Communications Specialist

Company Background:

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is the country’s largest patient organization focused exclusively on Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. Through comprehensive Advocacy, Care, Education, Research programs, and the largest global Duchenne patient registry, PPMD accelerates research, impacts local and federal policy, demands optimal care for all families, and strives to ensure access to approved therapies.

Position Summary:

The Communications Specialist drives end-to-end storytelling and develops a range of creative content to strengthen PPMD’s presence in the community and general public and distributes that content through our various marketing channels. Working closely with the VP, of Communications, the Specialist will help develop and implement multi-faceted initiatives to amplify the PPMD voice and ensure the success of our outreach initiatives. The specialist will fully utilize online, print, media, and other vehicles to foster education, engagement, and involvement for all members of the Duchenne community.

The Specialist regularly accesses confidential and sensitive information and interacts with a diverse group of individuals within PPMD and outside of the organization including media outlets, foundations, family members, healthcare professionals, industry partners, and volunteers. It is imperative that the Specialist maintain utmost discretion, confidentiality, and professionalism in the performance of the position’s duties.

Essential Duties:

The successful incumbent will be able to perform the following duties with or without reasonable accommodations:

Communications:

• As PPMD’s primary writer and storyteller, create and edit strategic content for print, digital (website, social, email), and media (press, op-eds, presentations) platforms while ensuring a consistent approach to PPMD’s identity system including our branding, personality, and key messaging.
• Update and evaluate strategic key messaging, talking points, materials, and presentations for use by PPMD staff across all events, including community and professional meetings and fundraising events to ensure cohesive event brand messaging strategy.
• Utilizing storytelling to construct clear narratives around community spotlights and program impact stories to engage, inform, and inspire audiences across all platforms.
• Prepare content and coordinate production of key impact reports, including PPMD’s Annual Report, white papers, and program newsletters.
• Work across PPMD’s multifaceted team to develop large and small communication projects, such as educational and support materials, information sheets, and fundraising collateral.
• Develop messaging points and scripts for relevant speeches and presentations and build presentation decks.
• Collaborate with program (Research, Care, Registry, Education) teams to digest key elements of scientific and medical news and information related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy and translate into comprehensive, exciting, and easily understood content and communications geared towards families and people living with Duchenne across the entire journey, from newly diagnosed well into adulthood.
• Support the production and coordination of community webinars.
• Develop scripts for all PPMD video content; help the VP of Communications edit videos for maximum impact.
• Support the VP of Communications in the management of PPMD’s website and related program microsites, social media, email communications (including monthly e-newsletter), and communications content calendar and planning.
• Participate as a valuable member of the Communications team in the development of digital communications content and basic formatting and design, such as social media and email graphics, videos, gifs, signage, and infographics.
• Perform other communications marketing duties as assigned, including but not limited to, posting task updates in project management software, following up with subject matter experts, populating online content in WordPress and email content in Pardot, recommending and deploying on-page SEO best practices inherent in content development, formatting meeting agendas, etc.
• Support internal communication materials and initiatives as requested.

Public Relations:

• Monitor coverage of news related to PPMD and the broader Duchenne community as to provide timely alerts to the team and communicate relevant updates to the community.
• Position our organization and staff as thought leaders across the field by leveraging earned media and PR opportunities including press releases, press conferences, op-eds, and other forms of media relations in grassroot event PR, marketing, and promotional efforts.
• Develop press releases on PPMD’s key achievements and distribute communications pieces to appropriate media outlets in support of PPMD’s national communications strategies and as requested, state and local PPMD affiliated groups.
• Facilitate local press opportunities for PPMD’s national advocacy and fundraising programs with family story pitches to local markets.
• Prepare responses to media inquiries and brief interviewees.
• Facilitate organizational interviews with media outlets including reviewing proposed questions to ensure the most appropriate members of the PPMD team participate in the interviews. The Specialist may be a co-participant in the interview to provide information that is more easily understood by those who are not medical or scientific experts in the field.
• Critically review the organization’s calendar of events and editorial calendar to develop a strategy for media blasts and other outreach efforts that would maximize impact.

Required Education, Experience, Skills, and Attributes:

• BA/BS
• Minimum 4 years experience in a communications-based position in non-profit, public relations, or related professional environment.
• Excellent writing/editing, attention to detail, and verbal skills (clarity, organization of thought, grammatical structure, effective word choice) as demonstrated through press releases, website/social media posts, and other communication pieces.
• Exceptional organizational skills, ability to work autonomously and organize workload to meet multiple priority deadlines.
• Accuracy in proofreading.
• Creative vision and strategic thinking to ensure content targets appropriate audiences and media outlets.
• Professional, collaborative, and collegial interpersonal skills to interact effectively with internal teams, medical/scientific professionals, media, funders, families, and volunteers.

Preferred Education, Experience. Skills and Attributes:

• Undergraduate degree in Communications and/or Marketing.
• Photography, video, or design skills (desirable).
• Familiarity with CMS (WordPress) and email marketing tools (Pardot).
• Capacity to work in tools like Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, or platforms like Canva, as well as video editing such as Final Cut Pro.
• Implement SEO best practices into all online content to improve search visibility.
• Prior experience in healthcare, biomedical/drug research, or rare disease field a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to use a computer keyboard for extended times, with breaks as needed;
• Ability to communicate orally over the phone and in person;
• Ability to lift up to 10 pounds.
• Ability to stand and bend frequently or for extended periods.

Additional:

• Work Schedule: Full-Time, 37.6 hrs./week
• Reports To: VP, Communication
• FLSA Status: Nonexempt
• Work Location: Remote
• Travel Requirements: Up to 25%, including domestic weekend travel to events as required

Work Authorization/Security Clearance Requirements:

Valid Authorization to Work in the United States.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement:

PPMD provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applications for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required for this job. Position details may change at any time without prior notice.

To Apply:

A cover letter and resume are required. Please submit a cover letter and resume to employment@parentprojectmd.org