Amanda Fine
Washington,DC
Summary
Strategic communications executive with 15+ years of experience advising senior leaders, shaping public policy narratives, and leading enterprise-wide communications and stakeholder engagement across large, mission-driven organizations. Expert in guiding institutional messaging, crisis response, organizational transformation, and executive positioning to drive impact at scale. Proven ability to align communications strategy with organizational goals, navigate sensitive issues, and build trust across internal and external audiences.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Deputy of Public Affairs
National Institutes of Health
12.2024 - Current
- Company Overview: the world’s largest biomedical research agency with a $48B annual budget, 27 Institutes and Centers, 20,000+ staff, and global partnerships in over 100 countries.
- Lead strategic communications and public affairs for the National Institutes of Health.
- Serve as senior advisor to NIH leadership and scientific directors on communications strategy, policy alignment, executive visibility, and risk management for high-stakes and politically sensitive issues.
- Designed and executed NIH’s first enterprise-wide communications centralization—leading organizational redesign, workforce realignment, and change management across all 27 Institutes and Centers.
- Strategically lead high-stakes stakeholder engagements on complex public health topics (e.g., autism research), aligning external coalitions with NIH leadership to strengthen relationships and advance agency priorities.
- Act as agency spokesperson, amplifying executive leadership and securing major national coverage (e.g., NYT, CNN, NPR, Washington Post); in 2024, helped drive 400K+ media mentions and a global reach of 1.2B+.
- Develop high-impact executive messaging, speeches, and institutional narratives to support agency policy, funding, and research agendas.
- Oversee NIH’s social media strategy, growing audiences to 3.4M+ and increasing annual engagement by 2.6% through targeted, data-informed campaigns.
- The world’s largest biomedical research agency with a $48B annual budget, 27 Institutes and Centers, 20,000+ staff, and global partnerships in over 100 countries.
Chief, Strategic Communications and Media Relations Branch
National Institutes of Health
12.2019 - 12.2024
- Directed enterprise-wide media relations and digital content strategy during a period of rapid growth and crisis response.
- Oversaw development of 200+ multimedia products annually and responded to 3,000–4,000 media inquiries per year, maintaining unified, mission-aligned agency messaging.
- Spearheaded crisis communications strategy during high-profile challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic—ensuring consistent public messaging and internal alignment.
- Strengthened NIH’s communications workforce by leading cross-agency training, delivering strategic counsel, and disseminating best practices.
Public Affairs Specialist
National Institutes of Health
06.2012 - 12.2019
- Supported NIH communications through writing, media relations, and rapid-response strategy during a time of increasing public scrutiny of science and government.
- Developed press materials, talking points, and media campaigns to promote NIH-funded research and public health priorities.
- Managed media relationships, coordinated expert interviews, and corrected misinformation to ensure public understanding of science.
- Monitored media coverage and sentiment to inform strategy and support NIH’s public positioning.
Communication Specialist
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
10.2010 - 06.2012
- Led strategic communications for national campaigns focused on health privacy and equity.
- Managed a federal public education campaign on health data privacy and nondiscrimination, including production of a video that reached 500K+ viewers.
- Directed a full redesign of the campaign website, incorporating user research to improve accessibility and engagement.
- Coordinated regional stakeholder meetings with community-based health organizations to ensure inclusive messaging.
Communication Manager
American Institute of Architects
01.2010 - 12.2010
Graduate Associate
International Medical Corps
01.2010 - 12.2010
Graduate Associate
Hollywood, Health & Society
01.2009 - 12.2010
Graduate Associate
Human Rights Watch
01.2009 - 12.2009
Research Assistant
University of Southern California
01.2008 - 12.2008
Office Manager
Peikoff Mahan Law Office
01.2004 - 12.2007
Education
MA - Global Media & Communications
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA01.2009
MSc - Global Media & Communications
London School of Economics
London, UK01.2008
BFA - Film & Television Production
New York University
New York, NY01.2004
Skills
- Strategic Communications
- Executive Counsel
- Organizational Transformation
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Crisis Management
- Policy Influence
- Brand Strategy
- Media Relations
- Digital Campaigns
Advisory Roles And Honors
- Guest Lecturer, Marketing & Communications Department, George Washington University
- Member, NIH Working Groups on Policy, Scientific Workforce, DEIA, and Harassment
- Recipient, NIH Director’s Awards for Communications Excellence
Timeline
Deputy of Public Affairs
National Institutes of Health
12.2024 - Current
Chief, Strategic Communications and Media Relations Branch
National Institutes of Health
12.2019 - 12.2024
Public Affairs Specialist
National Institutes of Health
06.2012 - 12.2019
Communication Specialist
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
10.2010 - 06.2012
Communication Manager
American Institute of Architects
01.2010 - 12.2010
Graduate Associate
International Medical Corps
01.2010 - 12.2010
Graduate Associate
Hollywood, Health & Society
01.2009 - 12.2010
Graduate Associate
Human Rights Watch
01.2009 - 12.2009
Research Assistant
University of Southern California
01.2008 - 12.2008
Office Manager
Peikoff Mahan Law Office
01.2004 - 12.2007
MA - Global Media & Communications
University of Southern California
MSc - Global Media & Communications
London School of Economics
BFA - Film & Television Production
New York University
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