Director, Communications & PR

Job Summary

Required Qualifications

• •Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in communications, public relations, media relations, journalism, or a related field.
• •Demonstrated success securing meaningful earned media coverage across traditional and emerging platforms.
• •Strong knowledge of the current and evolving media landscape, combined with experience developing and executing media relations, external communications, or thought leadership strategies across traditional and emerging platforms.
• •Advanced writing, editing, proofreading, and message-development skills, including the ability to translate complex health, policy, programmatic, and organizational information into clear and accessible communications.
• •Experience preparing executives, organizational leaders, or subject matter experts for interviews and external appearances.
• •Strong editorial judgment, discretion, and professionalism, including the ability to identify communications opportunities, reputational risks, and sensitive or time-critical issues.
• •Ability to independently manage multiple projects, deadlines, and urgent requests while seeking appropriate review, approval, and guidance.
• •Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively with executives, program leaders, community stakeholders, media professionals, vendors, and colleagues across departments.
• •Demonstrated ability to develop inclusive, accurate, culturally responsive, stigma-free, trauma-informed, and people-first communications in partnership with LGBTQ+ communities, communities of color, people living with HIV, and other communities affected by health inequities.
• •Intermediate to advanced level of proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and comparable virtual meeting, collaboration, and document-sharing platforms.
• •Intermediate to advanced level of proficiency in media databases, journalist relationship-management tools, and monitoring platforms, such as Muck Rack or Cision, including systems used to maintain media contacts, editorial calendars, outreach records, briefing materials, and coverage reports.
• •Intermediate to advanced level of proficiency in project management and workflow tools such as Asana or comparable platforms.
• •Intermediate to advanced level of proficiency in basic media analytics and reporting, including the ability to interpret coverage, reach, engagement, sentiment, and other available indicators of communications effectiveness.
• •Ability to work non-traditional hours (evenings and weekends) as needed to support events, campaigns, urgent communications needs, developing media inquiries, and time-sensitive reputational matters.
• •Residence within New York City or the surrounding tri-state area.

Desired Qualifications

• •Experience developing communications for nonprofit, healthcare, public health, HIV services, LGBTQ+ advocacy, fundraising, public education, community engagement, or social justice initiatives.
• •Established relationships with journalists, editors, producers, podcast hosts, digital creators, or other media professionals relevant to GMHC's work.
• •Experience supporting an organizational rebrand, service expansion, or significant change in organizational positioning.
• •Experience with crisis communications, rapid response, or reputation management.
• •Experience coordinating the work of communications consultants, contractors, vendors, or interns.
• •Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, English, public health, or a related field.
• •Familiarity with major social media platforms and related scheduling, listening, and analytics tools, such as Sprout Social.
• •Familiarity with content management systems, email marketing platforms, Google Analytics or comparable analytics tools, and basic design applications such as Canva, Adobe Express, or Adobe Creative Cloud.