Media & Public Relations Manager

Position Summary

Reporting to the VP of Brand Marketing, our Media & Public Relations Manager will play an important role in advancing Upstream’s strategic goals by identifying and pursuing media and public relations activities. This person will leverage media opportunities that elevate the organization’s national profile and brand, strategically position the organization as a thought leader in the larger healthcare space and protect and strengthen Upstream’s reputation as an organization that brings operational expertise to healthcare providers that want to embed patient-centered contraceptive care into their practice. The Media & Public Relations Manager will also pursue press and event opportunities that highlight the urgent and expanding need for equitable contraceptive care and increase our visibility among key stakeholders, including healthcare organizations, government leaders, the reproductive health field and the investor community. They will craft and shape narratives anchored in data that connect the persisting barriers to contraceptive access with the need to treat contraceptive care as basic healthcare

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic media plans to promote Upstream’s role as a trusted partner to healthcare organizations, including FQHCs, larger healthcare systems, local health systems and networks, and family planning clinics. 
• Identify and build relationships with journalists, editors, producers and media outlets that can help tell Upstream’s stories.
• Create innovative and engaging public relations and media campaigns in partnership with internal teams and external agency partners.
• Develop localized press strategies and relationships in priority geographies in partnership with the Vice President of Brand Marketing. 
• Create and edit compelling, data-driven pitches and press engagement materials (press releases, advisories, talking points, letters-to-the-editor, op-eds, fact sheets, and briefings). 
• Spearhead interview prep for organizational spokespeople, conducting research and curating relevant information from other departments.
• In collaboration with the Vice President of Brand Marketing, spearhead media trainings for Upstream employees and/or spokespeople as needed. 
• Support the development and launch of a formal messaging program; ensure organizational materials consistently articulate the organization’s mission and core messages. 
• Participate in social media strategy and content production, ensuring appropriate tone and positioning.
• Serve as a superuser for Meltwater (media monitoring software), track and analyze coverage of issues important to the organization; conduct reporter research, build press lists; determine and report on press metrics. 
• Maintain good relationships with media houses and freelance journalists.
• Proactively identify and draft proposals and nominations for speaking engagements and awards to elevate the profile of Upstream, its internal expertise and the impact it’s having in communities across the country. 
• Develop and execute plans for organizational events with external audiences, including press conferences, round table and panel discussions and site visits with any healthcare partner. 
• Additional duties as assigned

Required Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Ability

Upstream celebrates and fosters an inclusive work environment and encourages people of all identities, perspectives and backgrounds to apply.      

• BA/BS in journalism, communications, or similar field preferred 
• 5-7+ of experience in these fields or a combination of education and experience 
• Superior writing and editing skills, including demonstrated ability to understand and communicate complex, technical, or sensitive topics clearly, concisely, and engagingly.
• Strong pitching skills; approaches each media opportunity with a strategic mindset. 
• Experience in creating and managing issue campaigns that promote public awareness, social change, or policy reform, especially related to reproductive health.
• Experience collaborating with external affairs and/or fundraising teams to manage stakeholder relationships and public narratives
• Proven knowledge of media trends and a strong understanding of generating favorable traction in the media.
• Crisis communications experience is a plus. 
• Proficient in the Google suite of products; Meltwater experience a plus.

Highly Valued Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Ability 

• Demonstrated interest in reproductive health landscape and strong alignment with Upstream’s mission, values and Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) goals.
• Extremely organized and pays keen attention to details. 
• Deadline oriented and adept at developing and using work plans. 
• Confident and proactive self-starter with ability to take initiative and work well independently
• Highly collaborative with excellent interpersonal skills; Builds and maintains positive, productive relationships with colleagues and team members throughout the organization and across the country
• Finds excitement in working for a rapidly growing organization and can adjust/pivot quickly. 
• Exercises discretion and sound judgment
• Employs a creative and strategic approach to problem-solving
• Sense of humor

Other Upstream Staff Expectations

• Upstream USA’s COVID-19 Vaccine Policy requires employees to have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees must provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or, if applicable, request a medical or religious exemption. 
• All Upstreamers must also be able to attend work-related in-person meetings and functions as needed. 
• In our hybrid work environments, there is a basic expectation that our Upstreamers will ensure that their work from home setups will have reliable access to phone and Internet to ensure connectivity to their teams.
• At Upstream we gather for moments that matter for training, teaming and connection. Our teams come together for occasional in person meetings and organizational retreats. As part of our hybrid work practices, this travel expectation will be applicable for all Upstreamers, even those based remotely.
• Engage in EDI learning & development, community engagement, and culture building activities up to 5% FTE (i.e., 2 work hours per 40 hour work week). Examples include attending trainings, conferences and summits, volunteering time, participating in local community events, mentoring and learning, participating in Communities of Belonging or Culture Council, developing language acquisition, learning universal design principles, and using professional development benefits for EDI topics, among other activities.

Travel Requirements

This role will require up to 10% business travel. All Upstreamers can expect a minimum of 8 days of business travel per year to attend 1-2 annual organizational retreats and two annual team/department meetings.