Junior Media Relations / Public Affairs

Leidos currently has a contingent opening for a Junior Media Relations/Public Affairs position to work between our Reston, VA office and the customer site in Falls Church, VA. This is an exciting opportunity to use your experience helping the Defense Health Agency mission. In this mission we… support the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and Military Health System (MHS) Communications and Public Affairs teams in executing a high-visibility media relations program that informs key audiences about military health and medicine. The Junior Media Relations/Public Affairs professional will work as part of an integrated communications team supporting Government public affairs officers with media inquiries, media monitoring, interview preparation, daily reporting, research, and proactive media outreach. This position is well suited for an early-career communications professional with strong writing, research, organizational, and analytical skills who can produce accurate and timely work in a fast-paced public affairs environment.

Primary Responsibilities.

• Assist Government public affairs officers with execution of the DHA/MHS media relations mission, including receiving, researching, tracking, and supporting the development of responses to daily media inquiries.
• Conduct research to support media responses and ensure information is accurate, relevant, and coordinated in accordance with established Government procedures.
• Assist with development of media interview preparation packages for leaders and subject matter experts, including anticipated questions and recommended responses, reporter background, previous related engagements, and relevant media coverage.
• Conduct daily and overnight monitoring of national, industry, and other relevant news sources to identify media coverage affecting DHA, the Military Health System, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.
• Support preparation of the MHS Early Bird, a daily news clips product containing relevant media coverage for distribution to Military Health System leaders and public affairs teams worldwide by 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time each workday.
• Assist with preparation of Medical Media Highlights, an executive-level daily report identifying the three to six most significant media stories for MHS and DHA communications leadership.
• Monitor breaking news throughout the workday and assist in identifying and elevating emerging stories that may affect DHA, MHS components, or senior leadership.
• Support development of special-topic media monitoring reports as requested by Government leadership.
• Assist with preparation and distribution of the daily media Situation Report (SITREP) summarizing open media inquiries, press releases, media advisories, and priority media coverage.
• Conduct topical research to support proactive media outreach, including identifying potential story angles, media opportunities, and relevant reporters or publications.
• Assist with development of media pitches, talking points, background materials, and other media preparation products.
• Support media training and interview preparation activities for leaders and subject matter experts.
• Assist with media analysis by tracking coverage, media placements, message penetration, and accuracy of reporting.
• Review media coverage and help identify emerging communications issues, opportunities, and trends.
• Maintain organized records of media inquiries, engagements, media pitches, monitoring products, and other public affairs activities.
• Coordinate with Government public affairs officers, communications professionals, subject matter experts, and other team members to ensure assigned products are accurate, timely, and properly formatted.

Basic Qualifications.

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, English, Political Science, or a related field and a minimum of 1 year of relevant professional experience in media relations, public affairs, strategic communications, journalism, or a related discipline.
• Experience may include professional employment, internships, fellowships, military public affairs assignments, or other relevant communications experience.
• Demonstrated writing, editing, research, and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity with media relations, public affairs, journalism, news cycles, or strategic communications principles.
• Ability to research information from multiple sources and develop clear, concise, and accurate written products.
• Familiarity with media monitoring and the ability to identify relevant news coverage and emerging issues.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and meet established deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to follow established processes, templates, editorial standards, and Government direction.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team and communicate professionally with Government customers, communications professionals, leaders, and subject matter experts.
• Ability and willingness to support early-morning media monitoring and reporting requirements associated with daily communications products.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.
• Familiarity with media monitoring, online research, social media, or communications management tools is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications.

• Prior military or civilian service is preferable.
• Experience supporting the Defense Health Agency, Military Health System, DoD, or other federal health or defense organizations.
• Experience working in healthcare communications, military public affairs, or headquarters-level strategic communications environments.
• Familiarity with SOP development, communications governance, and enterprise communications toolkits.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.