Head of Communications

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Communications based in the United States.** The Head of Communications will establish and lead the communications function for a growing healthcare organization delivering patient-centered care across multiple states. As the first dedicated communications leader, you will shape the public relations strategy, strengthen media relationships, and elevate executive visibility across the healthcare industry. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, spanning external communications, employee engagement, thought leadership, and crisis management. You will work closely with executive leadership, marketing, social media, legal, compliance, and operations to ensure clear, consistent messaging aligned with business priorities. You will also manage external public relations partners, oversee communications around organizational growth and acquisitions, and build scalable processes that support a distributed workforce. This is an opportunity for a communications professional who thrives in a fast-moving environment and wants to make a meaningful impact on reputation, employee connection, and organizational growth. ### Accountabilities - Develop and lead the overall public relations and communications strategy, establishing annual priorities and plans for media engagement, thought leadership, conference participation, and industry recognition. - Build and maintain relationships with healthcare trade publications, national business media, and regional outlets, serving as a primary spokesperson and preparing press releases, fact sheets, organizational descriptions, and other media materials. - Manage external public relations agencies and communications advisors, setting objectives, overseeing budgets and deliverables, and evaluating performance against measurable outcomes. - Strengthen executive visibility by securing speaking engagements, contributed articles, opinion pieces, and industry awards that position senior leaders as credible voices in home-based care, palliative care, and the broader healthcare sector. - Lead issues management and crisis communications in collaboration with legal, compliance, operations, and external advisors, maintaining response protocols and prepared statements that support timely, accurate, and HIPAA-conscious communications. - Own internal communications for a geographically distributed workforce, including leadership updates, company announcements, organizational changes, and integration communications that keep employees informed and connected to the organization's mission. - Coordinate communications around strategic milestones, business growth, acquisitions, and other major developments, ensuring consistent messaging across internal and external audiences. - Partner with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to support organizational priorities, recruitment, referral development, and payer relationships. - Collaborate with marketing, brand, and social media teams to maintain a consistent organizational voice while respecting the distinct responsibilities of communications and marketing. - Establish and monitor key performance indicators, including earned media coverage, share of voice, executive visibility, and employee engagement, using insights to refine communications strategies. - Build the communications function from the ground up, establishing processes, priorities, external partnerships, and scalable capabilities, with the potential to develop a team as needs evolve. ## Requirements: - At least 7 years of experience in communications or public relations, including responsibility for both internal and external communications. - Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related discipline. - Experience in healthcare communications, ideally within home-based care, value-based care, palliative care, hospice, or a related healthcare environment. - Established relationships with healthcare media outlets or the ability to develop them quickly, along with a demonstrated record of securing meaningful media coverage. - Proven experience positioning executives as trusted public voices through media interviews, conference appearances, thought leadership, bylines, and industry recognition. - Experience managing public relations agencies, external advisors, and communications vendors, including setting expectations, managing budgets, and measuring results. - Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to produce clear, compelling communications across press releases, executive speeches, opinion pieces, employee announcements, and crisis statements. - Strong judgment and experience managing sensitive issues, reputational risks, and crisis communications in collaboration with legal, compliance, and operational stakeholders. - Ability to communicate complex or sensitive information clearly, accurately, and appropriately to employees, executives, media representatives, and other audiences. - Demonstrated ability to operate independently as an organization's first communications hire, establishing structure, setting priorities, and executing strategy while collaborating effectively with marketing and social media teams. - Experience working in a fast-paced, scaling, or startup-like environment, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, adapt to changing priorities, and deliver results efficiently. - Strong strategic thinking, project management, stakeholder engagement, and measurement skills. - Ability to work remotely within the United States and travel as needed, with travel expected to be up to 20%. - Willingness to disclose any current or future need for employment-based immigration sponsorship or related employer action before an offer is extended. ## Benefits: - Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible full-time employees. - Supplementary insurance: Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, accident coverage, critical illness coverage, and hospital indemnity benefits. - Flexible spending accounts: Options for eligible medical and dependent care expenses. - Paid time off: Paid time off and paid office holidays for eligible full-time employees. - Paid sick leave: Available to all employees. - Retirement savings: 401(k) plan with up to a 3% company match. - Employee referral program: An opportunity to participate in the organization's referral program. - Pay-on-demand access: Access to earned wages through Payactiv, allowing employees to access available earnings when needed. - Remote work flexibility: A remote position based in the United States, with travel of up to 20%. - Leadership and career growth: The opportunity to establish a communications function, influence executive strategy, and potentially build a team as the organization grows. - Meaningful mission: The opportunity to support communications for a healthcare organization focused on delivering compassionate, coordinated care to patients with chronic conditions and complex needs.