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Director of Media and Communications

United States of Care is seeking an experienced media and communications professional to join its growing team. United States of Care is a non-partisan non-profit with a mission to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care regardless of health status, social need, or income. We were established by a diverse Board and Founder’s Council to advance state and federal policies that solve the challenges people face with our health care system. We seek to understand people’s unique needs to drive health care policy innovation and partner with elected officials and stakeholders to pass and implement those ideas.

Position Description

The Director of Media and Communications is a dynamic, outcomes-driven leader responsible for the design and implementation of United States of Care’s communications strategy to advance our objectives. The Director will build and lead a robust communications department and a team that is strategic and forward-thinking. This individual has experience building a communications function, and the ability to use strategic communications and storytelling to drive our organization’s brand and products, and develop a new national discussion centered on people’s needs.

The Director is visionary and will carry that through all of their work. The Director will create and execute a strategic communications plan; develop US of Care’s people-centered action-oriented brand; and, develop and execute campaigns in support of US of Care’s work. A key part of this role will be to leverage the collective expertise of our cross-departmental team, as well as a range of external advisors. As a leadership position, the Director must be able to balance setting vision and doing what is needed to ensure success, from the smallest task to the largest. The Director must be visionary, positive, creative, nimble, proactive, comfortable driving towards success through ambiguity, and thrive in tackling challenges. This position requires strong organizational and management skills; excellent written and verbal communication; and experience leading at the intersection of big-picture strategy creation and excellent tactical execution.

Responsibilities and Duties

Develop and Execute Strategic Communications to Advance Solutions

Create and execute a comprehensive communications strategy and evolving messaging that includes traditional media, digital media, web, and other creative content;
Develop a strategy for, and oversee content and narrative strategy creation and execution, covering organization-wide content needs (e.g., fact sheets, brochures, data visualizations) and campaign- or program-specific content items (e.g., media plans, social media);
Develop and execute communications, media, and public opinion strategy for our work by creating evolving messages and products; manage external and media relations; and utilize messengers to advance campaign objectives.

Brand Development and Management

Manage US of Care’s brand and messaging strategy to position US of Care as a thought leader in health care, overseeing a portfolio of branded collateral and products, website updates, social media, and e-news;
Work in partnership to support the Development team’s fundraising goals;
Organize, support, and/or participate at events, and partnership engagements to bring visibility to US of Care’s work.

Driving a New National Conversation on Health Care

In collaboration with Managing Directors and colleagues create the vision, and execute against that vision, to change the national discussion on health care utilizing listening research and our priority policy areas;
Utilize polling results and message testing to craft a new conversation on health care;
Engage with grasstops and/or grassroots individuals to amplify messages with targeted approaches;
Develop engagement strategies with key audiences to ensure messaging success.

Team Building and Department Management

Build department and processes to perform as a high functioning - high producing team, collaborating with all other departments in the organization;
Build and manage a diverse team (staff, consultants, and vendors);
Set vision for and manage multiple large projects at once and prioritize work for the Communications and Media team.

Media

Create and execute press strategy, including writing, pitching, and placing pieces;
Strengthen US of Care’s media relations efforts by proactively engaging media to ensure the organization is a go-to resource for reporters;
Oversee message and media training, preparing senior staff, and key spokespeople to engage with the media or performing external speeches.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree preferred;
8-10 years of experience at increasing levels of responsibility and leadership;
Experience in health care, public health, or other national issues preferred;
Collaborative, innovative thinker with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans, outputs, and results;
Excellent and persuasive writing and communication skills;
Track record of using strategic communications to drive brand, products, and narratives;
Proven ability to engage with grasstops and/or grassroots storytellers to amplify a message;
Proven action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to leadership, preferably including experience in a start-up atmosphere;
Proven ability to develop, inspire, and manage a diverse team of professionals;
Strong commitment to the organization’s mission to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care;
Dedication to operating in a diverse, bipartisan, learning atmosphere exploring multiple policy solutions to achieve that mission.
Commitment to prioritizing diversity equity and inclusion principles in all your work, including utilizing the organization's equity lens to inform all work.

Compensation and Location

United States of Care offers a very generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403b with match and paid time off. This position is full-time with a location in Washington, D.C. or Minneapolis, MN preferred but not required. The salary range for this position is $95,000 to $125,000 depending on experience and location.

Interested candidates should email a resume and cover letter to jobs@usofcare.org. Please include “Director of Media and Communications” and your last name in the subject line. In your cover letter please include how you heard about this position.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that values a multicultural, diverse working

environment. Applicants of diverse backgrounds are welcomed and encouraged to apply. We prohibit discrimination of employment, promotion, compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment based on gender, disability, race, age, national origin, color, creed, sexual orientation, sex (including marital and parental status), gender identity, and expression, religion, economic status, ethnic identity, veteran’s status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.