Press Officer, Health Research (ARPA-H)

Description

General Information

Job Code: PRO-PR-05M
Location: Rockville, MD, USA
Employee Type: Exempt, Full-Time Regular
Telework: Remote, some travel anticipated
Clearance: Public Trust
Salary Range: $107,843.00 – $134,804.00 per year (how we)
Manager: Yes

Position Overview

If you are skilled at engaging with the press surrounding biomedical discoveries, consider applying for this role!

As a Press Officer for Health Research working in the Division of Communications, Outreach, Marketing, Public Affairs, and Social Strategy (COMPASS) at ARPA-H, you will play a pivotal role on the Ripple Effect support team. Your work will directly impact the public image of ARPA-H programming and leadership. You will create various media products, talking points, and presentations while maintaining and building relationships to publish content through a variety of media channels.

Key duties include:

• Researching and writing a variety of public affairs documents such as press releases and media interview responses.
• Analyzing agency information program matters and offering recommendations for improving content from a strategic communications perspective.
• Establishing and maintaining contact with key officials and media, and responding to related engagement requests.
• Developing communications plans with deep insights into strategy and tactics.
• Drafting talking points, slides, and memos with scientific and technical information to ensure alignment with intended audiences and consistency with policy and program goals.

Requirements

The ideal candidate has advanced experience developing, implementing, and administering public relations programs directed toward the public, industry, stockholders, and employees. This candidate can create and launch public relations policies responsive to corporate objectives, with the chief goal of promulgating the organization’s messaging to those audiences. They will review materials intended for public release to ensure they represent the best interests of the organization and are consistent with public relations objectives and policies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• A minimum of 9 years of relevant experience, including:
  • 5+ years of media relations experience, preferably in the health or science fields.
  • 2+ years providing senior-level counsel to Program Managers, Agency Leaders, and other Subject Matter Experts.
  • 2+ years of supervisory experience.
• Additional education may substitute for experience.

Core Competencies

• Communications: Delivers proactive and effective communications, even in complex or high-risk situations, and mentors others on communications best practices for producing various materials (e.g., press releases, talking points, presentations, interview responses, etc.).
• Quality and Attention to Detail: Enforces quality standards, identifies quality issues and solutions, reviews key deliverables, organizes information, and ensures accuracy of communications content.
• Project Management: Manages communications and media relations project activities, ensures timely and accurate task completion, and approves project deliverables.
• Technical Systems: Intermediate experience with Microsoft Office tools such as Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.

Skills That Set You Apart

• Certification: Existing press or media credentials.
• Strategic Thinking: Advanced experience prioritizing strategic communications initiatives and media interactions by analyzing organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats while fostering organizational support and articulating a clear vision for successful execution.
• AI Proficiency: Intermediate experience with AI tools, including understanding their limitations and risks, and applying them to support project management tasks.

About Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect is a woman-owned, 200-person company of communicators, scientists, researchers, and analysts. Established in 2003, and recognized as one of the “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” in 2024 and 2025 by the NABR, Ripple Effect has earned acclaim for delivering unparalleled consulting services and top-tier talent across federal, private, and non-profit sectors.

Benefits

At Ripple Effect, we reward our people for their contributions to our mission. Our comprehensive total rewards package includes competitive pay, exceptional benefits, and a range of programs that support your work-life balance and overall well-being.

Apply here