Senior Public Information Specialist

About the role

The Senior Public Information Specialist leads and coordinates complex public‑information and engagement programs for Harbor‑UCLA Medical Center. Reporting to executive leadership, the role advises on media relations, strategic communications, and crisis messaging to support the hospital’s mission and public‑health initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the principal communications advisor to executive leadership, providing guidance on media relations, critical communications procedures, and processes.
• Develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies that align with organizational priorities, regulatory requirements, and change‑management initiatives.
• Research, draft, edit, and coordinate executive speeches, presentations, talking points, briefing materials, and correspondence for internal and external audiences.
• Lead external communications, including integrated branding, marketing, and reputation‑management efforts to enhance public awareness, patient engagement, workforce recruitment, and retention.
• Coordinate messaging across executive leadership, clinical departments, community partners, academic collaborators, and County officials to ensure consistent and effective communication.
• Collaborate with the Central Office of Communications to create storytelling, video, social‑media, and website content while overseeing brand governance and creative direction.
• Provide technical guidance and supervise lower‑level public‑information staff, assigning work, setting priorities, and ensuring timely completion.
• Develop procedures, standards, and guidelines for the collection, review, and presentation of information across multiple media platforms.
• Serve as the executive communication liaison with County leadership, UCLA, elected officials, and healthcare partners, and manage crisis and emergency communications during incidents.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Administration, Public Relations, English or a related field from an accredited institution.
• At least four (4) years of experience planning, developing, and coordinating public‑information programs or professional journalism experience with comparable responsibilities.
• Valid California Class C driver’s license or alternative transportation method to perform essential job functions.
• Ability to meet the Physical Class II – Light requirements, including occasional lifting up to 10 lb and moderate ambulation.

Required skills

• Media relations
• Crisis and emergency communications
• Branding and reputation management
• Content creation for social media, video, and web platforms