Senior Publicist

The Senior Publicist handles a portfolio of projects designed to raise Hadassah’s profile in the US. The greatest of these responsibilities is undertaking the time-intensive job of identifying and pursuing opportunities for US media coverage of HMO and  HWZOA. The Senior Publicist is also responsible for supporting the media and public relations needs of Hadassah’s chapters and regions, developing content for Thrive Global and other content creation platforms and identifying and pursuing opportunities for op-eds bylined by Hadassah leadership and program directors.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Media Relations:
  1. Assist the Director, Media & Public Relations, to develop media and public relations strategies
  2. Identify potential news stories by keeping abreast of HWZOA’s activities, programs and initiatives and HMO’s innovations, treatments and research; craft compelling pitches that leverage those opportunities; identify the print, online and broadcast journalists and outlets most likely to be interested in the stories; and pitch and follow up with reporters, editors and producers
  3. Seek out opportunities for expert commentary in US news stories by HWZOA leadership and HMO physicians and other healthcare professionals
  4. Work collaboratively with leadership, colleagues in other divisions, Hadassah’s Israel Director of Public Relations and HMO physicians and other healthcare professionals
  5. Identify target journalists, including those who cover issues of concern to the Jewish community such as Zionism and antisemitism and those who cover medical treatments, medical research and related topics
  6. Develop media materials, including news releases, media alerts, backgrounders, fact sheets and FAQs and biographies
  7. Service (respond to and follow up on) media inquiries received directly or through the Hadassah website or the Public Relations E-Mailbox
  8. Collaborate with the Communications Manager to regularly review and update the Cision media lists of journalists and media outlets
• Chapter and Region Support:  Advise Hadassah’s chapter and region leaders, volunteers and staff as needed by providing periodic media relations training using materials already developed for this purpose; counseling chapters and regions as requested; and, for select initiatives, assisting with the development and execution of media strategies in their local and/or regional areas
• Content Creation:  Manage all content creation, including identifying and cultivating Hadassah members, volunteer leaders and professional staff interested in writing  for the Thrive Global platform, the Times of Israel blog and other outlets and platforms; brainstorming with potential authors about topics; guiding, encouraging  and editing the work of authors; and identifying new platforms
• Op-Eds:  Under the supervision of the Director, identify freelance writers and Hadassah authors as appropriate; shepherd the development and writing of op-eds by working with leadership, senior staff, volunteers and other authors; collaborate with colleagues in other divisions and in Marketing & Communications; identify, pitch and follow up with target media outlets; and keep everyone involved apprised of progress and results
• Director Support:  Assist the Director, Media & Public Relations, to develop annual and project-specific media relations and public relations plans, budgets and reports as needed

Education or Experience

• 5-7 years of progressively senior experience in Media Relations, Public Relations and/or Publicity
• BA or MA in English, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Communications, Marketing or Nonprofit Management
• Experience managing media appearances and interviews

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• A background in mission-driven work, particularly on behalf of healthcare and/or Jewish organizations
• Familiarity with MS Office and with Cision, Basecamp and Salesforce (or similar)
• A track record of securing significant coverage by major news outlets in both the secular and Jewish media
• Strong storytelling skills and the ability to craft compelling pitches