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
- 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
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:
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
- 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
Responsibilities, assignment, and timing will depend on the specific opportunity. Depending on your track, you may:
Writer/Journalist OpportunitiesWhat 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
- 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
The following experience is strongly preferred, though not required:
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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Communications, Journalism, English, or a related field
- Approximately 5 or more years of relevant professional experience
- Deep expertise in professional writing or professional editing
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Strong command of grammar, punctuation, and professional writing standards
- Ability to manage projects and deadlines in an organized, proactive, adaptable manner
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build stakeholder relationships
- Demonstrated attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and quality
- Judgment and discretion when working with sensitive information
- Understanding of HIPAA and safeguarding Protected Health Information, or ability to quickly develop that knowledge
- Comfort working onsite five days per week at a military health facility in Bethesda, Maryland
- Experience in healthcare communications, military public affairs, federal communications, or another regulated, high-visibility environment
- Experience in journalism, communications, editing, copyediting, technical writing, or public affairs
- Experience managing editorial calendars and multiple projects with competing deadlines
- Experience working 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 communications
- Experience managing work requiring accuracy, judgment, discretion, and attention to detail
- Writer/Journalist candidates should have experience in interviewing, narrative storytelling, feature writing, and long-form journalism
- Editor candidates should have expertise in substantive editing, copyediting, fact-checking, source verification, and editorial review processes
What We Do
Altarum is a nonprofit research and consulting organization that creates and implements solutions to advance health among at-risk and disenfranchised populations. We're driven to solve tough problems for the greater good, and we do so by working closely with government insurance programs to conceive of and implement improvements to address the unique population health challenges of their beneficiaries. Our solutions are holistic, enabled by technology, and intently focused on prevention and appropriate care. From low-income children to frail elders, we help the most vulnerable in society, those whose health is negatively impacted by social determinants. Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Palladian Partners, expands on this work through health communications. Altarum has a dynamic and entrepreneurial culture, a purpose-driven mission, and a firm commitment to diversity and inclusion. We're also making an outsize impact in our work with some of the most influential institutions in health and health care. Our work environment is friendly and our benefits package generous. Ready to check out our opportunities?
