Manager of Communications and Mission Advance

Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation; Illinois; On-site; USD 68,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

SIHF HEALTH360 is seeking a Manager of Communications and Mission Advancement to design and lead our enterprise-wide communication strategy. This role advances our mission-based, customer-first, integrated health model and serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership.

The position builds systems for message clarity, aligns communications across councils and partnerships, and translates data and outcomes into compelling narratives that inspire staff, patients, and the community.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in communications.
• Healthcare, nonprofit, or mission-based sector experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide communications strategy and branding.
• Translate data into compelling narratives for stakeholders.
• Oversee internal culture communications and leadership messaging.
• Coordinate external communications and media relations.
• Advise executives on mission advancement and development expansion.

Skills

Change communications

Brand management

Media relations

Crisis communications

Storytelling

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Communications/PR/Marketing

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Manager of Communications and Mission Advance

Management E, IL, US

Salary Range: $68,000.00 To $80,000.00 Annually

At SIHF HEALTH360, culture is not separate from performance — it drives it.

Every team member is expected to model and reinforce our commitment to Every Customer, Every Time through:

• Compassion in Action – Lead with empathy, dignity, and respect.
• Ownership & Follow-through – Take responsibility, follow through, and close the loop.
• Clarity & Transparency – Communicate openly, consistently, and respectfully.
• One-Team Integration – Collaborate across team and community to elevate whole-person health.
• Equity & Community Voice – Center consumers and communities in our cultural narrative and decisions.

The Manager of Communications and Mission Advancement plays a central role in making SIHF HEALTH360 visible, measurable, and lived across the organization.

HEALTH360 LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS (REQUIRED)

• Clarity – Explains the “why” behind messaging and change.
• Connection – Builds authentic relationships across councils, locations, and partners.
• Coaching – Develops leaders in communication excellence.
• Courage – Addresses misinformation or cultural drift quickly and constructively.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manager of Communications and Mission Advancement is a strategic leader responsible for designing and leading the enterprise-wide communication strategy that advances SIHF HEALTH360 through our mission-based, customer-first, integrated health model.

The Manager of Communications and Mission Advancement serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, builds systems for message clarity and engagement, and translates data and outcomes into compelling narratives that inspire employees, patients, partners, and the community. This role serves as a sponsor for SIHF HEALTH360 Mission and Leadership Council while operating in an advisory capacity to all other integrated leadership councils. This role ensures that internal and external messaging reinforces our culture, strengthens trust, supports operational excellence, and elevates our brand as a leader in whole-person, community-centered care.

Phase Two Expansion:

Following successful implementation of the SIHF HEALTH360 communications platform, this role may expand to include Development and Fundraising strategy aligned with mission growth and sustainability.

HOW THIS ROLE ADVANCES SIHF HEALTH360

This role directly supports the SIHF HEALTH360 transformation by:

• Building a unified narrative that connects culture, patient experience, clinical outcomes, access, and equity.
• Translating dashboard metrics into meaningful stories that reinforce accountability and transparency.
• Creating leadership communication systems that align all around shared priorities.
• Integrating the Voice of the Customer into internal messaging and improvement cycles.
• Elevating trust, engagement, marketing consistency, and brand reputation by aligning communications and campaigns to culture metrics, service priorities, and outcomes dashboards.
• Positioning SIHF HEALTH360 as a regional and national model for integrated health.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. SIHF HEALTH360 Brand & Narrative Leadership

• Own and operationalize the SIHF HEALTH360 brand architecture, voice, and messaging framework.
• Ensure consistent integration of SIHF HEALTH360 pillars (Compassion, Purpose, Access, Experience, Dignity, 360° Integration) across all communication channels.
• Develop visual and language standards to reinforce brand recognition across all sites.

Measures of Success:

• Brand consistency and scores across materials
• Reduction in message fragmentation
• Improved staff clarity scores in pulse surveys
• Message adoption by leaders

2. Internal Culture & Leadership Communication System

• Produce SIHF HEALTH360 toolkits, talking points, rounding templates, huddle scripts, and recognition messaging, service recovery scripts.
• Align communication rhythms with Mission Alignment Rounds and Council reporting.

Measures of Success:

• Town hall participation rates
• Increased recognition submissions
• Improved “leadership communication” trust index

3. Customer Voice & Service Recovery Communications

• Partner with the Customer Experience & Service Excellence Council to integrate patient feedback trends into communication strategy.
• Produce feedback trends for consumer “moments that matter” to elevate team learning and storytelling.
• Develop systemwide service recovery communication protocols aligned with SIHF HEALTH360 standards.
• Ensure transparency during operational or clinical issues affecting patients.
• Crisis communications involving clinical events, regulatory inquiries, or legal matters are managed in coordination with Compliance, Legal Counsel, and the CMO. This role leads message development and channel management, not clinical or legal determination.

Measures of Success:

• On-time publication of reports
• Improved clarity around organizational priorities

4. External Communications, Media & Reputation Management

• Manage public relations activities, spokesperson preparation, and media outreach aligned to SIHF HEALTH360 transparency standards.
• Position SIHF HEALTH360 as a leader in integrated care, health equity, and innovation.
• Support media relations and crisis communication in alignment with compliance and executive leadership.
• Ensure all external communications are linguistically accessible, culturally responsive, and co-informed by community voice — including translation capacity, plain language standards, and integration of patient/community stories with consent.

Measures of Success:

• Positive earned media coverage
• Community trust and reputation indicators
• Strategic partnership growth and referrals.
• Serve as the primary liaison between SIHF Healthcare, TRH, and the full-service marketing agency to ensure priorities, messaging, timelines, and deliverables remain aligned across both organizations.
• Coordinate marketing requests, campaign briefs, creative approvals, production timelines, and brand standards for SIHF Healthcare and TRH.
• Support integrated marketing campaigns related to patient access, service-line growth, recruitment, provider promotion, community events, health center initiatives, and organizational announcements.
• Partner with the agency and internal leaders to maintain project trackers, prioritize deliverables, monitor budgets, and ensure timely execution of approved marketing initiatives.
• Ensure marketing materials reflect organizational brand standards, mission, compliance expectations, plain language principles, and culturally responsive communication practices.

Measures of Success:

• Timely completion of agency deliverables and marketing projects
• Clear prioritization and communication between SIHF Healthcare, TRH, and the agency
• Increased consistency across campaigns, materials, social media, and public-facing messaging
• Improved visibility and support for access, services, recruitment, and community initiatives

6. Data & Impact Storytelling

• Produce quarterly “Mission in Motion” impact updates for staff, Board, and community.
• Align storytelling with measurable SIHF HEALTH360 outcomes.

Measures of Success:

• On-time publication of reports
• Improved clarity around organizational priorities

7. Team Leadership & Operations

• Manage and develop communications and marketing staff, agency relationships, and external partners.
• Establish workflows and service level agreements for rapid, aligned communications.
• Manage communications and marketing budgets, project priorities, and vendor relationships responsibly.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and brand standards.
• Model Cultural Development Plan participation personally and ensure all direct reports complete behavior-based CDPs aligned to SIHF HEALTH360 values.
• Evaluate, select, and direct digital communication platforms including intranet, email systems, recognition tools, and feedback mechanisms in coordination with IT, CIO, Council, and leadership.

Measures of Success:

• Achievement of role-specific KPIs such cycle to publish
• Contribution to stakeholder satisfaction
• Collaboration across teams
• Adherence to SIHF HEALTH360 behaviors

PHASE TWO:MISSION ADVANCEMENT & FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT (Future Scope)

Upon successful implementation of the SIHF HEALTH360 communication infrastructure, responsibilities may expand to include:

• Lead mission-aligned development of a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with SIHF HEALTH360 priorities.
• Build donor/partner stewardship communications that clearly show impact and ROI.
• Support donor cultivation and stewardship communications.
• Grant strategy and institutional partnerships.
• Foundation-building and mission-aligned funding initiatives.
• Integration of impact reporting with donor communications.

Measures of Success:

• Stewardship timeliness

SIHF HEALTH360 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES (REQUIRED)

• Demonstrated ability to build an enterprise customer-first communication system inside a mission-driven healthcare organization
• Proven change communications experience (culture transformation, adoption campaigns)
• Ability to translate data into trust-building narrative (dashboards → stories → action)
• Comfort working across clinical/ops/compliance with high accountability and confidentiality
• Experience in media relations, crisis communications, marketing campaign management, agency coordination, and brand management.
• Equity-centered communications and community-responsive storytelling
• Emotional intelligence with cultural humility in leadership presence for clarity, consistency, and connections

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum eight (8) years of progressive leadership experience in communications, with at least three (3) years in a senior leadership role within a healthcare, nonprofit, or mission-based organization.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Light physical activity performing non-strenuous daily activities of an administrative nature in office and clinical areas throughout all SIHF HEALTH360 facilities.

WORK SCHEDULE:

Normal work hours for this position are Monday through Friday; 8am to 5pm, unless otherwise specified by leadership.

COMPLIANCE & HEALTH360 INTEGRATION STATEMENT

This role supports the SIHF HEALTH360 by abiding by the requirements of all applicable state and federal laws which reinforce integrated, coordinated, and culturally responsive care across all services and communities that are supportive of patient centered medical home principles.