Responsibilities

• Organize, coordinate, and track the Department’s disparate outreach activities.

• Engage communities to cultivate relationships, build power, and advance shared priorities.

• Curate and promote opportunities for RIDOH involvement in external, community facing events.

• Build and maintain healthy relationships with strategic partners and community-based organizations to advance the goals of the Rhode Island Department of Health

• Collaborate with Department programs to ensure alignment of engagement initiatives with organizational goals and objectives.

• Attending meetings and events to represent the organization and connect with community members.

• Coordinate with Department programs and initiatives (e.g. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) working group) to organize and manage the purchase of sponsorship and promotional materials for external outreach events.

• Collaborate with the various community engagement working groups in the Department to align their work.

• In partnership with the Department’s Center for Public Health Communication, develop and/or review content of promotional materials related to community events.

• Collaborate with programs and Center for Public Health Communication staff to create content (writing/editing) and visual assets (producing videos and photographic content) for dissemination on social media and other channels to showcase RIDOH’s community-based work.

• In partnership with the Department’s Center for Public Health Communication, manage the development, production, coordination, and dissemination of the Department’s monthly community newsletter. This includes working with Department leadership and communications staff to curate and develop content each month, developing a community spotlight featuring a community member working on a public health issue, and attending community events to gather photos and videos for the newsletter.

• Contribute to the Department’s social media contents and with program staff and the Social Media Manager on responses to public comments.

• Ensure that messages and materials adhere to agency communications policies and standards for branding, graphics, style, Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS), and accessibility.

• Develop and execute community outreach strategies to build strong relationships and promote the Department’s initiatives.

• Perform other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent writing and editing skills

• Possession of strong attention to detail

• Strong organizational/project management skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships across different levels of an organization

• Comfort and skill in public speaking

• Understanding of concepts of health equity

• Experience creating visual assets for communications materials

• Ability to evaluate the health beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of specific audiences, including their needs for information about the Department's programs and objectives

• Strong verbal communication skills

• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques of public health

• Experience writing and developing communications materials tailored to specific and non-technical audiences

• Ability to work independently to manage multiple projects and deadlines, with attention to detail

• Initiative to launch, complete, and report out on long-term projects and to independently take projects from concept to completion

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with superiors, associates, public groups, private and public agencies, and community partners and members from diverse backgrounds

• Proficiency using Microsoft Office products and email management software

• Ability to think creatively and develop innovative strategies for community engagement

• Strong knowledge of digital marketing and social media platforms

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in English, communications, public relations, journalism, public health, or related field.

• Minimum of 5 years employment in a responsible position in public health, journalism, media relations, communications/marketing, or a related field. Or, any combination of education and experience that shall be substantially equivalent to the above education and experience.

Other

• Will include some non-standard work hours on evening or weekends on occasion.

• Being multi-lingual is not required but would be beneficial.

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Communications Specialist