Senior Public Affairs Officer

TFAH Job Posting

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), a leading public health policy, research, and advocacy organization, seeks a talented, experienced, and highly motivated Senior Public Affairs Officer with strong writing, digital communications, and media relations skills.  This position will work with the Director of Strategic Communications and Policy Research to raise the profile of TFAH and its leadership, by ensuring TFAH’s goals and accomplishments are communicated efficiently and effectively to the media and other key stakeholders. 

TFAH is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.  Some focus areas at TFAH include public health funding, public health preparedness, obesity, health equity, substance misuse and suicide, and population health.  More information may be found at www.tfah.org.

Core Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Communications and Policy Research, core responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Media Relations

• In collaboration with the Director of Strategic Communications and Policy Research, develops and executes media relations strategy and other outreach activities to raise awareness of TFAH, promote its expertise, and its products.
• Monitors media coverage, triages and assists with providing timely responses to media inquiries and supports proactive media outreach to gain earned media coverage of TFAH reports, policy briefs, initiatives, events, and other activities.
• Collaborates on and develops press releases, media advisories, press statements, talking points, Q/As, news response, and other media products.
• Identifies media for targeted outreach (with an emphasis on Black media, Hispanic/Latino media, Native American media, and Asian American media) and pitches TFAH expertise, initiatives, and products.
• Helps prepare TFAH spokespeople for media interviews. Develops internal talking points, message maps and internal Q/As.

Digital Communications and Content Development

• Writes website content, social media content and opinion-editorials to proactively amplify TFAH’s mission, reports, and policy recommendations.
• Manages a leadership blog, including researching, writing, and clearing short monthly features published on the website and promoted on social channels.
• Works with TFAH’s Social Strategy and Web Publishing Manager to ensure that org content is frequently updated, aligns with current events to highlight TFAH expertise, and supports a strong user experience.

Leadership Speaking Engagements/Events

• Fields and responds to speaking requests for TFAH Leadership.
• Prepares speeches, presentations, talking points and briefing memos in partnership with internal subject matter experts and staff leads on TFAH’s mission, data, policy recommendations and reports.

Communications Network

• Establishes and maintains a network of contacts with partner and stakeholder organizations, building partnerships to advance communications and policy goals within assigned portfolio.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• 8-10 years of experience in communications, public affairs, and/or media relations.
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, public health, public policy, or related field.
• Outstanding writing skills and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to accurately interpret and synthesize research findings and public health issues into accessible language for a variety of channels and audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals at all levels and from various backgrounds.
• Demonstrated experience, results, and relationships with broadcast, radio, print and digital journalists.
• Experience with multichannel media approaches, media pitching, and media monitoring.
• Experience crafting issue and news response documents and statements.
• Working knowledge of public health issues.
• Working understanding of website content management systems and user-experience strategies.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, and deadlines at once.
• Strong organizational skills, the ability to think logically, and pay close attention to details.
• Ability to work both independently and with a team with confidence and reliability.
• Ability to work well under time constraints, willingness to take initiative and assume responsibility where and when needed, flexibility to change approach as deemed appropriate.
• Commitment to a bipartisan approach and the gravitas and maturity to engage with diverse audiences and perspectives; a proven ability to build strong professional relationships and connect diverse audiences to TFAH’s work.

This position is based in Washington, DC and currently requires in-office presence at least two days per week. TFAH requires its employees to be up to date with the recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In accordance with applicable law, TFAH will consider potential reasonable accommodations to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for a bona fide medical reason or because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

To Apply

Applicants should submit a cover letter and résumé to jobs@tfah.org with “Senior Public Affairs Officer” in the subject line. Please, no calls or faxes.

Trust for America’s Health is an equal opportunity employer. TFAH does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.