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Employment Type: Permanent Staff (EHRA NF)

Vacancy ID: NF0009118

Salary Range: $80,000 - $90,000

Position Summary/Description:

The North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s communications specialist/senior managing editor will be responsible for all facets of producing and disseminating health policy research information through the development and production of the North Carolina Medical Journal ( NCMJ ), a scholarly journal of health policy published by the North Carolina Institute of Medicine ( NCIOM ), and to provide research and general staff support. The position is the equivalent of a chief operating officer for a major journal (circulation of 150,000 electronic); annual budget, about $400,000), and requires substantial capacity to independently plan, manage and coordinate the timely production and distribution of four NCMJ issues annually. This includes working with in-house and freelance staff, the journal’s editor in chief, and the NCMJ editorial board to develop the editorial calendar, determine content, plan production timelines, oversee individual workflows (writing, editing, layout, printing, etc.), enforce deadlines, edit and copy edit all journal content, and proofread the final layout of each issue.

In addition, the communications specialist/senior managing editor will provide communications expertise for the organization as a whole. In this role, the communications specialist will help develop and implement a communications plan that integrates the work of the NCMJ and NCIOM . The communications specialist will serve as a communications advisor to all NCIOM projects. The communications specialist will also coordinate the NCIOM’s social media and maintain NCIOM and NCMJ websites (www.nciom.org, www.ncmedicaljournal.com), including coordinating content creation with NCIOM staff and website vendors.

The communications specialist/senior managing editor will also manage strategic planning for media outreach about NCIOM and NCMJ projects and publications, and will maintain records of media coverage, mentions, and other communications analytics.

The communications specialist/senior managing editor will work under the direction of Michelle Ries, MPH , President and CEO of the NCIOM and Co-Publisher of the NCMJ ; the Associate Director of the NCIOM ; and the Editor-in-Chief of the NCMJ . The communication specialist/senior managing editor will maintain good working relationships with policy makers, health care professionals, and the public, as well as with NCMJ stakeholders, including authors, advertisers, production partners, and funders. The selected candidate will be able to work as part of a close-knit interdisciplinary team and to represent the NCIOM and the NCMJ in a professional manner. The position is hybrid, with on-site work in Chapel Hill, other Triangle sites, and occasional additional travel around the state. Funding for the position relies heavily on a three-year grant, with grant renewal expected in January 2026.

Education and Experience:

Preferred candidates will have at least 5 years total relevant experience with scientific publishing, manuscript editing, journal production, social media tools, and/or web site design and maintenance. Preferred candidate will have experience in state health policy, public policy, or public health, and will be proficient in InDesign, Canva, and website management tools, including HTML editing.

Preferred Education: Completion of a Master’s degree in journalism, communications, public health, social behavioral sciences, or related degree. However, a person with substantial experience as a managing editor or in an equivalent position whose training is equivalent to Master’s preparation would be considered.

Essential Skills:

The candidate must be organized, detail-oriented, able to work independently, and able to create, manage, and adhere to deadlines. Candidate must be skilled and experienced in developing and delivering written and verbal communications for a variety of audiences, including academic audiences, legislators, readers, and health care professionals, as well as in developing overall strategic communications plans for specific projects and across the organization.

The candidate must have editorial experience. Candidates should also have a clear understanding of and experience in journal production. The candidate must be proficient in citation and reference management, MS Word, MS Excel, Adobe Acrobat Professional, WordPress, and must have competence in current web technologies, digital publishing tools, and social media tools.

Candidates must also understand and have experience with multiple media approaches in communication with the lay public, health care professionals, business leaders, and state policy makers. Strong administrative, leadership, project management, and writing/editing skills are required.

The candidate must demonstrate strong collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively work with colleagues across projects to achieve shared goals.

AA/EEO Statement:

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.