Director Public & Media Relations
Summary
The Director, Public & Media Relations for Catholic Health is responsible for the planning and execution of Catholic Health's external communications and media relations to elevate Catholic Health brand awareness and reputation, as well as awareness and positive reputation of key services. This role will support publicity for services and providers, as well as promote public and community partnerships. The position will be responsible for publicity / media strategy and for fostering relationships with key media locally and nationally.
The Director will engage the media and community in Catholic Health system initiatives, services, and Physician Enterprise, as well as provide supervisory oversight and strategic guidance of the ministry PR managers across the system. Working with service line leaders, physicians, and department managers, they will plan, develop, and execute publicity for key initiatives, oversee outreach activities that support service line growth, and drive patient volume to Catholic Health and its physician practices.
The Director, Public & Media Relations will craft the stories and narrative to engage the external community through earned and social media, writing and editing external communications, including development of media kits for major stories. They will lead the coordination of interviews and press conferences with executives and providers. They will identify communications trends and tactics to maximize positive publicity of Catholic Health's role in WNY healthcare and manage governance structures for external messaging, ensuring consistent, on-brand tone and delivery of all external messages. Collaborates with Director of Communications to ensure consistency with internal/system messages and coordination of all major announcements. They will establish targets and assess program effectiveness.
A focus will be on promoting Catholic Health and Trinity Medical primary care and specialty physicians, APPs, and practices to the community through engaging stories, media profiles, and as SMEs for health and healthcare related media opportunities. The Director, Public & Media Relations will also lead planning for in-person and virtual events to promote physicians and elective services.
This position will monitor media coverage and be aware of trends and issues nationally that provide potential positive media opportunities for Catholic Health as well as be aware of potential issues. They will manage crisis communication external strategy and plan, in collaboration with the VP of Marketing & Communications in the event of a significant internal or external issue.
This role will have oversight of video project management, collaborating with the Marketing and Digital team to create timely, engaging content as well as work with leadership to produce video for internal communications and event B-roll for media. This role will also record voiceover (VO) narration for internal and external communications, including audio and video advertisements. This role has primary responsibility for the development of major corporate announcements and crisis communications strategy and messaging, working in partnership with CH Legal and VP Marketing & Communications.
Responsibilities
- Plan and execute Catholic Health's external communications and media relations to elevate brand awareness and reputation
- Support publicity for services and providers, and promote public and community partnerships
- Develop publicity / media strategy and foster relationships with key media locally and nationally
- Engage media and community in Catholic Health system initiatives, services, and Physician Enterprise
- Provide supervisory oversight and strategic guidance of the ministry PR managers across the system
- Plan, develop, and execute publicity for key initiatives with service line leaders, physicians, and department managers
- Oversee outreach activities that support service line growth and drive patient volume to Catholic Health and its physician practices
- Craft stories and narrative to engage the external community through earned and social media
- Write and edit external communications, including development of media kits for major stories
- Lead coordination of interviews and press conferences with executives and providers
- Identify communications trends and tactics to maximize positive publicity of Catholic Health's role in WNY healthcare
- Manage governance structures for external messaging, ensuring consistent, on-brand tone and delivery
- Collaborate with Director of Communications to ensure consistency with internal/system messages and coordination of all major announcements
- Establish targets and assess program effectiveness
- Promote Catholic Health and Trinity Medical primary care and specialty physicians, APPs, and practices through engaging stories, media profiles, and as SMEs
- Lead planning for in-person and virtual events to promote physicians and elective services
- Monitor media coverage and trends/issues nationally for positive media opportunities and potential issues
- Manage crisis communication external strategy and plan in collaboration with the VP of Marketing & Communications
- Oversee video project management, collaborating with the Marketing and Digital team to create timely, engaging content
- Produce video for internal communications and event B-roll for media with leadership
- Record voiceover (VO) narration for internal and external communications, including audio and video advertisements
- Develop major corporate announcements and crisis communications strategy and messaging with CH Legal and VP Marketing & Communications
Education
- Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Marketing, Journalism, Communications, Business Administration or related field
Experience
- Ten years'+ experience in public and media relations
- Experience in crisis communications
Knowledge, Skill and Ability
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Able to hone key messages quickly, clearly, and succinctly
- Strong communicator and storyteller - verbal, written and interpersonal - who understands the changing social landscape
- Skilled in building relationships internally and externally
- Guide collaboration among departmental and cross-functional teams
- Expertise in planning and executing community and sponsorship events
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects
- Strong organizational and strategic planning skills
- Creative critical thinker
- Flexible, proactive self-starter, adept at problem solving
Working Conditions
- Travel between facilities
- Flexible work schedule
- Able to work with minimal supervision
Environment
Normal heat, light space, and safe working environment; typical of most office jobs.
Schedule
Shift 1, Full Time, FTE: 1.000000. Days, generally between 8 am and 5 pm, with the potential for some off-hour activity. Exempt from Overtime: Yes. Bargaining Unit: ACE Associates.