Writer and Media Relations Manager

at  Samaritans Inc

ABOUT THE POSITION

Samaritans is seeking an empathetic communications professional who is passionate about suicide prevention to serve as the Writer and Media Relations Manager on our marketing and communications team. This position will spread awareness of Samaritans by writing engaging content for Samaritans platforms, managing day-t0-day media inquiries, and collaborating with public relations consultants to pitch stories about Samaritans to the media. This person will work closely with Samaritans staff, volunteers, and suicide loss survivors to tell their stories respectfully, showing people that they are not alone in their pain, their grief, or their mental health struggles. This role plays an essential part in increasing visibility for Samaritans throughout Massachusetts and beyond, breaking the stigma associated with mental health issues, and connecting with communities at higher risk for suicide.
This is a full-time, hybrid position of 40 hours per week, working at least two days per week from our office in downtown Boston. Occasional evening and weekend event attendance required.

REQUIREMENTS

• Passion for the mission of Samaritans and ability to stay current on framing conversations surrounding suicide and mental health
• A commitment to racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, with an approach that values the individual and respects differences
• Three to five years of professional writing experience, including interviewing and writing about others’ sensitive experiences
• Experience in public relations, including coordinating interviews and pitching and placing stories
• Ability to stay current on statewide and national media coverage related to suicide and mental health. Ability to learn and uphold best practices for talking about suicide in the media in responsible, sensitive ways
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Knack for storytelling, evoking shared values, and moving people to action through writing
• Knowledge of best practices for media training
• Experience managing vendor relationships required
• Experience and knowledge of best practices in crisis communications preferred but not required
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently
• Proven ability to balance multiple projects, adapt quickly to changing priorities, and meet deadlines
• Experience with content management systems (WordPress) and email marketing systems (Pardot) preferred but not required
• Experience with Salesforce preferred but not required
• A self-starter and highly motivated, possessing the ability to be proactive
• Strong relationship skills and attention to detail