Public Education Specialist

Company: American Kidney Fund

Position Title: Public Education Specialist

Location: Rockville, MD; hybrid remote

Job Type: Full Time

Job Summary: 

• • Job Title:
    Public Education Specialist
  • Location:
    • 11921 Rockville Pike
    • Suite 300
    • Rockville, MD, 20852
    • United States
  • Base Pay:
    $60000.00 - $65000.00 / Year
  • Relocation Expense Covered:
    No
  • Employee Type:
    FT Non-Exempt
  • Minimum Experience:
    2 Years
  • Maximum Experience:
    3 Years
  • Required Degree:
    4 Year Degree
  • Travel:
    10%
  • Manage Others:
    No
• Description

  About the position
  Are you ready to join the national nonprofit that is fighting kidney disease on all fronts and making an enormous, tangible impact in patient lives? Working alongside the Director of Education, the Public Education Specialist supports the day-to-day operations of the American Kidney Fund’s public education programs and initiatives. Our kidney disease education programs and resources seek to educate, empower, and support those affected by kidney disease by addressing the learning needs and interests of our public, patient, and caregiver audiences.

  Are you someone who is:

  •    Collaborative: Ability to work cross-functionally with internal teams and external partners
  •    Creative: A thinker who designs communications that audiences cannot stop reading and encourages engagement with the organization. 
  •    Detail oriented: Can review and fact check educational materials and communications.
  •    Customer focused: Provides a high level of internal and external customer service

  Every member of the public education team is hands-on and is able to see the direct results of their efforts. Join the team and grow professionally while making a difference in the lives of people living with kidney disease.

  Employee benefits:
  We provide a competitive salary annually with opportunities for annual raises and bonuses based on performance; paid holidays, 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 3 personal days; comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage; life insurance and disability coverage; and a generous matching 403(b) retirement plan. In addition, we offer work/life balance including a hybrid work environment, shorter Friday hours, free underground parking (Metro subsidies are provided for those who do not drive), and a friendly, collaborative, supportive and diverse culture where our team knows how much they are valued.  

  ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  • Research and conceptualize health education materials for the American Kidney Fund (AKF) applying best practices in health communication and tailoring the material to meet the needs of the target audience (kidney disease patients, transplant patients, caregivers & families, and health professionals).
  • Conduct ongoing needs assessments of our public, patient, and caregiver audiences to inform the Education team approach for reaching and educating our audience
  • Contribute to the development of education content and materials such as: toolkits, planners, fact sheets, infographics, videos, or other educational products to meet identified needs.
  • Support the development of a comprehensive education curriculum for people across the stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that develops self-management and effectively encourages positive behavior change among patients
  • Assist with tasks associated with the patient and caregiver activities of the Unknown Causes of Kidney Disease project, an ongoing project to help identify the root cause of patients’ kidney disease to help patients achieve a timely diagnosis in order to seek earlier interventions to slow or mitigate disease progression
  • Utilize innovative health communications strategies and collaborate with the Marketing & Communication Team to make sure social media content and promotions are customized to target audiences and integrate best practices in health communication messaging to promote health behavior change
  • Incorporate principles of health literacy, plain language, cultural competency, behavior change, and accessibility into all content.
  • Edit, review, and fact check outreach and educational materials and communications developed for AKF websites, social media, newsletters, emails, videos, factsheets, webinars, infographics, toolkits, blog posts, etc.
  • In collaboration with education team, ensure AKF education content is reflective of most current industry guidelines and notify team when updates may be needed.
  • Support the maintenance of the Education team’s functions/operating plan (e.g., project tracker, budget tracker, metrics tracker, team presentation slides)
  • Assist team with program evaluations, needs assessments, environmental scans, and in-depth interviews. 
  • Coordinate with outside vendors and project contractors to design graphics, develop content, manage material fulfillment within established time frames and budget parameters.
  • Serve as a resource to respond to inquiries pertaining to kidney disease that AKF receives through the Education inbox, website contact form, or social media.
  • Contribute to the development of abstracts, posters, oral presentations, and exhibit materials for scientific and public health conferences.
  • Perform additional related duties, as assigned.
• Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in health-related field required: Health Education, Health Communications, Health Promotion, Community Health, Biology, Behavioral Sciences or related discipline. 
  • Minimum of 2-3 years of work experience in supporting public health campaigns in the non-profit sector or other professional environment. 
  • Strong research, writing, and project management skills required.
  • Must be well-organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple responsibilities with competing demands. 
  • Knowledge of health literacy principles, plain language standards, and behavior change theory.
  • Understanding of cultural competency and how to apply the concept to high-quality health education.
  • Experience with kidney disease and an understanding of kidney disease patients’ needs preferred. 
  • Experience communicating with various levels of professionals through both verbal and written correspondence. 
  • Certifications in CPH, CHES, or MCHES a plus.
  • Bilingual in English/Spanish a plus.  
  • Advanced level of proficiency in Microsoft Office including PowerPoint and Excel required. 
  • Demonstrated ability to be highly flexible, provide exemplary customer service, and work independently and in a team environment. 
  • Ability to handle confidential matters with a high level of integrity.

  AKF offers a hybrid work schedule with employees working in the office 1-4 days per month and telework the rest of the time.