Creative Writer

Job Summary

The Creative Writer crafts original, high-quality, and accessible public-facing content to translate the technical and programmatic findings of the LEAP Centre into clear narratives. Core daily duties include auditing complex scientific files, writing white papers, reports, and op-eds for donor networks, managing web copy across social channels, drafting treatments and voice-over scripts for video assets, and building promotional toolkits for global health events.

Foundational Academic & Experience Prerequisites

• Academic Credentials: A completed undergraduate university degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Health, International Development, or a writing-intensive equivalent discipline.
• Proven Content Tenure: Minimum of 3 to 5 years of professional writing experience, with a documented portion developed within a global health, academic, clinical, or research-adjacent ecosystem.
• Documented Creative Portfolio: A verified portfolio of distributed or published written assets, containing at least one long-form piece (such as an institutional report, research white paper, detailed case study, or long-form feature article).
• Technical Translation Skill: Proven capacity to translate complex scientific data, implementation findings, and clinical methodologies into clear, compelling stories for non-specialist audiences.
• Cross-Cultural Collaborative Skills: Strong interpersonal skills with the flexibility to work effectively with diverse teams of researchers, international program leads, and local implementation partners.
• Operational Independence: Excellent organizational habits, showing the ability to manage strict project deadlines, set content priorities, and maintain high editorial quality independently.

Preferred Technical Multipliers

• Advanced Academic Foundation: A Master's degree in Global Health Communications, Public Health (MPH), or an advanced writing-intensive discipline.
• Multi-Platform Web Literacy: Direct experience using modern web Content Management Systems (CMS) and writing high-impact copy for specialized social media profiles.
• Multimedia Scripting Experience: Background in drafting story treatments, video production outlines, or voice-over scripts for technical or educational video assets.
• Development & Donor Strategy Familiarity: Familiarity with the specific communication styles, grant-reporting rules, and messaging preferences of international health funds, non-profits, and global donor networks.

Key Responsibilities

1. Institutional Editorial Voice & Strategic Written Communications

• Define, document, and enforce the official editorial voice, style guidelines, and written identity of the LEAP Centre to ensure consistency across all communication channels.
• Support the creation and rollout of LEAP's comprehensive engagement and communication strategies alongside Centre Leadership and the LEAP Program Manager.
• Draft high-impact internal and external written materials that clearly articulate the Centre’s mission, including annual reports, donor newsletters, briefing papers, and case studies.
• Manage, refresh, and optimize written copy across the LEAP Centre's website landing pages and social media channels in alignment with PIH, UGHE, and LEAP standards.

2. Translating Complex Technical Data into Compelling Stories

• Serve as the primary bridge between LEAP’s technical research teams and the public, transforming complex implementation data into engaging public narratives.
• Interview and collaborate with LEAP researchers, field leads, and frontline medical partners to draw out key insights from complex datasets.
• Author authoritative, high-quality knowledge products—including technical white papers, policy briefs, and research reports—to ensure findings are clear and impactful for policymakers.
• Provide layout, design, and formatting oversight for key knowledge materials to ensure strict compliance with institutional branding rules.

3. Audiovisual Storytelling & Script Development

• Write detailed scripts, story Treatments, and voice-over copy for LEAP video and multimedia productions, ensuring all narrative arcs match institutional goals.
• Partner with the core UGHE Marketing and Communications team and regional field communications offices to build comprehensive strategy frameworks for audiovisual storytelling.
• Turn dry data, timelines, and program milestones into engaging visual summaries and story treatments.

4. Event Promotion, Messaging & Cross-Functional Integration

• Write and manage promotional materials for LEAP-hosted events, including international webinars, research workshops, policy convenings, and platform launches.
• Build integrated communication toolkits, email outreach flows, and follow-up assets to keep attendees engaged after events conclude.
• Serve as an active member of the central UGHE Marketing and Communications team, helping with broader institutional writing needs and cross-department assignments.

Core Competencies & Writing Strengths

• Multi-Format Content Structuring: The ability to easily shift writing styles between rigorous, academic technical reports and engaging, public-facing op-eds or social copy.
• Information Extraction: Strong interview skills to extract clear, human-centered insights from deeply technical scientific or medical profiles.
• Narrative Branding Integrity: Uncompromising attention to maintaining stylistic rules, terminology definitions, and brand guidelines across different publications.
• Global Health Contextual Literacy: A solid understanding of health systems strengthening, equity frameworks, and international development challenges.
• High-Efficiency Revision Habits: The ability to process technical edit requests, source corrections, and layout updates from multiple stakeholders quickly without losing clarity.

Skills Required:

• Communication / Pr / Journalism
• Health / Medical