Lead Writer and Public Relations Specialist

Do you love writing and working with the New Mexico media? If so, Project ECHO has an open position that would be a good fit for you!

• Lead writer for all external communications, including but not limited to our stories, Impact Report and news releases.
• New Mexico media manager, proactive pitching and relationship development with local news outlets; responds in a timely manner to all media inquiries; prepares media spokespeople and provides media training; monitors, tracks and reports out on local, national and international media publications.
• Project manager for our annual Impact Report, coordinating all aspects of the report, including concept pitches and approvals, writing, photos, videos, testimonials, data, etc.; oversees design and development; evaluating analytics; and reporting/data-based decision making.
• Serves as a beat reporter for New Mexico, finding and writing stories about our local ECHO programs and their impact as well as profiles of its leaders.
• Website Management - Responsible for creating and updating content within our projectecho.unm.edu CMS. Adheres to best practices for accessibility and SEO.
• Dissemination of Authored Content – Creates content to support dissemination of authored content on social media, newsletters, emails, etc.
• Photography – proactively seeks opportunities to take photos to accompany written content as well as develop a database of photos for team usage. Responsible for maintaining our photography database in a user-friendly way to track important captioning information.
• Videography – Project managers: develops and coordinates video projects on an as-needed basis, with support from videographer/video editor.
• General communications support – responds to urgent and strategic needs within the Communications team as business needs shift.
• Serves as a liaison with The University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center and the broader UNM community.

This role requires strong interpersonal skills and extraordinary competency in digital content production. This position requires flexibility and excellent prioritization skills; one who performs well with minimal supervision with the ability to thrive and problem solve in a fast-paced working environment with competing deadlines. A successful candidate will be a relationship and community builder who is passionate about the organization’s mission and values.

Project ECHO is unique and innovative center based within a vibrant academic community at The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. To learn more about Project ECHO, visit our website.

Project ECHO is funded in part by philanthropic grants and gifts.

Project ECHO prides itself on being a values-based organization and inclusive place to work. Our seven values include: Service to the Underserved, Democratization of Knowledge, Mutual Trust and Respect, Teamwork, Excellence and Accountability, Innovation and Learning and Joy of Work. We strive to find individuals who can embrace and exemplify these values. In addition, Project ECHO was named one of Albuquerque’s Top Three Best Places to Work in 2023. This award recognizes organizations of all sizes with exceptional climates, team atmospheres, benefits, and employee engagement. For more information and a brief overview of benefits available, visit our Careers page.

See the Position Description for additional information.

High school diploma or GED; at least 7 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

Only applications submitted through the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job advertisement on a 3rd party site, please visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.