Job Description

At UC Health, we're proud to have the best and brightest teams and clinicians collaborating toward our common purpose: to advance healing and reduce suffering.

As the region's adult academic health system, we strive for innovation and provide world-class care for not only our community, but patients from all over the world. Join our team and you'll be able to develop your skills, grow your career, build relationships with your peers and patients, and help us be a source of hope for our friends and neighbors.

UC Health is committed to providing an inclusive, equitable and diverse place of employment.

This position serves as the organization’s spokesperson/public information officer, focusing on advancing and managing UC Health’s perception and reputation throughout the region. The Director will advance key messages (proactively and reactively) to position and distinguish UC Health as a leader in academic medicine and care delivery both in the region and the nation. They will develop relationships with local, regional and national media, prepare and respond to emergency situations, and develop processes and protocols related to media relations. This position will work closely with the University of Cincinnati’s public relations team dedicated to the four health-related colleges. They will seek and share stories that bring the purpose, values and vision of UC Health to life and integrate media relations communications into every integrated marketing plan across the system.

Advance and Manage Perception and Reputation / Media Relations:

• Advance & manage UC Health’s perception and reputation through strategic communication practices
• Align and promote key initiatives to position and distinguish UC Health as a leader in academic medicine both in the region and the nation by aligning/partnering with service lines, service line priorities + other priorities / staff / physicians
• Develop relationships with local media, business and industry media and publications locally and nationally, to successfully advance message pick-up and reputation
• Proactively plan (and align) strategic key messages and advance them to distinguish UC Health
• Seek and share stories that bring the purpose, values and vision of UC Health to life
• Work with the UC PR team to collaborate in order to advance our focus on the tripartite mission while advancing the healthcare delivery system
• Lead a system focus to enhance and work closely/coordinate/direct/inform local site teams (i.e. UCMC, WCH, Drake, etc and coordinate with partners such as Lindner Center of Hope, etc)
• Integrate media relations into every integrated marketing plan and program developed across the system (all institutes and entities)
• Provide or facilitate media training for key executives, physicians and leaders on a reoccurring basis
• Provide regular updates on media coverage to executives and key stakeholders
• Create written materials such as press releases, fact sheets, media policies, talking points, etc
• Prepares strategic media briefs for leaders before interviews and influences leaders to advance strategic messages

Emergency & Crisis Communications:

• Strategically lead, with senior leaders/executives, Emergency Management team, and execute crisis communication with media
• Develop and manage the Emergency Communications Plan, in coordination with senior leaders/executives, Public Safety and Emergency Management, including regularly educating key leaders
• Serve as the organization’s spokesperson/Public Information Officer

Process & Planning:

• Establish and execute against communication frameworks that touch and influence key constituents – especially strategic business and industry media and communication outlets and publications
• Create annual media relations plan with metrics and tracking scorecard
• Establish recommended protocols and process discipline for proactive and reactive media relations
• Educate and mentor marketing and communications colleagues on media relations function to allow them to better assist in media relations
• Establish a development plan for continued professional growth for media relations team

Other:

• Strategically develop, lead, manage, execute and activate the award process (nomination/writing/submission) on behalf of the organization
• Manage and mentor others and develop succession plans and back-up coverage
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Required: Bachelor's Degree - Public Relations, Communication, Journalism, English, Writing, Marketing. Preferred: Master's Degree - Public Relations, Communication, Journalism, English, Writing, Marketing, Healthcare, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership. | LICENSE & CERTIFICATION: None Required. | Minimum Required: 10+ Years experience.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations, Communication, Journalism, English, Writing or Marketing, plus 10+ Years Public/Media Relations, Corporate Communications, Marketing, Healthcare Administration and/or similar management experience. Experience in an integrated and complex healthcare system is required. This position requires excellent interpersonal skills and can work effectively with diverse personalities and backgrounds. Excellent organization and project management skills are needed in addition to experience in supervision. Best in class critical thinking skills and proven success in a team-based decision-making environment is necessary. Candidates must possess experienced judgement and gravitas to successfully work, counsel and engage across and up/down the organization, including the CEO, Executive Team and senior leadership.