Senior Director, External Communications & Thought Leadership

Lyra Health; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 168,000 - 231,000; Full time

Job summary

Lyra Health, a leader in evidence-based mental health care, seeks a Senior Director, External Communications & Thought Leadership to oversee media relations, executive communications, and corporate messaging. You will partner with the VP of Communications and Corporate Affairs to shape strategy, messaging, and narrative across brand, clinical experts, and partnerships.

You will translate complex topics into clear stories, build trusted relationships with executives and media, and lead a

Qualifications

• 15+ years of communications experience including media relations and executive communications.
• Strong network of external media relationships and executive trust.
• 'Strategic Doer' mindset combining big-picture strategy with hands-on execution.
• Executive presence with high emotional intelligence and ability to earn trust.
• Clear communication and ability to translate complex topics into compelling stories.
• Experience building thought leadership programs in tech or healthcare.
• Agility to prioritize, meet deadlines, and thrive in a fast-growth environment.
• Collaborative approach across internal departments.

Responsibilities

• Strategy & Execution: create and execute cross-functional communication plans with the executive team.
• Executive Support: coach spokespeople for media interviews and internal events.
• Storytelling: develop corporate messaging and narrative to boost brand awareness and protect reputation.
• Thought Leadership: run programs resonating with customers, members, and partners.
• Content Creation: write releases, bylined articles, and presentations.
• Media & Analyst Relations: build and maintain media and analyst relationships.
• Operations & Metrics: establish processes and measure impact to refine strategy.
• Talent Development: manage and develop the media relations and executive teams.

Skills

Strategic Doer

Executive presence

Clear communication

Media relations

Thought leadership

Storytelling

Healthcare experience

Industry track record

Agility

Collaboration

Job description

About Lyra Health

Lyra Health is a leading provider of evidence-based mental health care, serving more than 20 million people globally in partnership with employers and more than 100 million through health plan and partner relationships. The company has delivered more than 15 million sessions of mental health care, published more than 35 peer-reviewed studies, and delivered unmatched outcomes in terms of access, clinical effectiveness, and cost efficiency. Extensive peer-reviewed research confirms Lyra’s transformative care model helps people recover twice as fast and results in a 26% annual reduction in overall healthcare claims costs. Lyra is transforming access to life-changing mental health care through Lyra Empower, the only fully integrated, AI-powered platform combining the highest-quality care and technology solutions.

About the Role:

Lyra Health, a leader in evidence-based mental health care, is looking for a senior, strategic communications professional to run external communications. In this role, you will oversee media relations, thought leadership, and corporate messaging. This is an exciting leadership opportunity to drive the communications engine of a mission-driven organization tackling one of the greatest problems of our time.

We need a cross-functional operator who excels at coordinating high-level strategy alongside senior stakeholders then thrives in on-the-ground execution. Because you will work closely with our leadership team, it is imperative that you can build trust quickly with executives, drive alignment across functions, and master nuanced, effective messaging. You will help Lyra clearly articulate how its commitment to clinical rigor, following the science, and responsible innovation sets it apart to deliver the best care possible.

You will report to the VP of Communications and Corporate Affairs, working with a collaborative team to help connect the dots across brand, corporate affairs, executive communications, marketing, and multiple business verticals. Part of this role will be building out the platforms of our clinical experts, so a background in the health sector and understanding of evidence-based mental health care is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategy & Execution: Create and execute communication plans in close partnership with the executive team while guiding the broad strategic communication plan and narrative for the company.

• Executive Support: Act as a trusted partner to executives, preparing and coaching spokespeople for media interviews, speeches, and internal events.

• Storytelling: Build corporate messaging, themes, and storylines that increase brand awareness and protect our reputation.

• Thought Leadership: Drive thought leadership programs, particularly for our clinical team, that resonate deeply with our customers, members, and partners.

• Content Creation: Write and oversee original content, including press releases, bylined articles and presentations.

• Media & Analyst Relations: Establish and maintain strong relationships with key media outlets and industry analysts.

• Operations & Metrics: Establish clear communication processes to help our teams work more effectively, and measure program impact to refine our ongoing strategy.

• Talent Development: Manage and develop the media relations and executive communications teams.

Qualifications

• Experience: 15+ years of communications experience including media relations and executive communications, preferably with a background in health care

• Network building: Track record of building and maintaining a network of external media relationships and internal trust among executives

• The 'Strategic Doer' Mindset: A proven ability to think critically about big-picture strategy while remaining highly hands-on with execution.

• Executive Presence: Strong emotional intelligence and a rapid grasp of nuance, allowing you to earn trust with senior leaders.

• Clear Communication: Exceptional writing skills and a talent for turning complex, technical, or sensitive topics into clear, compelling stories.

• Industry Track Record: Experience building successful thought leadership programs, preferably within the technology or healthcare sectors.

• Agility: The organizational skills to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and thrive in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.

• Collaboration: A culturally responsive approach to communication and a history of working well across different internal departments.

As a full-time Senior Director, External Communications & Thought Leadership, you will be employed by Lyra Health, Inc. The anticipated annual base salary range for this full-time position is $168,000 to $231,000. The base range is determined by role and level, and placement within the range will depend on a number of job-related factors, including but not limited to your skills, qualifications, experience and location. This role may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Annual salary is only one part of an employee’s total compensation package at Lyra. We also offer generous benefits that include:

• Comprehensive healthcare coverage (including medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life and disability insurances)

• Lyra for Lyrians; coaching and therapy services

• Equity in the company through discretionary restricted stock units

• Competitive time off with pay policies including vacation, sick days, and company holidays

• Paid parental leave

• 401K with up to 3% matching

• Monthly tech allowance

• We like to spread joy throughout the year with well-being perks and activities, surprise swag, regular community celebration…and more!

We can’t wait to meet you.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability,genetic information or any other category protected by law.