About the job Public Relations Specialist
Public Relations Specialist
Hospital Communications and Executive Secretariat Support Services
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda Maryland
This Position Is Contingent Upon Contract Award
Position Details
• Customer: Defense Health Agency (DHA).
• Work Location: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20889.
• Number of Positions: One full-time position (1.0 FTE; 1,912 productive hours per contract year).
• Type of Employment: Full-time.
• Estimated Total Compensation: $50.15 per hour.
• Working Hours: Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays and Government-directed facility closures. The exact daily shift is not specified. Occasional support may be required outside normal duty hours for contingency activations or exercises.
• Work Arrangement: On-site at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Remote or telework authorization is not specified.
• Period of Performance: Base period from December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2027, followed by two potential one-year option periods through November 30, 2029.
• Security and Access: All work is unclassified. Employment is contingent upon a favorable Tier II non-critical sensitive background investigation, completion of the applicable SF-85 or SF-86 process, Common Access Card eligibility, identity verification, a nondisclosure agreement, security and HIPAA training, network-access approval, and all DHA and facility onboarding requirements.
• Travel: No routine travel requirement or separate travel line item is specified.
Summary of Services
The Public Relations Specialist will lead strategic communications and high-impact public affairs projects for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The role develops coordinated messaging, communications plans, media relations, crisis communications, digital content, events, community engagement, and performance analysis for diverse internal and external audiences.
Mandatory Qualifications
• Must have a bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Project Management, or a related field.
• Must have at least five years of experience in public affairs, project management, or a combination of both areas.
• Must demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to translate complex information for diverse audiences.
• Must demonstrate the ability to manage multiple high-priority projects, deadlines, stakeholders, and ad hoc suspense requirements in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be proficient with project-management and digital-communication tools and understand strategic communication methods, media relations, and social-media practices.
• Experience with healthcare systems, military communications, federal public affairs, or another regulated, high-visibility environment is highly preferred.
• Project Management Professional certification is preferred but not required.
• Must possess strong relationship-building, interviewing, prioritization, time-management, analytical, and consensus-building skills.
• Must satisfy all Tier II background, CAC, training, NDA, network-access, onboarding, and facility-access requirements.
Duties and Responsibilities
• Develop and execute public affairs and strategic-communication plans that advance Walter Reed, DHA, Military Health System, and command priorities.
• Write and edit press releases, talking points, newsletters, speeches, briefings, articles, web content, social-media posts, and supporting communication materials.
• Coordinate media relations by responding to inquiries, arranging and moderating interviews, supporting media visits, and maintaining professional relationships with media outlets.
• Develop consistent messaging for internal and external stakeholders and advise leadership on communications for major issues and sensitive matters.
• Plan and support press conferences, media briefings, distinguished-visitor activities, community engagement events, and other public affairs activities.
• Provide crisis-communications planning and time-sensitive support for issues that may attract national media, senior leadership, or congressional interest.
• Monitor and assess media coverage, public perceptions, campaign performance, and stakeholder response and recommend effective communication approaches.
• Maintain and update authorized websites, intranet content, and social-media channels and coordinate content with DHA, network, and military treatment facility communications teams.
• Compile required weekly communications reports, issue logs, trackers, metrics, and analyses and submit products for Public Affairs Office review before release.
• Build cooperative relationships with subject matter experts, media outlets, medical organizations, military and veterans service organizations, federal partners, nongovernmental organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Protect HIPAA-regulated information, PHI, PII, and other sensitive information while meeting daily, weekly, and ad hoc deadlines.
• Complete required orientation, annual training, security awareness, HIPAA training, and other Government-directed training and comply with all WRNMMC and DHA policies and procedures.
• Duties and responsibilities are subject to change if work schedules, locations, and/or priorities change based on Government or program needs.
Required Candidate Submission Documents
• Current resume documenting at least five years of qualifying public affairs, communications, or project-management experience.
• Copy of the required bachelor's degree or supporting education documentation.
• Representative writing, communications-planning, or public affairs work samples, if requested.
• Copy of current PMP certification, if applicable.
• Any background, identification, security, HIPAA, training, NDA, CAC, network-access, or onboarding documents requested by Fidelity Partners or the Government/client.
