Communications Director (Health Policy and Management)

Johns Hopkins University•Baltimore, MD

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Hopkins Business of Health Initiative (HBHI) seeks an experienced communications professional to serve as Communications Director (Executive Communication Administrator), reporting to HBHI Director and Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Dan Polsky. HBHI is a Johns Hopkins University initiative based in the Department of Health Policy & Management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, with support from the Office of the Provost and the deans of four participating divisions. With over 150 affiliate faculty across Public Health, Business, Medicine, and Nursing, HBHI is a convener and incubator of groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research. Through a scholarly focus on the role of business and incentives, HBHI aims to develop, nurture, translate and implement policies and practices for an accessible and trustworthy health care system that delivers value and affordability to society. The Communication Director will provide support to the executive leadership for a designated area and directs and manages communications related to short and long-term priorities, initiatives, and relevant activities. The Communication Director is responsible for the preparation, review, and finalization of internal and external communications, messaging, and briefings aimed at a variety of audiences, and for coordinating with the Office of the President and other university divisions as appropriate. The Communication Director will serve as the primary speechwriter for designated leadership positions, prepares remarks, speeches, and other messages to convey and position the issues, initiatives, and stories in strategic, meaningful, and engaging ways. Extensive partnerships with other executive leadership functions and the central communications team are required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Marketing, or a related field.
Five years of related experience.
Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
Branding - Advanced
Communications Planning - Intermediate
Digital Communications - Advanced
Editing - Advanced
Editorial Research - Advanced
Media Relations - Advanced
Project Management - Intermediate
Stakeholder Engagement - Intermediate
Writing - Advanced

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with design tools (Adobe Creative Suite or Canva), email marketing platforms (Mailchimp), content management systems (Drupal), and analytics tools (GA4).
Master’s degree in communications, public health, business administration, or related field.
Experience translating research or complex findings for non-academic audience.
Background in higher education, health policy, or research settings.
Experience providing operational support for high-level executives.
Experience working closely with senior university officers to prioritize and accomplish academic initiatives.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the overall communications strategy for the designated executive leadership function, in close partnership with and guidance of the leadership team, including written, verbal, and multimedia messaging as well as university and public events.
Prepare and share a variety of communications internal and external to the university, including announcements, memos, briefings, board presentations, and stories to enhance the engagement and impact of the designated function/office.
Through speeches, presentations, media statements, and other messages, convey the vision and ideas of the designated leader, in compelling and creative ways to a wide variety of audiences. The work covers topics ranging from issues facing higher education and public policy, to the student experience, the research enterprise, the university's engagement with Baltimore, and many others.
Monitor and analyze major issues in higher education, public policy, and popular culture, as well as ongoing developments across campuses to appropriately address these issues in communications.
Ensure that the designated leader is prepared for speaking engagements by reviewing all briefing materials on meetings, events, and other interactions with speaking/presentation components.
Review remarks, letters, and communications materials prepared for the designated area, including those drafted by other offices, and ensure that they are accurate, appropriate, and carefully proofed.
Draft and oversee correspondence from across the designated support function related to executive level searches, appointments, and annual letters.
Support the Board of Trustees with requested communication needs.
Support special projects as requested.
Build and sustain relationships with university leadership, faculty, staff, and other constituents to fuel and inform communications materials.
May oversee the website and strategy for the online presence of the designated area.
Provide vision, leadership, and counsel for the communication needs of initiatives, including articulating and overseeing an integrated communications plan.
Proactively identify strategic communication opportunities with internal and external partners.
Develop benchmark criteria to regularly track and evaluate the effectiveness of communications strategies.
Ensure the visibility, branding, and promotion of the school/division/center through a variety of approaches, e.g., online and print media, radio/television, etc.
Create and/or oversee the creation of original content across a variety of platforms, and current and emerging channels.
Develop and manage a comprehensive media relations strategy and program at the local, state, and national levels encompassing print, television, and social media outlets.
Direct communications and marketing research to provide sound advice and consultation to leadership.
Evaluate the effectiveness of communications and marketing efforts and implement changes and best practices.
Oversee budget, implementation, and fiscal approval of communications and media-related projects.
Develop and manage agreements and contracts with external communications firms.
Other duties as assigned.
Lead research dissemination and translation efforts to communicate faculty findings to non-academic audiences, including policymakers, health care executives, and funders.
Lead communications for convenings and webinars, including planning, promotions, and post-event content production across web, LinkedIn, YouTube, and newsletter channels.
Direct and produce visual content, including photography, video, and graphic design, to support initiative communications.
Coordinate communications across HBHI’s four participating divisions (Public Health, Business, Medicine, Nursing) and with the Office of the Provost, the Bloomberg Distinguished Professors’ Office, and divisional marketing/communications offices.
Support the HBHI Advisory Council and leadership team with executive communications needs.