Director Of Communications

Sierra Health Foundation and The Center

Sierra Health Foundation is a private philanthropy with a mission to invest in and serve as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships and programs that improve health and quality of life in Northern California. The foundation is committed to improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities through convening, educating and strategic grant making.

Sierra Health Foundation has a broad definition of health, believing there is much more to health than health care. It is influenced by factors that include socioeconomic conditions, environment, education, income and individual behavior choices. The foundation also believes in the need for health and racial equity and racial justice. Reducing health disparities is a key factor in striving toward better health for all and reflects the foundation’s dedication to ensuring that people throughout its funding regions have the opportunity to lead healthy lives.

Sierra Health Foundation established The Center at Sierra Health Foundation to advance its commitment to strengthening community capacity to engage in policy development, planning, and implementation efforts that seek to address the health needs of California’s underserved populations. The Center works to promote health, racial equity and racial justice in communities throughout California with local, state and national partners. With strategy, creativity and ongoing collaboration, The Center strives to eradicate health inequities across the state.

Learn more at sierrahealth.org and shfcenter.org.

Sierra Health Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

JOB TITLE: Director of Communications

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Director of Communication is a newly created position that will serve on the Foundation and The Center’s Senior Management teams. The Director of Communication will lead the development and implementation of an expanded communications strategy, including active support in the growing policy and advocacy initiatives of both organizations. The position’s responsibilities will be focused on ensuring effective communications and public relations between external stakeholders, and to advance and promote the organizational goals of the Foundation and Center.

To achieve these outcomes, the Director of Communication will be responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing communications around policy and advocacy initiatives, as well as public education strategies in coordination with other departments. In addition, the Director of Communication will oversee and supervise a communications and public education team that promotes the Foundation’s and The Center’s mission of health and racial equity and racial justice through relationship building, branding, print and online materials, social media, special events and conferences, and other marketing/communications activities.

This experienced leader also will engage and build relationships with key external stakeholders including elected officials, philanthropic organizations, advocacy organizations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and diverse, multi-cultural communities in alignment with the Foundation’s and The Center’s mission, vision and core values.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Establish and lead the communications team at the Foundation and The Center.
• Under the direction of the Executive Management Team, develops, updates and implements annual strategic communication plans and manages media relations to advance organizational, policy and program-specific goals and objectives.
• Oversee implementation and execution of communication strategies and objectives to advance health, racial equity, and racial justice.
• Provide leadership in the development of joint ventures, affiliations, and partnerships to pursue communication goals, in coordination with the executive team.
• Assesses the need for and lead the creation and development of communications materials that increase the visibility of the Foundation's and The Center’s work and mission to stakeholders and present the desired image of the Foundation, The Center and/or their grantee partners.
• Engage with multiple key stakeholders including elected officials, philanthropic organizations, advocacy organizations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and diverse, multi-cultural communities to promote policy goals in alignment with the Foundation’s and The Center’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Provide strategic communication guidance and support for the team while ensuring all communications are coordinated with the Program, Evaluation and Administration/Finance departments.
• Manage external communication consultants, public relations, crisis communication and branding support of the foundation.
• Develop and manage regional stakeholder engagement that engages decision-makers at the state and regional level.
• Support, amplify and strategically disseminate the initiatives and program successes of the Foundation, The Center and community partners.
• Oversee the design, development and implementation of communication platforms.
• Monitor and evaluate all communication channels, programs and current strategies ensuring they align with the mission and vision of the Foundation.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of the Foundation’s and The Center’s corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage.
• Oversee the strategic development and distribution of media advisories, content development and campaigns, press releases, op-eds, news articles and other promotional written communication collateral.
• Responsible for the Foundation's and The Center’s digital messaging on multiple channels and oversee the development of multimedia content. Acts as the Foundation’s point of contact for communication and media in press outreach, coordinating media coverages, rapid responses, community event participation and public relations management.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Build and manage a communications team capable of carrying out communication strategies.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Knowledge and experience in the communication/media industry with the ability to provide guidance for advancing health equity, racial equity, and racial justice within a determinants of health framework.
• Innovative thinker to develop creative approaches to advance and communicate the Foundation’s and The Center’s mission and values.
• Knowledge, experience and commitment to working with diverse populations (race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, language, cultures, etc.) for policy change.
• Knowledge and expertise related to advocacy by nonprofit organizations and foundations.
• Experience in establishing narrative change strategies as a core component of advocacy initiatives in partnership with community-based organizations.
• Experience communicating and amplifying the work of community partners.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate orally, visually and in writing, and to provide direction to staff on writing; the ability to provide extensive editing in advance of CEO review and publication of communication documents to ensure alignment with the Foundation’s and The Center’s mission and values.
• Ability to communicate to external partners and stakeholders the unique structural relationship between the Foundation and The Center.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment at the executive and senior management levels and within the broader organization.
• Ability to travel as needed.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Advanced degree preferred, such as in Health, Public Policy, Political Science, Law, Communications, Public Relations, or related field.
• Affiliations with communications platforms desirable.
• A minimum of (10) years of experience in policy/ communications, public relations , including working with nonprofits, legislators, and philanthropy desirable.

BENEFITS & COMPENSATION

Sierra Health Foundation and The Center provides a generous benefit package which includes Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, as well as an Employee Assistance Program, and a discount program called Working Advantage. Retirement benefits are provided through our 401(k) which includes employee matching. Details of these programs will be shared during the hiring process.