At Altarum, our Palladian Partners team works alongside federal health and public affairs clients to create clear, accurate, and compelling communications that inform audiences and support vital public health missions. We're building a pipeline of experienced writers and editors who could be a strong fit for future embedded communications opportunities supporting a military health facility in Bethesda, Maryland. Whether your strength is telling powerful stories or making sure every word that goes out the door is accurate and clear, we want to hear from you.

About the Role

This posting isn't for one specific, currently open position. By applying, you're expressing interest in potential future opportunities as client and contract needs develop. Because these opportunities may depend on future business needs, contract awards, funding decisions, or client requirements, we may not have an immediate opening or a confirmed hiring timeline when you apply.

These future opportunities are expected to fall into two distinct tracks:

Writer/Journalist – developing compelling feature stories, long-form content, leadership communications, and other public affairs materials
Editor – managing the editorial review process and ensuring written communications meet the highest standards for accuracy, clarity, consistency, and compliance

You'd become part of an embedded communications team working closely with public affairs leadership, medical professionals, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders at a military health facility. Depending on your area of expertise, your work would focus primarily on writing or on editing.

These positions would be onsite at the client site in Bethesda, Maryland, five days per week. Remote or hybrid work is not anticipated for these opportunities.

What You'll Do

Responsibilities, assignment, and timing will depend on the specific opportunity. Depending on your track, you may:

Writer/Journalist Opportunities

Develop and manage editorial calendars for print and long-form digital communications
Lead feature stories from initial concept and research through interviews, writing, multimedia coordination, review, and publication
Proactively identify compelling story ideas related to clinical advancements, research, patient experiences, staff achievements, and organizational priorities
Conduct thoughtful, sensitive interviews with patients, families, clinicians, military and civilian personnel, senior leaders, and subject matter experts
Develop news angles and balanced stories using information from multiple sources
Write and edit feature articles, news releases, web content, leadership messaging, speeches, briefings, and other communications
Apply Associated Press (AP) Style and established journalistic standards
Collaborate with photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and other communications professionals on multimedia story packages
Support media relations activities, including media inquiries, interviews, visits, briefings, and press events
Craft messaging for internal and external stakeholders
Support public affairs campaigns, crisis communications, community engagement activities, and leadership communications
Build strong relationships with internal subject matter experts and external communications contacts

Editor Opportunities

Manage the end-to-end editorial lifecycle for public-facing written communications
Review, edit, and proofread articles, reports, web content, leadership messaging, and other materials for clarity, accuracy, grammar, consistency, and tone
Ensure content complies with AP Style, organizational style guides, applicable regulations, and client requirements
Conduct rigorous fact-checking and source verification, including review of medical and technical information
Work closely with clinical and administrative subject matter experts to validate content
Coordinate feedback and revisions among authors, subject matter experts, legal counsel, and public affairs leadership
Track multiple documents through complex review, revision, clearance, and approval processes
Develop, maintain, and apply organizational editorial and style standards
Manage editorial calendars and competing deadlines across multiple authors and projects
Prepare finalized materials for senior public affairs review and approval before public release
Help protect the consistency, credibility, and accuracy of communications across platforms

What You'll Bring

Bachelor's degree or higher in Communications, Journalism, English, or a related field
Approximately 5+ years of relevant professional experience
Deep expertise in either professional writing or professional editing
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Strong command of grammar, punctuation, and professional writing standards
An organized, proactive, action-oriented, and adaptable approach to managing projects and deadlines
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
Demonstrated attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy and quality
The judgment and discretion required to work with sensitive information
An understanding of HIPAA and the safeguarding of Protected Health Information (PHI), or the ability to quickly develop that knowledge
Comfort working onsite five days per week at a military health facility in Bethesda, Maryland – these are embedded, client-facing opportunities, and remote or hybrid work is not anticipated

Preferred Qualifications

The following experience is strongly preferred, though not required:

Experience in healthcare communications, military public affairs, federal communications, or another regulated, high-visibility environment (strongly preferred)
Experience in journalism, communications, editing, copyediting, technical writing, or public affairs
Experience managing editorial calendars and multiple projects with competing deadlines
Experience working directly with senior leaders, clients, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders
Experience applying AP Style and professional editorial standards
Experience translating complex, technical, or medical information into clear, accessible communications
Experience managing work that requires a high level of accuracy, judgment, discretion, and attention to detail

For Writer/Journalist opportunities, we're particularly interested in candidates with demonstrated experience in interviewing, narrative storytelling, feature writing, and long-form journalism. A portfolio of published work may be requested as part of the selection process.

For Editor opportunities, we're particularly interested in candidates with demonstrated expertise in substantive editing, copyediting, fact-checking, source verification, and managing complex editorial review and approval processes.

Why Join Our Team?

At Altarum, you'll have the opportunity to bring your communications expertise to work that supports an important military health care mission. As part of Palladian Partners, you'll join a collaborative, mission-driven communications team that values excellent storytelling, editorial rigor, thoughtful client partnership, curiosity, adaptability, and high-quality work.

Whether your strength is uncovering and telling meaningful stories or ensuring that every published word is accurate, clear, and credible, your expertise can contribute to communications that inform audiences, recognize important work, and strengthen trust. Because at Altarum, it's more than work – it's a chance to bring your expertise to a team contributing to work that matters.

What happens next?

Our Talent Acquisition team will review your background and experience to determine whether your skills may align more closely with future Writer/Journalist, Editor, or related communications opportunities. If your qualifications align with a potential current or upcoming need, a member of our team may contact you to discuss the opportunity, onsite work requirements, timing, and next steps.

Stay connected: we encourage you to continue exploring our current openings and apply directly to specific positions that align with your experience and interests. Joining this pipeline does not automatically submit your application for other Altarum opportunities. We appreciate your interest in bringing exceptional writing, editing, journalism, and public affairs expertise to work supporting an important military health mission!

Where You'll Work

These positions would work onsite at the client site in Bethesda, Maryland, five days per week. Remote or hybrid work is not anticipated for these opportunities.

This is not a posting for one specific, currently open position. By applying, you are expressing interest in potential opportunities as client and contract needs develop.

Altarum is a nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of individuals with fewer financial resources and populations disenfranchised by the health care system. We work primarily on behalf of federal and state governments to design and implement solutions that achieve measurable results. We combine our expertise in public health and health care delivery with technology development and implementation, practice transformation, training and technical assistance, quality improvement, data analytics, and applied research and evaluation. Our innovative solutions and proven processes lead to better value and health for all.

Altarum is an equal opportunity employer that provides employment and opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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