Senior Communication Specialist - Dept of Internal Medicine - Chair's Office

Job Overview

What we do here changes the world
. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

The UTHealth Department of Internal Medicine is seeking a Senior Communications Specialist to support the Chair’s Office through strategic, department‑wide communications and operational coordination. This role is responsible for developing and managing key communication initiatives including a monthly departmental newsletter, website content and maintenance, and internal information resources, while collaborating closely with faculty and leadership across research, education, clinical, financial, and administrative missions.

The ideal candidate brings a strong communications background paired with hands‑on administrative experience and is comfortable contributing to both high‑impact messaging efforts and day‑to‑day administrative support within a dynamic academic medicine environment. This is an in‑office position (Mon‑Fri).

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full‑time employees
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
• Longevity Pay (monthly payments after two years of service)
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!

• Free financial and legal counseling
• Free mental health counseling services
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
• Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
• Resources for child and elder care
• Plus many more!

Conceives, develops and manages a broad range of high quality, high‑level communications for multiple audiences through writing and editing, communications strategy, and provides editorial counsel and communication strategy to faculty, leadership and staff.

• Responsible for overall project management as assigned.
• Conducts interviews with faculty, staff and other appropriate sources, such as donors, patients and executive leadership, sometimes concerning sensitive information.
• Generates ideas for communication strategies and develops related promotional plans, tactics and materials.
• Builds strong relationships and collaborates with key partners, news makers and news generators.
• Writes news stories, feature articles for publication.
• Writes and/or assists with scripts and/or speech writing as needed.
• May serve as editor and/or content manager of various communication vehicles: print brochures, internal communications, web publications and/or social media channels.
• May coordinate internal communications campaigns.
• May interact with corporate or community representatives as a representative of UTHealth.
• Serves as integral part of crisis communications for the university.
• Works in partnership with all teams in Public Affairs.
• Will post content when necessary to UTHealth websites, internal and external.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Superior written and verbal communication skills
• Proven feature writing, speech writing and news writing skills
• Knowledge of content management system skills preferred
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Outlook
• Strong knowledge of AP Style
• Photography and video skills preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Journalism, Communications or allied field.

• Five years of experience in public relations, communications, writing/editing or related field.

• Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

• This position is a security‑sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code 51.215 and Texas Government Code 411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code 117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position.
  
  Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R.

• Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.