Communications & External Affairs Manager

Washington Association for Community Health; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life and Disability Insurance

11 paid holidays + 3 floating holidays

PTO 21 days first year (increasing)

403(b) retirement plan with 3% contrib

Family + Bereavement Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Paid Family + Medical Leave premiums

WF compensation premiums

Job summary

Washington Association for Community Health (WACH) is seeking a Communications & External Affairs Manager in Olympia, WA. The role leads communications, external engagement, and advocacy initiatives to advance organizational priorities and increase visibility with health centers, policymakers, funders, and partners.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field and 5+ years in communications, public affairs, or nonprofit settings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, public affairs, political science, public policy, journalism, or related field.
• Five+ years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public affairs, advocacy communications, stakeholder engagement, nonprofit communications, association management, or related fields.
• Experience developing communications strategies and managing complex communications projects.
• Experience writing for executive leaders, policymakers, stakeholders, or public audiences.
• Experience coordinating work across multiple departments or stakeholder groups.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of WACH's annual communications plan and priorities.
• Manage editorial calendar and coordinate activities across departments.
• Identify opportunities to elevate community health center priorities through articles, conferences, coalitions, and thought leadership.
• Supervise communications staff.
• Develop advocacy resources and materials for member-informed advocacy priorities with policy team.
• Coordinate and execute advocacy events, including annual state and federal legislative days.
• Support media outreach when aligned with priorities.
• Contribute content to newsletters, blogs, publications, and reports.

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications

Tools

Salesforce

Website CMS

Job description

Communications & External Affairs Manager

Olympia, WA 98501

Job ID: AZ3034-3

Advertised Job Type: Permanent - Full-time regular employment

Work Type: Hybrid

Who We Are

At the Washington Association for Community Health, we bring community health centers together to collaborate and expand access to high-quality health care statewide. We help community health centers navigate state and federal policy, provide evidence-based health care, and problem solve as a group. Our services include workforce development programs, technical assistance and training, and policy advocacy.

Position Summary

The Communications & External Affairs Manager leads implementation of WACH's communications, external engagement, and advocacy communications efforts. This position serves as a key partner in advancing WACH's organizational priorities through strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, member mobilization, and external visibility.

The Manager works across departments to translate organizational priorities, policy initiatives, and community health center impact into clear, compelling, and actionable communications. The position manages organization-wide communications planning, editorial strategy, advocacy communications, executive messaging, and external engagement activities.

This position works closely with the Policy team to support member-informed advocacy priorities and works collaboratively across the organization to strengthen WACH's visibility, influence, and engagement with community health centers, policymakers, funders, partners, and other key audiences.

Essential Functions

• Lead development and implementation of WACH's annual communications plan and communications priorities.
• Manage the organization's editorial calendar and coordinate communications activities across departments.
• Identify opportunities to elevate community health center priorities through articles, publications, conference presentations, coalition communications, engagement in government workgroups/committees, and strategic thought leadership.
• Supervise communications staff.
• Develop and maintain advocacy resources and communication materials that support member-informed advocacy priorities. This includes collaboration with the policy team to create and maintain advocacy toolkits, issue briefs, talking points, presentations, and educational materials for health centers and WACH leadership.
• Develop, coordinate, and execute advocacy related events, including annual state and federal legislative days.
• Support selective media outreach and earned media opportunities when aligned with organizational priorities.
• Contribute content to newsletters, blogs, publications, presentations, reports, and other communications channels.

Position Requirements

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentialfunctions.

• Familiarity with Washington State health policy, community health centers, or healthcare delivery systems.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including an ability to clearly translate and communicate information and analyses for various audiences.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, as well as attention to detail.
• Familiarity with the state and federal legislative processes, including budget and policy development.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, website content management systems, and/or other CRM/marketing platforms.
• Ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and adapt to change.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, public affairs, political science, public policy, journalism, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public affairs, advocacy communications, stakeholder engagement, nonprofit communications, association management, or related fields.
• Experience developing communications strategies and managing complex communications projects.
• Experience writing for executive leaders, policymakers, stakeholders, or public audiences.
• Experience coordinating work across multiple departments or stakeholder groups.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience working in a healthcare, nonprofit, association, public policy, membership organization, or advocacy environment.
• Experience supervising staff or leading cross-functional initiatives.

Additional Requirements

• Must possess reliable and dependable transportation.
• Working indoors in an office setting.
• The Association supports hybrid models of work, both in person and remote.
• The hybrid model requires at least 2 days in the office.

Position Information:

FLSA: Full-Time Non-Exempt

Salary Range: $75,524 to $117,015 DOEE. The anticipated hiring range for external candidates is $75,524 - $96,322 with the upper portion of the range reserved for internal advancement and growth.

Location: Hybrid Olympia, WA

• Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance including supplemental Life Insurance.
• Eleven (11) paid holidays and three (3) Floating Holidays.
• 1.75 Paid Time Off (PTO) days accrued monthly (21 days annually) for the first year of employment (increasing one day per year of employment).
• 403(b) Retirement Plan Employer Contribution (following 90-day new employee probationary period) with three percent (3%) employer contribution).
• Family + Bereavement Leave.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Washington Paid Family + Medical Leave tax premiums.
• Washington Worker's Compensation Fund tax premiums.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. We reaffirm our collective commitment to a workplace free of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.