Director of Communications

Who We Are
United States of Care is seeking an experienced 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. 

Job Title
Director of Communications

Position Description
The Director of 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 lead a small, effective communications department. This individual has experience building a communications function, building internal relationships to further the programmatic work, and using strategic communications and storytelling to drive an organization’s brand, campaigns, and work.

The Director is visionary and forward-thinking and will carry that through all of their work. The Director will create and execute a strategic communications plan, continue to grow our USofCare’s people-centered, action-oriented brand, and develop and execute communications campaigns in support of USofCare’s programmatic 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. The Director must be visionary while also have the ability to turn that vision into a work plan to execute. The Communications Director must be comfortable doing what is needed to ensure success, from the smallest task to the largest. The Director must thrive in tackling challenges, be positive, creative, proactive, and comfortable driving towards success through ambiguity. 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 

• Create and execute a comprehensive communications strategy and evolving messaging that includes traditional media, digital media, web, speeches, and other creative content; Develop a strategy for, and oversee content creation and execution, covering organization-wide needs and campaign- and program-specific needs; Develop and execute communications and media strategy for our work by creating evolving messages and products;  Manage external and media relations;  Utilize polling results and message testing to drive the organization’s communications strategy, products, and brand, utilizing messengers to advance campaign objectives; Develop engagement strategies with key audiences to ensure messaging success.

Brand Development and Management

• Manage USofCare’s brand and messaging strategy to position USofCare 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; Secure speaking engagements for the ED & others in the organization to strategically increase awareness of the organization’s mission; Organize, support, and/or participate at events, and partnership engagements to bring visibility to USofCare’s work.

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 towards deadlines (staff, consultants, and vendors);  Set vision for and manage multiple large projects at once and prioritize work for the Communications team.

Media

• Create and execute press strategy, including writing, pitching, and placing pieces (currently contractor supported);  Strengthen USofCare’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 and for external events and speeches.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred;  At least 8-10 years of experience at increasing levels of responsibility and leadership; Experience in health care, public health, or other national issues preferred, ideally on health care or political campaigns; 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 $110,000 to $150,000 depending on experience and location. 

This position is open until filled, we will begin scheduling first round interviews after May 31, 2021.