Vice President, External Communications & Brand Strategy

Overview Of Position

The Vice President, External Communications & Brand Strategy leads the execution of Easterseals Southern California’s external brand strategy, ensuring a clear, differentiated narrative that builds awareness, trust, and engagement across priority audiences. This role manages the Director of Digital Marketing and the Director of Communications (and their teams), setting strategic direction while ensuring strong day-to-day execution across digital platforms, earned media, and brand storytelling.

This role translates strategy into action—overseeing the coordination and execution of multichannel brand and awareness campaigns that consistently elevate the Easterseals Southern California brand. Working in close partnership with the Chief Marketing Communications Officer, this role collaborates on the creative development of integrated advertising, awareness, and visibility campaigns and is accountable for turning creative vision into effective, measurable campaign execution.

The Vice President also plays a key role in building and strengthening the in-house public relations function and fostering a culture of storytelling that reflects the organization’s impact, values, and leadership in disability services and inclusion.

Essential Functions

• Leads the activation of a clear, differentiated brand narrative for Easterseals Southern California that reflects mission, impact, and strategic priorities.

• Ensures consistent brand expression, messaging, and voice across digital, earned media, advertising, and campaign channels.

• Operationalizes brand positioning so it is understood, applied, and executed consistently by internal teams and partners.

• Manages the execution of brand, awareness, and visibility campaigns through launch, optimization, and performance reporting.

• PARTNERING WITH THE CHIEF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER ON THE CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTICHANNEL ADVERTISING AND BRAND CAMPAIGNS, ENSURES ALIGNMENT BETWEEN CREATIVE DIRECTION AND EXECUTION.

• Translates organizational priorities into integrated, multichannel campaigns that drive awareness, engagement, and brand recognition.

• OVERSEES CAMPAIGN TIMELINES, MESSAGING, CHANNEL STRATEGY, AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT.

• Determines which leaders are positioned externally and in what contexts.

• Aligns thought leadership to brand narrative and campaign priorities.

• LEADS THE DIGITAL MARKETING TEAM, SETTING CLEAR PRIORITIES, EXPECTATIONS, AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING.

• LEADS AND SUPPORTS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, STRENGTHENING EARNED MEDIA STRATEGY, MEDIA RELATIONSHIPS, AND PROACTIVE STORYTELLING.

• BUILDS AND SUPPORTS A STRONG IN-HOUSE PR FUNCTION, REDUCING RELIANCE ON EXTERNAL PARTNERS WHILE EXPANDING INTERNAL CAPABILITY AND STRATEGIC INFLUENCE.

• SUPPORTS DIGITAL AND PR EFFORTS ARE TIGHTLY ALIGNED WITH OVERALL BRAND STRATEGY AND CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES.

• GUIDES TEAMS IN TRANSLATING PROGRAMS, OUTCOMES, AND LIVED EXPERIENCES INTO COMPelling, AUDIENCE-CENTERED NARRATIVES.

• COLLABORATES WITH CREATIVE, DIGITAL, AND PR LEADERS TO IDENTIFY, DEVELOP, AND AMPLIFY STORIES THAT REINFORCE BRAND DIFFERENTIATION AND TRUST.

• ESTABLISHES CLEAR KPIS FOR BRAND HEALTH, CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE, DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT, AND EARNED MEDIA IMPACT.

• USES DATA AND INSIGHTS TO REFINE CAMPAIGN STRATEGY, OPTIMIZE EXECUTION, AND IMPROVE ROI.

• PROMOTES ACCOUNTABILITY, CONTINUOUS LEARNING, AND PERFORMANCE DISCIPLINE ACROSS BRAND, DIGITAL, AND PR FUNCTIONS.

• BUILD, DEVELOP, AND INSPIRES HIGH-PERFORMING DIGITAL, PR, AND CAMPAIGN TEAMS THROUGH COACHING, FEEDBACK, AND CLEAR STRATEGIC DIRECTION.

• COLLABORATES CROSS-FUNCTIONALLY WITH DEVELOPMENT, OPERATIONS, AFFILIATES, AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT AND SHARED PROGRESS.

• SERVES AS A STRATEGIC THOUGHT PARTNER TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP ON EXTERNAL BRAND POSITIONING AND CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES.

• PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.