Director, Public and Community Relations

Hours of Work :

Days Of Week :

Work Shift :

Job Description :

The Director, Public and Community Relations will support and assist strategies that create and maintain a positive image of Methodist Southwest Medical Center for patients and community members.  The director serves as an active member of the Best Southwest community, participating on local boards and other committees, and acts as a liaison between the community and Methodist Health System. The director will proactively interact with media, including print, broadcast and digital, to obtain placement of hospital-related news stories and will respond to media requests for information quickly. The position will support social media and digital media strategies, as well as marketing strategies by working with the corporate public relations and marketing team. The director will lead community relations efforts by planning and implementing community events that benefit both the health system and the community.  The director will support the mission, vision, values and strategic goals of Methodist Health System.

Education:  

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in journalism, public relations, marketing, or communications

Related Work Experience and Other Skills:

6-10 years of experience in public relations, media, journalism, or equivalent       

A strong grasp of the English language, with excellent writing, spelling, and grammatical skills. Experience with social media preferred.

Duty 1: Identify, pitch, and secure news stories in accordance with standards set by Methodist Health System Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations and Methodist Health System Assistant Vice President of Public Relations

Duty 2: Assist in developing social media posts and blog articles for various Methodist Health System social channels

Duty 3: Develops and coordinates events and programs for Methodist Southwest Medical Center and as assigned for Methodist Health System corporate, to include open houses, groundbreaking ceremonies, dedications, celebrations, and community health education programs

Duty 4: Represents Methodist Health System and Methodist Southwest as the contact for participation in sponsorships, donations, and community volunteer initiatives; establishes criteria for involvement

Duty 5: Serve as liaison between Methodist Southwest and community groups, leaders, and boards

Duty 6: Plans and implements budget for community involvement programs. Identifies high impact use of marketing dollars to reach strategically targeted demographics.

Duty 7: Collaborate with Methodist Southwest leadership in executing hospital’s strategic plan. Build and maintain key relationships within the hospital and Methodist Health System to ensure a current, in depth knowledge of services and key events.

Duty 8: Communicate professionally and effectively, both verbally and in writing, to both physicians, executives and laypeople, with attention to detail and accuracy.

Duty 9: Serve as part of PR crisis communications team

Duty 10: Writes for internal newsletters, public-facing publications, external award nominations, and speeches for executives at Methodist Southwest Medical Center.

Other duties as assigned.

Methodist Southwest Medical Center, previously known as Methodist Charlton Medical Center, is a 314-bed, full-service, acute care teaching hospital that serves Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Lancaster, and Glen Heights in southwestern Dallas County. In addition to the new 40,000-square-foot expansion of the emergency department, we offer a newly renovated intensive care unit, labor and delivery unit, and interventional radiology suite; a Level III Trauma Center, a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and the Dr. Stephen and Marilyn Mansfield Oncology Unit. We have been recognized for excellence in cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, open heart surgery, and STEMI care, stroke care, hip and knee joint replacement, women and children’s services, and more. We strive to have a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve and welcomes the skills and talents of all groups.

Our reputation as an award-winning employer shows in the distinctions we’ve earned:

• Magnet®-designated hospital
• Get With The Guidelines® Gold and Gold Plus awards from the American Heart Association
• Great Place to Work Certified 2026-2027
• Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work; Best Places to Work in Healthcare, Biotech & Pharma; and Best-Led Companies 2025 & 2026
• TIME’s Best Companies for Future Leaders 2025 & 2026
• Newsweek’s America’s Most Admired Workplaces 2026
• Fortune Best Workplaces in Texas 2026
• Military Friendly Gold Employer 2025