Communications Specialist, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance - Hybrid in Nashville TN

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.

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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

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.