What are the responsibilities and job description for the Public Relations and Communications Specialist position at ECRI?
Description
WHY CHOOSE ECRI?
Benefits
ECRI is an inspiring place to work. We share a common mission to help healthcare organizations make smart, compassionate, and ethical decisions for patients. Consider these additional benefits of joining the ECRI team:
At ECRI, our passion for safe, effective, and efficient care is ingrained into the fabric of who we are and why we are here. For more than 50 years, the people of ECRI have been unyielding in their work to protect patients from unsafe and ineffective medical technologies and practices. Now, with the acquisition of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), we have created one of the largest healthcare quality and safety entities in the world.
As a non-profit, independent organization, we utilize an unbiased, evidence-based approach to develop guidance, and maintain our principles of integrity and transparent work. Our ethical standards have led us to adopt the industry's strictest conflict-of-interest policies, and they are why tens of thousands of healthcare leaders worldwide rely on ECRI to guide their clinical, operational, and strategic decisions across all sites of care.
The Most Trusted Voice in Healthcare
ECRI Is Proud To Serve The Healthcare Industry, From Providers And Insurers To Government Agencies, And Medical Associations. Our Areas Of Focus Include
At ECRI, our passion for the truth drives us to go further and dig deeper in our pursuit to advance effective, evidence-based healthcare globally.
The success of our organization relies on the kind of creative thinking that can only result from a diverse team of individuals. ECRI is proud to be an employer of choice with an inclusive environment for all employees. As part of this goal and in compliance with various laws and regulations, ECRI provides reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees.
It's what makes ECRI unique, and why we are the most trusted voice in healthcare.
Position Summary
The Public Relations & Communications Specialist will support the Director of Strategic Communications & Operations in elevating the voice, visibility and brand awareness of ECRI in the healthcare industry. This position is responsible for developing and executing communications that elevate ECRI’s thought leadership and build trust with key stakeholders, including media, healthcare professionals and policymakers. The specialist will craft high-impact content—such as press releases, media pitches, articles, and social media posts—while securing meaningful media coverage that highlights the organization’s expertise in safety, quality, and innovation. This role ensures that external communications reflect the organization’s mission and position it as “the most trusted voice in healthcare.”
Essential Functions
Reasonable Accommodation Statement:
To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Essential Functions
Promote ISMP: Coordinate key PR and communications tactics for the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP): ISMP press releases, select institutional announcements, media inquiries and select social media content.
Write & Edit Key Externally Focused Organizational Messages: Create engaging content for numerous channels that support ECRI PR efforts including: press releases, ECRI Newsroom articles, media pitches, speaking proposals for conferences and webinars, award nominations, public advocacy deliverables (i.e. letters and decks), and social media channels. This involves writing, coordinating, fact-checking with relevant subject matter experts, and brainstorming and executing on compelling ideas to enhance audience engagement.
Leverage Media Tool: Leverage ECRI’s media monitoring tool to curate targeted media lists, develop strategic messaging dashboards, and track earned media outcomes. The specialist will focus on securing high-impact media placements that align with the organization’s communications strategy.
Align to Organizational Messaging: Draft all content with a strategic emphasis on promoting the organization’s key messages around healthcare quality, reducing preventable harm, safety, efficiency, workforce cultural transformation, and medication safety.
Additional Responsibilities
Other duties, as assigned.
Accountability Metrics
Numerous original pieces of content produced monthly (e.g., articles, press releases, talking points, pitches).
Quality media placements with an emphasis on message alignment
Submissions of award nominations and/or speaking proposals
Growth in social media engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments, clicks) and follower growth, based on content authored or coordinated by the specialist.
Maintenance of up-to-date media lists and effectiveness of dashboards created using the media monitoring tool.
Number of successful collaborations with subject matter experts for quotes, insights, or authored pieces.
Percentage of communications projects completed on time and within scope, with clear documentation and follow-up.
Qualifications
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
Experience
Required to have at least five years of experience in a communications or public relations role – preferably with experience in a healthcare field.
Required to have a bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, mass communication, media studies, or a related field.
Computer Skills
Proficient with Microsoft Office 365 Suite of products (e.g., Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Certifications And Licenses
N/A
Position Compensation
The salary range for new employees in this position is $80,088.38 - $90,900.31, based on background, experience, and skills. In addition, new employees in this position are eligible for all of our benefit offerings, including, but not limited to, health and welfare benefits, 403(B) retirement savings, and paid time off (PTO).
ADA STATEMENT
ECRI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. We value diversity and believe that a diverse workforce enhances our ability to succeed. ECRI complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment based on these protected characteristics.
EEO STATEMENT
ECRI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. We value diversity and believe that a diverse workforce enhances our ability to succeed. ECRI complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment based on these protected characteristics.
WHY CHOOSE ECRI?
Benefits
ECRI is an inspiring place to work. We share a common mission to help healthcare organizations make smart, compassionate, and ethical decisions for patients. Consider these additional benefits of joining the ECRI team:
- Industry leadership: We have a long history and proven reputation in patient safety and medical technology research.
- On-the-job-learning: You will have the opportunity to work with specialists across medical science, patient care, healthcare management, and technology.
- Comprehensive healthcare benefits: We offer medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, and disability coverage.
- Retirement Savings: Our employees can participate in an employer-matching 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan.
- Additional benefits: ECRI offers additional benefits to our employees, including paid time off and holiday pay, paid leave for parents, tuition assistance, employee assistance program, access to LinkedIn Learning, and other voluntary benefit programs (e.g. accident insurance, identify theft insurance, flexible spending accounts).
- Volunteer Program: ECRI Cares, our employee volunteer program, provides a framework for us to work together and make a difference in the lives of others. All employees are provided 16 hours annually of paid time to volunteer at preapproved ECRI Cares charities during normal business hours.
At ECRI, our passion for safe, effective, and efficient care is ingrained into the fabric of who we are and why we are here. For more than 50 years, the people of ECRI have been unyielding in their work to protect patients from unsafe and ineffective medical technologies and practices. Now, with the acquisition of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), we have created one of the largest healthcare quality and safety entities in the world.
As a non-profit, independent organization, we utilize an unbiased, evidence-based approach to develop guidance, and maintain our principles of integrity and transparent work. Our ethical standards have led us to adopt the industry's strictest conflict-of-interest policies, and they are why tens of thousands of healthcare leaders worldwide rely on ECRI to guide their clinical, operational, and strategic decisions across all sites of care.
The Most Trusted Voice in Healthcare
ECRI Is Proud To Serve The Healthcare Industry, From Providers And Insurers To Government Agencies, And Medical Associations. Our Areas Of Focus Include
- Patient Safety: empowering leaders to eliminate patient harm through the dissemination of best practices, guidance, benchmarking, and recommendations.
- Evidence-Based Medicine: providing clinical evidence to inform and support decisions on the effectiveness of medical technologies, procedures, genetic tests, and clinical practice guidelines.
- Technology Decision Support: arming hospital systems with unbiased insights, so they can optimize their supply chain.
At ECRI, our passion for the truth drives us to go further and dig deeper in our pursuit to advance effective, evidence-based healthcare globally.
The success of our organization relies on the kind of creative thinking that can only result from a diverse team of individuals. ECRI is proud to be an employer of choice with an inclusive environment for all employees. As part of this goal and in compliance with various laws and regulations, ECRI provides reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees.
It's what makes ECRI unique, and why we are the most trusted voice in healthcare.
Position Summary
The Public Relations & Communications Specialist will support the Director of Strategic Communications & Operations in elevating the voice, visibility and brand awareness of ECRI in the healthcare industry. This position is responsible for developing and executing communications that elevate ECRI’s thought leadership and build trust with key stakeholders, including media, healthcare professionals and policymakers. The specialist will craft high-impact content—such as press releases, media pitches, articles, and social media posts—while securing meaningful media coverage that highlights the organization’s expertise in safety, quality, and innovation. This role ensures that external communications reflect the organization’s mission and position it as “the most trusted voice in healthcare.”
Essential Functions
Reasonable Accommodation Statement:
To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Essential Functions
Promote ISMP: Coordinate key PR and communications tactics for the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP): ISMP press releases, select institutional announcements, media inquiries and select social media content.
Write & Edit Key Externally Focused Organizational Messages: Create engaging content for numerous channels that support ECRI PR efforts including: press releases, ECRI Newsroom articles, media pitches, speaking proposals for conferences and webinars, award nominations, public advocacy deliverables (i.e. letters and decks), and social media channels. This involves writing, coordinating, fact-checking with relevant subject matter experts, and brainstorming and executing on compelling ideas to enhance audience engagement.
Leverage Media Tool: Leverage ECRI’s media monitoring tool to curate targeted media lists, develop strategic messaging dashboards, and track earned media outcomes. The specialist will focus on securing high-impact media placements that align with the organization’s communications strategy.
Align to Organizational Messaging: Draft all content with a strategic emphasis on promoting the organization’s key messages around healthcare quality, reducing preventable harm, safety, efficiency, workforce cultural transformation, and medication safety.
Additional Responsibilities
Other duties, as assigned.
Accountability Metrics
Numerous original pieces of content produced monthly (e.g., articles, press releases, talking points, pitches).
Quality media placements with an emphasis on message alignment
Submissions of award nominations and/or speaking proposals
Growth in social media engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments, clicks) and follower growth, based on content authored or coordinated by the specialist.
Maintenance of up-to-date media lists and effectiveness of dashboards created using the media monitoring tool.
Number of successful collaborations with subject matter experts for quotes, insights, or authored pieces.
Percentage of communications projects completed on time and within scope, with clear documentation and follow-up.
Qualifications
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
Experience
Required to have at least five years of experience in a communications or public relations role – preferably with experience in a healthcare field.
- Required to have the following skillsets and project experience:
- excellent writing and editing skills;
- project management to coordinate several projects at once;
- ability to interview subject matter experts;
- strong time management;
- a self-starter with a sense of accountability; and
- a keen sense of how to make complicated research and healthcare insights into compelling stories.
Required to have a bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, mass communication, media studies, or a related field.
Computer Skills
Proficient with Microsoft Office 365 Suite of products (e.g., Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Certifications And Licenses
N/A
Position Compensation
The salary range for new employees in this position is $80,088.38 - $90,900.31, based on background, experience, and skills. In addition, new employees in this position are eligible for all of our benefit offerings, including, but not limited to, health and welfare benefits, 403(B) retirement savings, and paid time off (PTO).
ADA STATEMENT
ECRI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. We value diversity and believe that a diverse workforce enhances our ability to succeed. ECRI complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment based on these protected characteristics.
EEO STATEMENT
ECRI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. We value diversity and believe that a diverse workforce enhances our ability to succeed. ECRI complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment based on these protected characteristics.
Salary : $80,088 - $90,900
