Payroll & Accounting Specialist

About the role

The Director External Communications & Media Relations will lead the implementation of earned media strategies, cultivate strong relationships with key media outlets, and often serve as a lead spokesperson with national, state, and local media. The ideal candidate is a collaborative media relations professional with exceptional writing skills, strong interpersonal skills, and a deep understanding of California's health care landscape, its politics, and its media environment. This individual should thrive in a fast-paced policy and advocacy environment, delivering both rapid response products and long-term strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain proactive, productive relationships with key members of the media across major, mid-size, and small media markets in California and at a national level.
• Leverage strong, trusting relationships with reporters in service of coverage that helps legislators and the public understand the challenges facing California’s health care system at large, hospitals' unique role in that system, and the obstacles hospitals face in meeting their mission of care.
• Proactively initiate responses to hospital- and health care-related issues that surface in traditional and digital media outlets. Work collaboratively with advocacy, policy, and data teams to mobilize and hone responses.
• Respond to media inquiries, coordinating with communications, advocacy, policy, and data teams.
• Develop and disseminate press releases, op-eds, talking points, media statements, opinion editorials, FAQs, and other communications to internal and external audiences.
• Maintain an active, professional presence on social media (with journalists and policymakers as key audiences) to leverage digital channels to share critical information, respond to issues of interest, promote hospitals' good work, debunk misleading statements, and advance policy ideas.
• Plan and execute far-reaching media opportunities including press conferences, media calls, reporter roundtables, editorial board discussions, and more.
• Contribute to the development of an effective and efficient annual communications strategy to support short-, mid-, and long-term advocacy and policy goals.
• Generate opportunities for regional hospital associations, member hospitals, allies, and others to serve as spokespeople for key issues, in service of overarching media strategy. Respond to media inquiries on behalf of regional associations.
• Develop and maintain a CHA- and hospital-based cohort of media-trained spokespeople on a variety of key issues. Work closely with communications leads at member hospitals to maintain a current list of media-ready spokespeople from the field.
• During campaigns where earned media will be needed, work closely with Advocacy Team to lead member activation for story placement, op-eds, etc.
• Develop, with Communications Team, annual strategies for enhancing organic social media strategy, website content, and other forms of owned media (blogs, thought leadership opportunities).
• Provide input into annual and ad hoc paid media strategy.
• Serve as a media relations "in-house expert" for CHA members.
• Coordinate speaker or media training, as needed.

Requirements

• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Experience in media relations and public speaking.
• Understanding of California's health care landscape, politics, and media environment.
• Ability to analyze complex health care data and translate findings into clear insights.
• Technical analytics expertise.
• Collaborative and team-oriented approach.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in public policy, public administration, journalism, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in media relations, public affairs, or a similar field.
• Experience working with health care organizations and data.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Skills

• Media relations and public speaking.
• Data analysis and interpretation.
• Collaboration and teamwork.
• Public speaking and presentation skills.
• Project management and organization.

Benefits

• Life/AD&D insurance coverage equal to two times annual base pay.
• Business travel accident Insurance coverage equal to two times annual base pay.
• Supplemental Workers Compensation and State Disability Leave.
• Long-term disability insurance coverage equal to 67% of pre-disability earnings.
• Confidential, voluntary program for personal or family issues counseling.
• Employee Service Awards and Recognition.
• Employee Referral Bonus Program.
• Free transit passes (at most locations).
• Employee social events.

Pay

Salary range $140-170k

Schedule

This is a hybrid position located in downtown Sacramento requiring four days a week (Monday – Thursday) in the office; Fridays are remote.