Manager, Communications

Sutter Health; Los Altos (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

APR accreditation

Job summary

Sutter Health is seeking a senior communications leader to guide enterprise-wide campaigns, executive messaging, and internal communications across the system. You will shape strategies, approve content, and partner with marketing, legal, and operations to protect and enhance the brand.

Responsibilities include managing multidisciplinary teams, coordinating media relations, and measuring impact with analytics, while ensuring on-time, within-budget delivery across SH’s markets in California.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, PR or related field.
• 8 years of recent relevant communications experience.
• Experience leading enterprise-level campaigns and executive communications.

Responsibilities

• Oversees communications planning and implementation for SH’s campaigns.
• Manages vendor and agency relationships to ensure quality work.
• Leads internal communications, executive messaging, and media relations.

Skills

Strategic planning

Executive communications

Media relations

Project management

Internal communications

Education

Bachelor’s in Communications/PR or related field

Job description

We are so glad you are interested in joining Sutter Health!

Organization:

SHSO-Sutter Health System Office-Valley

Position Overview:

In coordination with the communications leadership team and marketing colleagues, oversees the creation of innovative communication plans, strategies, and messaging that engage Sutter Health (SH) stakeholder audiences in novel and compelling ways. Applies a proactive research-based approach to proposing, developing, and implementing creative campaigns that inspire, influence, and inform. Manages the design of creative and integrated campaigns, activities and events that utilize a variety of platforms, channels, assets, and vehicles, and partnering with multimedia, creative services, digital, social, brand and other teams on implementation. Promotes the SH brand and service lines through engaging content, photos, inspirational videos, and on-point messaging. Provides analytical support and guidance to multifunctional teams across assigned focus area and business initiatives to drive results that highlight SH’s competitive advantages, while enhancing SH’s brand reputation. May supervise communications staff, directly or indirectly, and directs contract communication professionals, to meet project deadlines on time and within budget. Evaluates communications plans and collateral periodically to ensure content effectiveness and distribution methods efficiencies.

Job Description :

These Principal Accountabilities, Requirements and Qualifications are not exhaustive, but are merely the most descriptive of the current job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, staff changes, workload, or technical development).

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:

COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Oversees and prioritizes the conceptualization, development, and implementation of the focus area’s communications campaigns that advance SH’s mission, strategic vision, and plan.
• Ensures deliverables are accurate, error-free, and timely; meet quality and strategic goals; produced within budget; achieve key performance/publication indicators; and adhere to editorial guidelines, and brand standards.
• Manages issues, risks, and/or project scope changes to ensure efficient use of resources, time, and budget.
• Procures the necessary requirements, such as workforce, project information and deliverables, various agreements, union considerations, material, or technology essential to successfully accomplish project objectives.
• Advances and undertakes research/audit initiatives that inform and assess effectiveness of proposed and existing communications strategies or channels on brand and reputation, employee perceptions and/or communications preferences, etc.
• Manage vendor, freelance and/or agency relationships to help ensure high-quality, cost-efficient communications.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Oversees and manages various functional teams and requests on select integrated marketing and communications projects, campaigns and programs for enterprise, market, ambulatory, acute and freestanding entities.
• Defines and communicates project objectives that are clear, useful, and attainable using a variety of best practices and standard processes to ensure operational efficiency and scalability.
• Procures the necessary requirements, such as workforce, project information and deliverables, various agreements, union considerations, material, or technology essential to successfully accomplish project objectives.
• Liaises with core and contracted team members, information systems, operations, communications, marketing, legal, and other cross-functional and cross- organizational departments to reduce risk of overall failure, to maximize benefits, and to minimize costs.

ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITIES BASED ON FOCUS AREA

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

• Proactively and strategically identifies, evaluates, and pursues communications, engagement and presentation opportunities for key senior executives that drive organizational strategy, increase system brand awareness, and positively position SH as an industry leader with high-impact target audiences including business partners; employers; and business, government, and community leaders.
• Develops communications/engagement strategies and content for key SH senior leadership team members, including writing and editing executive speeches, and developing engaging and inspiring complimentary visual presentations.
• Partners with social media team to build out and leverage social media platforms and strategy for senior executives.
• Enhances CEO and senior leader visibility through coordinated management of employee town halls, recognition events, systemwide employee and leader gatherings and intra-system visitations.
• Provides and arranges coaching for delivering senior executive level presentations and handling news media.
• Oversees senior executive subject matter expert bureau and continually collaborate with marketing and communications.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Serves as key communications advisor to leaders on employees, managers, and other constituent messaging, including communications for key projects and initiatives.
• Supports Human Resources (HR) Department in developing and executing HR-related communications strategies and announcements.
• Manages employee and manager/leader engagement strategies and approaches to foster a strong Sutter Health culture.
• Oversee content development and establish standards for internal communications, including newsletters, announcements, email, scripts, web pages, special reports, speeches, PowerPoint presentations, and videos.
• Supervise annual editorial calendars, content, and platforms for traditional and online internal communication in coordination with SH communication colleagues.
• Partners with leaders to support select issues and crisis communications involving internal audiences.
• Collaborates across Communications team to tell high-impact stories about our people and our patients through a variety of mediums and channels.

MEDIA RELATIONS

• Acts as a media spokesperson on behalf of the organization, including collaborating with leaders to determine priority messages, provide media training for identified spokespeople, address challenges, and detect opportunities.
• Identifies and develops strategies and processes that encourage and support a systemwide, integrated approach to collecting and sharing stories for external purposes.
• Develops media and public relations (PR) plans and strategies utilizing a multi-channel approach to promote Sutter Health’s brand and narrative, including in key markets and for priority service lines.
• Partners with other key stakeholders to create and drive content, stories, and assets for all types of media channels (traditional, owned, broadcast/radio, and social) while increasing positive brand recognition and managing SH’s reputation.
• Reviews and re-aligns strategic priorities continually based on evolving trends and needs.

ENTERPRISE STRATEGY & MARKET COMMUNICATIONS

• Facilitates activating the enterprise strategy in Sutter’s community-based markets to which they are assigned through strategic internal and external communications programs.

• Lead communications planning and implementation to support operationalizing the enterprise strategy, including collaborating with market dyad leaders, CEOs, and organizational strategy implementation (e.g. ambulatory growth, clinical service lines, patient experience, etc.)

• Responsible for integrated storytelling and PR for all target audiences, in close coordination with media and PR team

• Partner with external affairs, media, and issues team members on issues management in respective markets; partner with marketing on service lines, patient segmentation, and health plan products.

• Manages the development and implementation of communications strategies, plans and approaches to support the key priorities and initiatives of SH medical foundations, and also serves as the key communications advisor to system and market leaders on employee, manager, and other constituent messaging.

• Oversees the design of strategic communications, engagement strategies and content to build SH recognition and reputation among targeted community leaders, groups, and organizations.

• Develops and implements multi-channel approaches (print, digital, social, etc.) to help advance Sutter Health’s enterprise business strategy with key audiences and impacted constituents.

• Collaborates with media relations team to support in market and service line media requests and support leader prep and media coaching.

PHYSICIAN/CLINICIAN ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

• Oversees the development and execution of communications strategies and plans that support physician engagement, facilitate a quality patience experience, and improve clinician communications.

• Designs and delivers communications initiatives that utilize best practices and innovation to improve and engage bi- directional conversations with patients, their families, and physicians.

• Reviews and evaluates quantitative and qualitative metrics/analytics that measure patient satisfaction and physician effectiveness, and then uses that insight to adjust communication strategies and plans accordingly.

• Supports leaders in planning and orchestrating communications aspects of multiple key annual meetings, including clinician meetings/activities, the Physician and Advanced Practice Clinician (APC) Symposium, and physician town halls.

• Coordinates with medical group leaders on communications needs and to advance organizational priorities.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS/ISSUES MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATIONS

• Oversees development of multi-audience communications and media relations strategies and tactics, in partnership with leadership and legal counsel, to proactively manage issues, respond to urgent crisis situations, effective influence, inform, and educate external audiences.

• Manages responses, in conjunction with legal, to media on issues that may affect our reputation internally, externally or with key partners and suppliers.

• In coordination with communications, external affairs, and others, may build and maintains partnerships with external individuals, organizations, and elected officials, including identifying opportunities for new partnerships and programs.

• At the request of leaders, serve as a spokesperson for online, print, radio, and television interviews, or prepare and manage interviews with identified leaders.

• Identify, research and plan social networking/digital media opportunities and other emerging communication strategies to build and maintain SH’s reputation.

• Serve as a communications consultant to Sutter Health and various entities on crisis communications and issues management.

COLLABORATION

• Fosters a collaborative and creative work environment that encourages and develops innovative storytelling and accurate informational material using a variety of best practices and standardized processes that engage, inspire, and educate targeted audiences.
• Partners with SH communications colleagues on the planning and implementation of initiatives to integrate messaging integration across broader SH public affairs, communications, and marketing strategies.
• Encourages team members to achieve results, hone communication and writing skills, take informed risks, and provide stellar customer service.
• Uses personal initiative, creativity, strong judgment, constituent research, and strong constituent relationships to manage communications for designated audience.
• Encourages and cultivates focus-area news and stories to share with and inspire systemwide audiences through strong relationships with subject matter experts.
• Plays an active role in the operations (including budget) and the continuous improvement of the department through mentorship, training, and collaborative meetings/symposiums.

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS

• Oversees quantitative and qualitative metrics and analytics to track, measure, and evaluate engagement, effectiveness, and processes, while identifying opportunities to advance communications strategies.
• Balances new project requests against resource demands, business roadmaps, healthcare trends, and operational requirements.

EDUCATION:

Equivalent experience will be accepted in lieu of the required degree or diploma.

Bachelor’s: Communications, English, Journalism, Public Relations (PR), or related field

TYPICAL EXPERIENCE:

8 years recent relevant experience

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

Comprehensive knowledge of strategic communications planning, social networking, graphic standards/corporate identity management, graphic design principles, news/feature/speech/online/script writing and editing techniques, publications development/production/management, principles of photography and audio/video production, audience list maintenance and special events coordination.

Thorough understanding of communications planning, graphic design and production, multi-media, brand management, publications, digital channels (web, social, etc.), special events, leadership presentations and research.

Expert communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, presentation and negotiation competencies, with the ability to interpret corporate goals and translate them into an effective communications/constituent relations plan.

Business acumen and exceptional analytic skills with the proven ability to provide innovative communication solutions to complex problems and to meet business objectives.

Demonstrated understanding of regional, state, and national health care and medicine issues, Northern California current events, and cultural and health care trends.

Exceptional attention to detail with time management and organization skills, including the demonstrated ability to maintain production schedules and strictly adhere to multiple timelines and budgets.

Working knowledge of selecting/hiring third-party talent for creative services, graphic design and production, publication development and management, market research and advertising.

Proficient computer skills, including advance competency in Microsoft Office suite and a solid knowledge of graphic design, data management, and statistical analysis software.

Synthesize information and ideas across a variety of subject matter areas and to create communication plans that generate an engaging and positive reader experience.

Articulate a vision, translate complex business ideas into lay terms, work with staff at all levels of the organization. Assess and understand target audience attitudes, opinions, and preferences.

Manage, prioritize, adapt, and drive numerous projects with multiple and rapidly changing priorities while still delivering quality communications on-time and on-budget.

Foster a collaborative environment, to influence individuals or groups with diverse opinions and to enlist cooperation without direct control/authority.

Negotiate effectively with staff, senior management, vendors, media partnerships, external agencies, and organizations. Identify and resolve technical, operational, and organizational problems using policies, procedures and department plan.

Establish, build, and maintain effective working relationships with peers, stakeholders, executives, external agencies, consultants, and relevant industry influencers.

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from PRSA

Job Shift:

Days

Schedule:

Full Time

Days of the Week:

Monday - Friday

Weekend Requirements:

Occasionally

Benefits:

Yes

Unions:

No

Position Status:

Exempt

Weekly Hours:

40

Employee Status:

Regular

Sutter Health is an equal opportunity employer EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans.

Pay Range is $129,188.80 to $193,772.80 / annual salary

The posted pay range is based on the position’s primary work location. Candidates who reside and work outside of that location may be subject to a different pay range based on their work location. Candidate starting salaries consider multiple factors, including, but not limited to a candidate’s experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, departmental equity, training, and organizational needs. Base pay is only one component of Sutter Health’s comprehensive total rewards program. Eligible positions also include a comprehensive benefits package.