issues impacting a wide audience, or health literacy communication strategies. Ability to read, write and speak in languages in addition to English, preferably languages predominantly used in the service area. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Develop and implement high-impact strategic communication plans that align with the objectives of both MVA and VICC COE respectively. Work collaboratively with the MVA, VICC COE teams and VICC communications team to communicate critical key initiatives, research updates, and partnership opportunities. Translating complex health information into plain language health education materials for community distribution, ensuring accessibility and clarity. Write, edit, and design print and digital content, including newsletters, press releases, reports, website updates, blog posts, and social media content. Maintain brand consistency across all communications, ensuring alignment with institutional guidelines. Oversee the production of multimedia content, including videos, infographics, and photography for storytelling and promotional purposes. Develop social media educational content for MVA and VICC COE across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Provide vital support in developing communication toolkits and training materials for staff and community partners. Assist in coordinating newsletters, email campaigns, and other communications materials as needed. Support timely and effective public relations efforts, including media outreach and press coordination. Assist in planning, promoting, and covering events, webinars, and educational sessions for both organizations. Fulfill additional duties as assigned, contributing to the broader objectives of both the MVA and the VICC. Report regularly to leadership; ensuring clear communication of status updates, programmatic activities, and outcomes, including barriers to implementation. Serves as communications liaison and responsible for raising awareness of programs and initiatives to internal and external audiences. Writes and edits content and special topics for medical center publications. May coordinate the development, implementation and maintenance of print and online content. The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned. Works with department leadership to develop a marketing and/or communications strategy. TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES Documentation & Writing Skills (Intermediate): Ability to develop content that is engaging, well-structured, and aligned with institutional messaging. Customer Service (Intermediate): Engages with both internal and external stakeholders professionally and effectively. Networking (Novice-Intermediate): Builds relationships with media contacts, community partners, and institutional stakeholders. Communication (Intermediate): Ability to communicate clearly and effectively across various platforms, tailoring messages for different audiences. Documentation & Writing Skills (Intermediate): Demonstrates mastery of patient relations documentation in practical applications of a difficult nature. Possesses sufficient knowledge, training, and experience to be capable of successfully delivering documentation services without requiring support and instruction from others. Able to train and educate by setting the example, giving technical instruction, providing leadership, and generally raising the level of performance of others while on the job. Customer Service (Intermediate): Keeps management informed on all aspects of one or more projects. Takes personal responsibility to ensure external and internal customer satisfaction is met despite pressures and/or significant obstacles. Discusses options with customer for alternative ways to meet expectations cost-effectively and efficiently. Commands respect and confidence from customers, and identifies, influences and creates business opportunities. Negotiates with customers for changes in service levels, understanding the business rationale for those changes. Deals with unexpected customer demands smoothly and without conflict. Networking (Novice): Build relationships through industry contacts, professional organizations and individuals. Communication (Novice): Clearly, effectively and respectfully communicates to employees or customers. Our professional administrative functions include critical supporting roles in information technology and informatics, finance, administration, legal and community affairs, human resources, communications and marketing, development, facilities, and many more. At our growing health system, we support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt Health for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose. Core Accountabilities: Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members. Core Capabilities : Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements. Position Qualifications: Responsibilities: Certifications: Work Experience: Relevant Work Experience Experience Level: 2 years Education: Bachelor's Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled. PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO. Our vision: The world leader in advancing personalized health. Our mission: personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities. Making Health Care Personal. We’re looking for like-minded individuals driven to make a difference. We invite you to explore careers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At VUMC, we place a priority on designing with and for our patients and families. We value collaboration, embrace continuous learning and discovery, and seek to be a place where everyone has the chance to thrive. We’re the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee, with a growing team and expanding footprint in towns and communities across the region. We employ more than 28,000 people who work in inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research, and graduate medical education as well as critical supporting roles in administration, information technology and informatics, finance, legal and community affairs, communications and marketing, fund-raising, groundskeeping and facilities, and many more. Our growing health system has more than 1,700 licensed hospital beds at: Vanderbilt University Hospital Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital It’s also home to hundreds of outpatient clinic and surgical locations throughout the region. We serve our community with many unique and specialized services including the Level 1 Trauma Center, a highly experienced Transplant Center that does the most heart transplants in the world, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Lung Institute, Burn Center and many more. World-leading academic departments and centers make scientific discoveries, advance clinical care and train the next generation of health care professionals. Our robust research enterprise consistently ranks among the highest in the country as measured by peer-reviewed grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. We’re honored to be consistently considered among the nation’s best hospitals, including being nationally ranked in multiple medical specialties for treating the most complex conditions in adults and children by US News and World Report. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt ranked as the No. 1 children’s hospital in the southeast in 2024. We support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at VUMC for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose. Join us in Making Health Care Personal.

Responsibilities

The Communications Specialist develops and executes strategic communication plans to enhance the visibility and impact of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. They are responsible for translating complex health information into accessible materials and managing content across various digital and print platforms.