Senior Health Writer

Senior Health Writer

Posting Number
req26333

Department
Communications

Department Website Link
Communications

Location
Tucson Campus

Address
Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights
Under direction of the Director, News and Communications, the Senior Health Writer leads the University of Arizona's efforts to identify, compose and edit engaging stories and news releases about high-level university health and research initiatives. The Senior Health Writer will effectively and accurately translate complex information into understandable and appealing news for external media and internal audiences, while also developing relationships with key stakeholders within the university and among the greater scientific, health and wellness media communities.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities
Lead efforts to identify and curate the most impactful university health projects and write stories and news releases for the university's flagship communications channels.
Serve as a senior institutional representative with external media.
Generate story leads and media opportunities.
Oversee the development of narratives and framing for complex, sensitive, or high-visibility topics.
Conduct faculty interviews and produce compelling and accurate stories about newsworthy health research from peer-reviewed journals and similar sources. Pitch those stories to local, state, national, international news media, along with health-specific news organizations.
Identify university experts and researchers across a variety of disciplines and assist in developing key messaging for media opportunities. Establish relationships with these key research faculty and college leadership to deliver a consistent pipeline of story opportunities.
Keep track of publication timelines, embargoes, and editorial calendars.
Cultivate relationships with health reporters, editors and producers to anticipate coverage and place and pitch stories and university experts.
Engage with incoming media requests from journalists seeking university experts and facilitate those requests.
Create briefing sheets, talking points and assist with interview preparation.
Advise senior leadership on emerging opportunities related to key health-related initiatives.
Work with the wider University Marketing & Communications team and with campus partners to develop health stories, visual assets and cultivate expertise to generate interest in the university's research portfolio.
Provide coaching and direction to staff on advanced media practices.
Serve as a resource for campus partners seeking to amplify their research initiatives.
Lead media trainings and writing workshops.
Tailor news releases and feature stories into short-form content for the university's social media channels.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Demonstrated ability to translate complex health-related topics into compelling stories about the value and impact of the work for general audiences. Proven track record generating story leads.
Excellent grammar, writing, editing, AP style and research skills; project management skills; ability to handle multiple projects with short- and long-term deadlines; excellent communication skills; an ability to work with various constituencies and audiences.
This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through experience required
Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional science and/or health writing and editing experience.
Preferred Qualifications

A Master's degree in journalism, communications, English, science or related field and 10-plus years of professional news-writing and editing experience, preferably in an academic or researdh setting.
Experience writing in-depth stories relating to health research, clinical care, wellness initiatives or other related fields.
Established track record of news media placements that feature significant health discoveries.
Experience creating engaging short-form social media posts to effectively communicate complex ideas for lay audiences.

FLSA
Exempt

Full Time/Part Time
Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week
40

Job FTE
1.0

Work Calendar
Fiscal

Job Category
Communication and Marketing

Benefits Eligible
Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay
$65,687 - $85,393

Compensation Type
salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Grade
9

Compensation Guidance
The

Rate of Pay Field

represents the University of Arizona's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.

The

Grade Range

represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator.

Career Stream and Level
PC4

Job Family
Media Relations

Job Function
Communications & Marketing

Type of criminal background check required:
Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies
1

Target Hire Date
7/20/2026

Expected End Date

Contact Information for Candidates
Nick Prevenas,
nprevenas@arizona.edu

Open Date
6/22/2026

Open Until Filled
Yes

Documents Needed to Apply
Resume, Cover Letter, and One Additional Document

Special Instructions to Applicant
Please submit a writing sample of a health-related story written for a general audience, such as a news story or press release. Please do not submit academic journals or technical writing samples.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University's campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.
Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.