Director of Strategic Communications

Provide leadership and direction in the management of the Communications and Marketing strategies of APHA.  Responsible for planning, managing, expanding and implementing communications and marketing strategies of APHA, including but not limited to: Directing a comprehensive communications program that promotes APHA and the public health profession; providing collaborative oversight to marketing and subscription programs to elevate the APHA brand and enhance engagement and revenue.  Provide a collaborative oversight to marketing, advertising and subscription programs to elevate the APHA brand and enhance engagement and revenue. Communications and media relations: Develop and direct public relations, media relations and communications programs designed to support APHA’s public policy agenda and to enhance the image, prestige and profile of APHA and the public health profession.  Collaborate with APHA operating units to ensure that programs and services receive appropriate recognition from target audiences.  Maintain and grow relationships with media contacts who cover public health.  Schedule and participate in media interviews and respond to media requests.  Plan and implement strategies, campaigns and events to attract media attention, including activities for APHA, the Annual Meeting, National Public Health Week, the Get Ready campaign and APHA publications.  Alert key media to urgent public health-related policy and legislative activity.  Write, edit and disseminate timely press materials, including news releases, op-eds and letters-to-the-editor.  Direct media and public relations program for the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH).  Publications, Web and branding: Oversee content development and strategy for APHA website and Web properties through Sitecore, APHA’s content management system.  Oversee publication, distribution and marketing of The Nation’s Health newspaper, and its range of formats, including its online news service.  Oversee production and dissemination of organizational e-newsletters, including Inside Public Health.  Promote, maintain and ensure adoption of APHA brand platform and guidelines across all organizational units internally and externally.  Marketing, advertising and social media: Oversee APHA’s online strategies, including integration of existing tools to achieve better engagement and development of new media initiatives.  Work collaboratively with relevant departments on marketing of all APHA products.  Direct e-marketing activities and coordination of communications via Informz, APHA’s CRM platform.  Oversee advertising for all APHA publications including AJPH, Nation’s Health, webpage, and other opportunities.  Lead Social Media Team and strategy.  Perform other duties as assigned for the Unit.  The position will supervise the following positions: Executive Editor, The Nation’s Health/Deputy Director-Communications; Deputy Director-Marketing; Deputy Director of Digital Content and Communications Specialist/Environmental Health.

Bachelor’s degree as a minimum, Master’s degree a plus. A minimum of 10 years progressively responsible experience and familiarity with policy-oriented public relations and organizational communications and marketing are required.  Must be able to understand legislative and regulatory issues impacting APHA and its members and be able to interpret these issues to a variety of audiences.  Facile with new and social media and how to maximize opportunity to share information broadly.  Knowledge of video and podcast production techniques and their use with other interactive media.  Knowledge of techniques to engage association members, supporters, the media and the public in media activities.  Demonstrable skills at data utilization, the use of media metrics to measure impact and media performance. 

Applicants who meet the requirements and are interested in being considered for this position should submit the following information (please include your last name in all filenames when uploading materials.  You should use this format: LastName.CoverLetter) at: https://careers-apha.icims.com.

• Cover letter;
• Resume;
• A writing sample;
• Salary requirement;
• At least 2 supervisory references and 1 professional reference (name, title, company name and phone number and email).

CLOSING DATE:          Open Until Filled

EEO/AA/VETS/DISABILITY.  APHA is strongly and actively committed to diversity in its workplace.