The Director, External Communications and Media Relations, is a seasoned, driven communicator responsible for developing and executing proactive and reactive strategies that elevate the voice of hospitals and advance policy goals for the California Hospital Association and its nearly 400 member hospitals and health systems.
The person in this role leads the implementation of earned media strategies, cultivating strong relationships with key media outlets and often serving as a lead spokesperson with national, state, and local media. In addition, the incumbent serves as a strategic advisor on efforts to influence policymakers on critical issues through other channels, including paid advertising, social media, and more.
The ideal candidate is a collaborative media relations leader with exceptional writing skills and a strong 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.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Media Relations
- Cultivates and maintains proactive, productive relationships with key members of the media across major, mid-size, and small media markets in California and at a national level. Routinely provides the media with information about health care issues (reports, CHA-generated materials, third-party information), pitches news stories, editorials, etc.
- Leverages 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 initiates responses to hospital- and health care-related issues that surface in traditional and digital media outlets. Works collaboratively with advocacy, policy, and data teams to mobilize and hone responses.
- Responds to media inquiries, coordinating with advocacy, policy, and data teams.
Content Development
- Working with the Communications Team, develops and disseminates press releases, op-eds, talking points, media statements, opinion editorials, FAQs, and other communications to internal and external audiences.
- With support from Manager, Communications, maintains 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.
- Plans and executes far-reaching media opportunities including press conferences, media calls, reporter roundtables, editorial board discussions, and more.
Strategic Planning
- With SVP, Communications, contributes to development of an effective and efficient annual communications strategy to support short-, mid-, and long-term advocacy and policy goals.
- Generates opportunities for regional hospital associations, member hospitals, allies, and others to serve as spokespeople for key issues, in service of overarching media strategy.
- Develops and maintains a CHA- and hospital-based cohort of media-trained spokespeople on a variety of key issues. Works 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, works closely with Advocacy Team to lead member activation for story placement, op-eds, etc.
- Develops, with Communications Team, annual strategies for enhancing organic social media strategy, website content, and other forms of owned media (blogs, thought leadership opportunities).
- With SVP and VP, Communications, provides input into annual and ad hoc paid media strategy.
Additional Duties
- Serves as a media relations “in-house expert” for CHA members.
- Coordinates speaker or media training, as needed.
- Performs other duties and projects as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, English, Communications, or related field
- A minimum of 5 years of experience in media relations, journalism, public affairs, or public relations; preferably in a health care or nonprofit setting
- Experience working with the California Capitol Press Corps helpful
- Ability to understand and interpret legislative and political issues affecting hospitals
- Ability to accurately write, edit, and organize material in an interesting and informative manner
- Proficiency with MS Office applications, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Comfort with the use of social media to advance information and ideas
- Strong writing and proofreading skills
- Excellent communication skills to cultivate and maintain effective relationships among teammates, working collaboratively and proactively within the communications team, with other CHA teams, and with member hospitals
ONE TEAM CULTURE EXPECTATIONS
Culture is everything, and we work hard at being a unified One Team. All team members must consistently demonstrate the following behaviors:
- We assume the Positive Intent of our team members first.
- No Hoarding Rule – We believe in open and transparent exchange of the information.
- We believe our relationships with each other are an important component of our success.
- We-ism – We operate with an associations-first mindset, which includes a strong commitment to our team members.
- All for One – We strive to be great and reliable team members for each other.
- We actively work to appreciate and value the contributions of all team members.
- We practice pausing to acknowledge and celebrate our significant successes.
- We are committed to straight and courteous communication between team members.
- No Beach Balls – We are committed to maintaining strong and trusting relationships. We actively work through issues before they become barriers. We have the necessary crucial conversations with each other.
- We believe that a respectful culture is the foundation of a safe, effective, and supportive environment for all.
- We believe in the importance of exploring innovative ideas and solutions that help solve problems, improve our effectiveness, and increase member value.
- To err is human. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.
- We believe in the importance of a diverse and inclusive culture, where differences and similarities are valued equally, and team members listen without judgment to learn and grow from one another’s strengths and perspectives.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
With or without reasonable accommodation(s), the essential functions of this position require certain physical and mental abilities. These abilities include, but are not limited to sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, lifting (up to 25 lbs.), typing, writing (in English), reading (English), speaking (English), seeing, hearing, driving, basic mathematical calculations, problem solving, reasoning, composition, and decision-making.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, English, Communications, or a related field
- At least 5 years of experience in media relations, journalism, public affairs, or public relations
- Ability to understand and interpret legislative and political issues affecting hospitals
- Accurate writing, editing, and organization of informative communications materials
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Comfort using social media to advance information and ideas
- Strong writing and proofreading skills
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
- Experience working with the California Capitol Press Corps
- Experience in a healthcare or nonprofit setting
What We Do
The California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS) is the employer for staff serving California Hospital Association member hospitals. Through CHA, it supports a statewide network of nearly 400 hospitals and health systems with leadership, representation, advocacy, training, and tools; it advocates for accessible, high-quality care and provides information and policy perspectives to state and federal policymakers so hospitals can serve patients and communities.
