Senior Communication Specialist

McKing Consulting Corporation is a veteran-owned professional services corporation offering innovative management consulting support to the Federal and state government and private industries. McKing operates full-service project offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and Rockville, Maryland. Currently, McKing provides a wide range of technical assistance to multiple federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies. More corporate information can be found at www.mcking.com.

The Communication Specialist will work on the Strategic Communication Team supporting the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This position will provide communication writer/editor expertise, assisting with writing and editing a variety of products for public and professional audiences using a range of professional writing styles, including but not limited to the latest editions ofThe Chicago Manual of Style and the AMA Manual of Style, and plain language. The Communication Specialist will support the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity and it’s 28 websites, four branches, two social media channels, and 80 state and local grantees.

The writer/editor responsibility is primary and includes writing and editing content for web pages, promotional materials, presentations, and documents for lay and professional audiences. In addition, the position includes liaising with branch staff and facilitating branch and division promotions.

Writing/Editing

Specific responsibilities include:

• Write and edit content for consumer and professional audiences using a variety of professional styles (e.g. AMA, Chicago Style, etc.) and plain language.
• Copy edit content for a variety of audiences (scientific, professional, public) for grammar, punctuation, style, consistency, and voice.
• Provide pre-clearance writing, editing, and formatting to ensure content quality is based on accepted communication principles, methods, and practices.
• Review media and/or CDC-INFO public inquiries and coordinate with division subject matter experts to help refine messages, as appropriate.
  
  

Following the completion of initial assignments, responsibilities may expand to the following depending on expertise:

Product Development

• Provide pre-clearance writing, editing, and formatting to ensure content quality is based on accepted communication principles, methods, and practices
• Consult with division staff on product development, layout, and design at the onset of projects.
• Work with division staff and communication team to develop creative briefs to guide product design and delivery on larger communication products. Keep stakeholders engaged in the creative process; obtain approvals.
• Work with division subject matter experts to develop and disseminate creative new content and visuals to effectively reach specific target audiences
• Provide graphics and design coordination with CDC’s Creative Design Services in developing division products.
  
  

Digital Media

• Advise on and write and/or edit web content or social media content, as needed.
• Work with division subject matter experts and communication team to develop and disseminate new content and visuals to effectively reach specific target audiences.
• Develop communication tools for staff to use in delivering consistent messages about the division’s work and priority issues (e.g., talking points, Q & A's, science briefs, fact sheets, PowerPoints, etc.)
  
  

Promotions

• Advise branches on communication planning and guide implementation of communication strategies.
• Assist in planning, developing, and coordinating promotion of division releases, campaigns, or other communication materials.
• Assist in managing a social media content calendar in coordination with other team members.
• Research division topics, priorities, and audiences; understand details; and translate into compelling and accurate content that drives social media and web ’end users’ to act.
• Help develop creative social media content and visuals; monitor and measure the effectiveness across social media platforms such as Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and emerging channels.
  
  

Qualifications And Education Requirements

• Master’s/3 years’ experience
• Bachelor’s/5 years’ experience
  
  

Professional Competencies Preferred

• Superb writing and editing skills for lay and professional audiences.
• Experience applying a variety of professional writing styles (e.g. AMA, Chicago Style, etc.) to different communication materials.
• Demonstrated experience with writing in plain language.
• Demonstrated experience in writing for the web.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of social marketing, marketing, and/or health communication.
• Business-to-business and/or consumer marketing experience.
• Creative product design training and skills.
• Understanding of search engine optimization and its relation to social marketing engagement.
• Strong analytical, organizational, project, and time management skills.
• Attention to detail and the ability to effectively multitask.
• Experience developing culturally competent, research-informed messaging.
• The ability to work independently, as well as with a team.
• Proficient with Microsoft Suite (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Health and/or Federal Government Experience is desired but not essential.