Writer and Author (Print Journalism)

Nalu Federal is a subsidiary company of the Kanaka Foundation, an NHO whose mission is to support Native Hawaiians.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Pet insurance
• Annual membership to Costco or Sam’s
• 401K
• Additional comprehensive benefits

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a strategic editorial calendar for all print and long-form digital publications.
• Act as the project lead for all feature stories, from initial pitch and research through interviews, writing, photo/video coordination, layout, and final publication.
• Proactively identify and develop story ideas that align with strategic communication objectives, focusing on clinical advancements, groundbreaking research, patient success stories, and staff achievements.
• Conduct thorough, sensitive, and insightful interviews with medical staff, patients, families, and subject matter experts to gather information and emotional depth for compelling narratives.
• Work in tandem with photographers, videographers, and graphic designers to produce visually stunning, cohesive, and impactful multimedia story packages.
• Craft messaging for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring consistency with organizational goals.
• Monitor media coverage and provide analysis on the effectiveness of public affairs campaigns.
• Plan and execute events, such as press conferences, media briefings, and community engagement activities.
• Support leadership with crisis communication strategies and plans.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with internal subject matter experts (SMEs) to ensure a steady flow of story leads, and with external media contacts to pitch and place stories when appropriate.
• Compile weekly external communication reports.
• Submit products to the Public Affairs Office (PAO) for review prior to posting on the website and/or intranet.
• Generate editorial ideas for articles and discuss/refine ideas with lead PAO.
• Meet daily and weekly deadlines and ad-hoc suspense to support the mission.
• Develop news pegs, angles, and balanced articles from multiple sources, including interviews with market staff members (military and civilian), patients, and visitors for news releases, feature stories, and special publications.
• Schedule interviews with SMEs, working closely with other PAO offices with approval from the Government Lead.
• Write, rewrite, and edit copy based on AP Style, using active sentences, traditional leads, bridges, transitions, and news format.
• Assist visitors and numerous callers, take media queries, coordinate/moderate press interviews, and arrange media visits.
• Generate 2-3 editorial ideas per month and deliver social media posts weekly or as needed based on the mission.
• Assist an average of 10 callers per day and support 4 distinguished visitor (DV) visits per month.
• Update website and social media sites several times a day.
• Distribute an average of 2 communications reports weekly.
• Formulate strategies for major issues, manage and coordinate messages, and develop themes for the Market office executed through the Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs).
• Provide strategic counsel to senior leaders of the Market MTFs.
• Develop speeches and briefings to effectively communicate key themes and messages to a wide range of audiences.
• Coordinate public website content to support Military Health System (MHS)/Defense Health Agency (DHA) communication objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, English, or a related field.
• 5+ years of proven experience in journalism or professional writing, supported by a strong portfolio of published articles demonstrating exceptional skills in interviewing, narrative storytelling, and long-form writing.
• Proven experience in healthcare communications, military public affairs, or a similar regulated, high-visibility environment.
• Thorough understanding of and ability to rigorously apply the principles of safeguarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Protected Health Information (PHI), especially when interviewing patients.
• Excellent project management skills, with proven ability to manage an editorial calendar, develop content strategies, and see multiple stories through to completion simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to build rapport and trust with interview subjects from all walks of life, including patients, families, senior leaders, and world-renowned medical experts.