Health Communications Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Health Communications Specialist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) – Roybal Campus, Atlanta, GA.

Position Summary
The Health Communications Specialist provides communications and analytical support to the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) at CDC. This role develops, updates, and evaluates health communication materials and strategies related to foodborne, waterborne, environmental, fungal, and parasitic diseases, and supports both routine and emergency public health communications.

Key Responsibilities
Health communication materials and content development

• Update and create electronic and print materials for public health professionals, healthcare providers, and consumer audiences (fact sheets, newsletters, web pages, social media content, slide decks) using plain language and CDC Clear Communication Index principles.
• Develop internal communication materials about division accomplishments, news, personnel changes, and workplace policies (internal newsletters, intranet content, organizational charts, leadership emails).
• Coordinate content development and clearance with internal and external stakeholders and collaborate closely with graphic design staff on layout and presentation.

• Provide technical assistance on communication and public affairs needs, including sharing CDC resources at educational or stakeholder conferences via exhibits, posters, and presentations.
• Support division meetings by planning agendas, preparing slides, and providing technical support for web‑based and in‑person meetings.

• Assist with division web work by reviewing web requests for required materials and clearances, triaging with web developers, and liaising with web staff to implement improvements and resolve technical issues.
• Review and maintain web content for accuracy, clarity, and alignment with CDC standards, and help users submit web requests as needed.
• Provide timely follow‑up on inquiries, information requests, and clearance needs, serving as a bridge between subject matter experts and the communications team. 

• Review existing materials for target audiences and collaborate with CDC staff to identify gaps; ensure products are appropriately targeted or tailored for diverse audiences.
• Identify topics or materials that require formative or summative research, develop research questions with CDC staff, and incorporate findings into communication products.
• Ensure all communication materials comply with Section 508 accessibility requirements, performing initial 508 remediation on documents and digital content.
• Develop and disseminate timely, high‑quality scientific and public health information products for the public, target audiences, media, and internal staff, including emergency activations.
• Create dissemination plans, select appropriate channels, track and report dissemination metrics, and adjust strategies based on evaluation results.

Metrics, evaluation, and reporting

• Compile and analyze communication metrics and program evaluation data from web, social media, meetings, and newsletters; present findings in organized formats for staff and leadership.

Social media and newsletters

• Manage and coordinate social media activities, including content writing, content calendars, editing/reviewing posts, and coordinating publication on CDC channels.
• Stay current on social media best practices, summarize updates for staff through emails or presentations, and recommend improvements.
• Create and distribute internal and external newsletters using CDC’s current newsletter software, staying abreast of software changes and updates.

Emergency and outbreak communications

• Provide emergency response surge capacity during activations, outbreaks, or public health emergencies, assisting with crisis communications for NCEZID and CDC.
• Develop communication products and strategies during urgent responses (e.g., Ebola, Zika, other emerging threats), which may include working in CDC’s Emergency Operations Center and creating PowerPoints, key messages, Q&A documents, one‑pagers, web content, webinars, media responses, and social media activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience developing strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience working on multi‑component communications campaigns (message and materials development, dissemination, earned media, digital/social media, partnership development).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong content development experience and ability to write in plain language.
• Strong problem‑solving skills, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Energetic team presence, eager to learn and collaborate with communications and program teams.
• Ability to multi‑task and prioritize competing demands in a fast‑paced environment.
• Interest in learning complex public health issues (e.g., infectious diseases and outbreak response).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

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