Director, External Communications

City of Hope; Zion (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive bonus

Job summary

City of Hope Chicago is seeking a Director, External Communications to lead the strategy, planning, and execution of all external communications initiatives. This role requires strong project management and a results-oriented mindset in a fast-paced environment.

The Director will oversee media relations, executive communications, social media, influencer engagement, and community outreach, ensuring brand standards across platforms and collaborating with internal teams and agency partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years in marketing, communications, public relations, or related field.
• At least two (2) years in leadership or people management.
• Healthcare marketing and communications experience preferred.
• Experience in media relations, social media, digital marketing, and strategic communications.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of external communications for City of Hope Chicago.
• Oversee monthly public relations planning, aligning internal teams and external partners.
• Serve as a brand steward, ensuring consistent voice and messaging across channels.
• Collaborate with system-level teams and cross-functional partners on initiatives and content.
• Monitor, measure, and report performance; maintain market presence through events and media opportunities.

Skills

Media relations

Social media management

Digital marketing

Strategic communications

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field

Job description

Director, External Communications

About City of Hope,
City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S., and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked top 5 in the nation for cancer care by U.S. News & World Report at its core, City of Hope’s uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas.

The successful candidate:

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, the Director of External Communications leads the strategy, planning, and execution of all external communications initiatives for City of Hope Chicago. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining a coordinated, consistent communications approach across media relations, executive communications, social media, influencer engagement, and community outreach.

The Director oversees the development and execution of the monthly public relations plan, ensuring alignment across internal teams, agency partners, and cross-functional stakeholders. This position requires exceptional project management skills to prioritize initiatives, manage timelines, drive execution, and deliver measurable results.

Serving as a key brand steward, the Director ensures that City of Hope's voice, messaging, and brand standards are consistently reflected across all communications channels. The role works closely with internal teams and agency partners to develop content, advance strategic initiatives, and maintain quality and consistency across platforms. Strong collaboration with system-level communications teams, Business Development, Brand, and Social Media teams is essential.

In addition, the Director leads internal communications related to public relations initiatives, ensuring clinical and non-clinical stakeholders are informed, aligned, and equipped to support organizational priorities. The role is responsible for monitoring, measuring, and reporting communication performance while maintaining an active presence in the market through press conferences, community events, media opportunities, and brand activations.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, collaborative, and results-oriented communications professional who excels at translating strategy into execution in a fast-paced environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of education requirements.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in marketing, communications, public relations, or a related field.
• Minimum of two (2) years of leadership or people management experience.
• At least one (1) year of healthcare marketing and communications experience.
• Demonstrated experience in media relations, social media management, digital marketing, and strategic communications.
• Strong project management, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication abilities.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

City of Hope employees pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.

This position is eligible for an annual incentive bonus.

Please note: City of Hope is committed to a safe and transparent hiring experience. Please be aware that scammers may attempt to impersonate our organization through fake job postings, emails or interviews.