Director of Healthcare Public Relations

About the role

Join a world-class academic healthcare system, UChicago Medicine, as the Director of Healthcare Public Relations, responsible for public relations and media strategy for the health system.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement integrated PR strategies aligned with Elevate 2035 and department goals.
• Act as primary media contact and spokesperson; manage proactive/reactive media relations for health system priorities.
• Help manage issues and crisis communications, ensuring timely and consistent messaging and playbooks.
• Build and maintain relationships with journalists, influencers, and media outlets.
• Lead creation/distribution of press releases, op-eds, and thought leadership efforts.
• Advise senior leaders on PR best practices and media engagement.
• Collaborate across the entire marketing department for message consistency and go-to-market activations.
• Monitor media coverage and analyze PR campaign performance; provide regular reports to leadership.
• Manage and mentor PR team members, fostering professional development; serve as main point of contact for PR agency of record.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or related field.
• At least 8-10 years of progressive PR experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role within healthcare or academic medical centers.
• Proven success in developing and executing high-impact PR campaigns.
• Deep understanding of healthcare industry trends, regulations, and best practices.
• Familiarity with academic medical center environments (clinical care, research, and teaching missions).
• Strong crisis communications and issues management experience.
• Established media relationships and a track record of securing positive coverage.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with senior executives and clinical leaders.
• Expertise in media pitching, interview preparation, and press release writing.
• Demonstrated leadership, team-building, and project-management abilities.
• Knowledge of digital media trends and tools relevant to PR.
• Ability to set and track against goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or related field.
• 8-10 years of progressive PR experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role within healthcare or academic medical centers.
• Proven success in developing and executing high-impact PR campaigns.
• Deep understanding of healthcare industry trends, regulations, and best practices.
• Familiarity with academic medical center environments (clinical care, research, and teaching missions).
• Strong crisis communications and issues management experience.
• Established media relationships and a track record of securing positive coverage.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with senior executives and clinical leaders.
• Expertise in media pitching, interview preparation, and press release writing.
• Demonstrated leadership, team-building, and project-management abilities.
• Knowledge of digital media trends and tools relevant to PR.
• Ability to set and track against goals.

Skills

• Collaborative leadership skills.
• Strategic thinking and planning.
• Media relations and crisis management.
• Public speaking and presentation skills.
• Content creation and distribution.
• Project management and team leadership.
• Communication and interpersonal skills.
• Media relations and crisis management.

Benefits

UChicago Medicine is committed to transparency in compensation and benefits. The pay range provided reflects the anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. The pay range is based on a full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) and is reflective of current market data, reviewed on an annual basis.

Compensation offered at the time of hire will vary based on candidate qualifications and experience and organizational considerations, such as internal equity. Pay ranges for employees subject to Collective Bargaining Agreements are negotiated by the medical center and their respective union.

Review the full complement of benefit options for eligible roles at Benefits - UChicago Medicine.

Pay

The pay range provided reflects the anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. The pay range is based on a full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) and is reflective of current market data, reviewed on an annual basis.

Schedule

This is a hybrid remote position based at the Hyde Park campus in Chicago, IL.