Director, Communication and Development
Job Description (updated September 2009)
The Puget Sound Health Alliance (Alliance) was created to forge a sustainable leadership coalition – among consumers, providers, purchasers, health plans and others – to improve the quality of patient care for a healthier community, at a price more people can afford. The work of the Alliance focuses on defining, measuring, reporting and rewarding high quality, efficient health care in the Puget Sound region.
Effective communication and development are key to the success of the Alliance work. This includes positioning and promoting the Alliance to attract leadership in stakeholder groups throughout the community to get involved, provide financial support to the collaborative work and participate in the development of shared solutions. Essential communication components include raising awareness, building interest in working collaboratively on health care quality and cost improvement, creating a willingness to change, and motivating stakeholders to take relevant actions that will ultimately help to improve the quality and affordability of health care.
The Director of Communication and Development is the principal staff member to develop Alliance marketing and communications strategies and development efforts, then manage and participate in the implementation of related activities to ensure that limited resources are used efficiently and the resulting work accomplished is effective and timely. The Director reports to the Alliance’s Executive Director; supervises the Consumer Engagement Specialist, interns and volunteers; and oversees consultants hired to assist with public relations, technical website development and other areas as needed.
Duties and Responsibilities: The Director of Communication and Development is responsible for handling a wide range of projects that touch upon nearly all aspects of Alliance work. This requires skill in interacting with the array of stakeholders, understanding their unique needs and sensitivities, and applying that knowledge to help develop consistent and effective strategies, messages and tactics to build shared support for Alliance solutions. The Director provides advice and develops then implements plans to communicate relevant aspects of work product produced by other Alliance staff and committees, in areas including quality improvement, performance reporting, consumer engagement, and aligning incentives. At the same time, the Director must remain flexible with time and resources to assess and respond to external events that may create challenges or opportunities for the Alliance.
Major responsibilities of this position include:
1. Monitor external environment in context of Alliance goals and strategies, and share information about changes, opportunities and challenges with Alliance leaders
2. Develop and implement Alliance coordinated marketing and communication strategies to ensure effective connection with stakeholders (purchasers, consumers, providers and plans), via activities including branding, materials creation, presentations, website structure and content, member and community outreach and media relations
3. Participate in recruiting new organizations and individuals to the Alliance, and identify and promote value of Alliance participation to maximize member retention
4. Investigate funding opportunities, write grants and pursue other financial and in-kind donations to support Alliance programs
5. Coordinate public policy priorities, approach and activities; maintain relationships with policy makers; and represent the Alliance with local, state and federal officials
6. Manage grants, including application and budget coordination, dashboard plans and progress reports, and evaluation
7. Represent Alliance with local, trade and national media, through background materials, formal releases, and interviews with broadcast and print outlets
8. Present Alliance information and progress reports to stakeholder groups at the local, state, and national levels through formal presentations and discussions
9. Principal staff to the Alliance Communication Committee and ad hoc workgroups to address marketing, public policy and related issues as needed
Essential knowledge, skills and abilities:
• Masters degree, or bachelor’s degree with equivalent experience
• Broad-based experience in the health care system in health insurance, health care delivery and/or employee benefits
• Extensive communication experience (five or more years) including public relations and written and presentation communications
• Grant writing and development experience, including sponsors and in-kind support
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking
• Ability to meet aggressive deadlines with a quality product
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Contribute or other basic website design software, and ability to learn other software programs if needed
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work directly with senior leaders in public and private organizations of all types and sizes
• Energetic, creative person with drive to grow the Alliance through effective strategic positioning that helps to attract new participating organizations and achieve grant and other funding to assure financial stability
• Congenial co-worker who is willing to support others and handle tasks as needed
Filed under: Jobs, Training and Volunteer Opportunities
