Director Strategic Communications & Digital Content

College-of-American-Pathologists; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 138,000 - 176,000; Full time

Job summary

College of American Pathologists seeks a Director of Strategic Communications and Digital Content to lead integrated digital strategies that advance CAP’s mission across web, email, social media, and analytics. You will shape governance standards, editorial workflows, and audience-centric content while guiding a distributed team and coordinating with cross-functional partners.

The role focuses on optimizing CAP.org, improving engagement, and delivering measurable organizational impact through

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, marketing, or a related field is required.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, digital communications, content strategy, digital marketing, or a related field, including experience leading teams and enterprise-level digital initiatives.
• Experience in a medical association, health care organization, or mission-driven organization is preferred.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and strong leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of integrated communications strategies supporting CAP’s mission and priorities.
• Provide governance standards, publishing practices, editorial workflows, and accountability for digital communications.
• Oversee CAP.org content governance, information architecture, usability, accessibility, and SEO.
• Establish goals, KPIs, measurement frameworks, and reporting for digital channels and campaigns.
• Lead, coach, and develop digital communications staff; manage resources, vendors, and contracts.
• Collaborate across technology, marketing, product, and business units to enhance audience experience.

Skills

Enterprise digital strategy

Digital governance

Audience-centric content

Analytics & measurement

Cross-functional leadership

CMS

Email platforms

Analytics tools

Social media tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications PR marketing

Tools

CMS

Email platforms

Analytics tools

Social media management tools

Job description

Hybrid, in-office three days per week either Northfield, Illinois, or Washington, DC, office.

Brief Description

Reporting to the Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Periodicals, the Director, Strategic Communications and Digital Content leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of integrated communications and digital strategies that advance the CAP’s mission and organizational priorities. The Director provides enterprise leadership for the CAP’s digital communications ecosystem, including website content strategy and governance, email, social media, search, analytics, audience development, multimedia, and emerging digital platforms.

The position establishes standards, facilitates integrated planning, and uses audience insights and performance data to improve engagement, strengthen the CAP brand, and demonstrate measurable organizational impact. The Director leads the digital communications team and serves as a strategic advisor to colleagues and cross-functional partners.

Specific Duties

Primary duties and responsibilities:

Strategic Communications:

• Lead the development and execution of integrated communications strategies supporting the CAP’s mission, enterprise priorities, member engagement, customer engagement, advocacy, and reputation.
• Translate organizational priorities into audience-centered communications objectives, channel strategies, messaging frameworks, and measurable outcomes.
• Advise senior leaders and internal partners on digital communications opportunities, risks, audience needs, and emerging trends.
• Ensure coordination across strategic communications, marketing, creative services, advocacy, membership, education, and business units.

Digital Communications Strategy and Governance:

• Establish and lead the CAP’s enterprise digital communications strategy across web, email, social media, search, multimedia, podcasts, and emerging channels.
• Develop governance standards, publishing practices, editorial workflows, and accountability measures that promote consistent, accessible, accurate, and high-quality digital communications.
• Lead a website distributed content model by providing strategic direction, consultation, standards, training, and oversight to content contributors across the organization.
• Define channel roles and audience journeys to ensure that digital platforms work together as an integrated ecosystem.

Website, Search, and Digital Experience:

• Provide strategic oversight for CAP.org content, including governance, information architecture, content quality, user experience, accessibility, search optimization, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with technology, user experience, product, marketing, and business teams to identify and prioritize enhancements to digital functionality and audience experience.
• Ensure digital content is current, accurate, audience-centered, accessible, and aligned with CAP brand and editorial standards.
• Lead the communications approach to search visibility, including SEO and evolving answer-engine and generative-engine optimization practices.

Audience Engagement, Analytics, and Optimization

• Establish goals, KPIs, measurement frameworks, and reporting practices for the CAP’s digital communications channels and campaigns.
• Use quantitative and qualitative audience insights to evaluate performance, identify opportunities, and improve content, channels, campaigns, and user journeys.
• Present performance metrics, findings, and actionable recommendations to communications leadership, senior executives, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Guide audience segmentation, testing, personalization, and channel optimization strategies to improve engagement and organizational impact.
• Connect digital communications performance to organizational objectives rather than reporting channel activity alone.

Team, Operations, and Innovation

• Lead, coach, and develop digital communications staff while establishing clear priorities, roles, workflows, and performance expectations.
• Manage digital communications resources, vendors, agencies, contracts, and provide input on budgets.
• Promote collaboration, experimentation, and responsible adoption of new technologies.
• Monitor developments in artificial intelligence, search, content distribution, platform algorithms, privacy, and audience behavior, recommending appropriate responses for the CAP.
• Ensure digital communications practices comply with applicable accessibility, privacy, copyright, brand, and organizational policies.

Knowledge/Skills Required/Preferred

• Expertise in enterprise digital communications strategy across web, email, social media, search, podcast, and multimedia channels.
• Demonstrated experience establishing digital governance, content standards, workflows, and shared accountability.
• Strong understanding of audience-centered content strategy, user experience, accessibility, SEO/AEO/GEO, analytics, and digital measurement.
• Ability to translate analytics and digital trends into clear strategic recommendations for senior leadership.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives through influence, consultation, and relationship-building.
• Understanding of audience segmentation, testing, personalization, content distribution, and channel optimization.
• Familiarity with content management systems, email platforms, social media management tools, analytics platforms, and digital collaboration tools.
• Knowledge of emerging artificial intelligence applications and their implications for content development, search, governance, and communications.
• Experience overseeing vendors, agencies, and contracts.
• Strong editorial judgment and the ability to communicate complex medical, scientific, or organizational subjects clearly.

Education/Experience

Education:

• A bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, marketing, or a related field is required.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, digital communications, content strategy, digital marketing, or a related field, including experience leading teams and enterprise-level digital initiatives.
• Experience in a medical association, health care organization, professional society, or similarly complex, mission-driven organization is preferred.

Skills:

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Proficiency in digital media tools, analytics platforms, and content management systems.
• Crisis management experience and a proven ability to communicate effectively under pressure.

Additional Criteria

• Hybrid, in-office three days per week either Northfield, Illinois, or Washington, DC, office.
• Some weekend work required
• Travel expected as needed for organizational and other meetings on pathology and laboratory medicine field.
• Salary: $138,000 - $176,000