Sr. Thought Leadership Lead

GuideWell • United States,

3d • $109,300 - $177,600

About The Position

The Sr. Thought Leadership Lead is a senior practitioner and subject matter expert within GuideWell's Enterprise Communications function, responsible for leading a defined area of the organization's communications program with strategic depth, narrative discipline, and measurable impact. This role owns Executive Thought Leadership — and is accountable for both the strategy and execution within that domain. The Sr. Thought Leadership Lead operates as a trusted advisor and functional leader, working across pillars of the Enterprise Communications function to ensure their area of ownership is fully integrated with the enterprise narrative, aligned to organizational priorities, and contributing to GuideWell's reputation, employee engagement, and stakeholder relationships. This role reports to the Executive Communications Dir. and works in close partnership with communications colleagues, business leaders, and cross-functional partners.

Requirements

• 6+ years related work experience.
• Related Bachelor’s degree or additional related equivalent work experience
• Communications, Journalism, English, Public Relations, or related field
• Deep subject matter expertise in executive thought leadership — able to set the standard, evaluate quality, and continuously improve the function's capability in this area.
• Proven editorial leadership — experience owning flagship content vehicles such as annual reports, impact reports, or equivalent organizational storytelling assets, with responsibility for narrative strategy and quality standards.
• Demonstrated experience coaching and developing executives as external communicators — not just writing for them, but building their capacity to own their voice.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills — able to write in multiple executive voices, develop thought leadership frameworks, and produce editorial direction that writers and production partners can execute against.
• Proven ability to operate proactively — bringing a communications agenda to partners rather than waiting for requests.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate across a communications function — connecting their domain to enterprise narrative, media, internal communications, and business partner work.
• Experience integrating with marketing on shared content and executive voice — comfortable coordinating across functions without creating conflict or duplication.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in health care, health insurance, managed care, or a similarly regulated, high-scrutiny industry — familiarity with the industry conversations and external platforms where GuideWell leaders should be building visibility.
• Background owning an annual impact report or equivalent organizational flagship storytelling vehicle.
• Experience building a thought leadership program from a low base — knows what it takes to establish criteria, build leader buy-in, and create a sustainable content operation.
• Familiarity with health care industry conferences, publications, and association forums relevant to GuideWell's business domains.
• Experience managing LinkedIn executive content programs — platform dynamics, content formats, and performance analytics.
• Master’s degree Communications, Journalism, or related field

Responsibilities

• Serve as GuideWell's senior expert and owner for executive thought leadership— setting the strategy, maintaining standards, and ensuring the function delivers measurable outcomes in this area. Develop and maintain an annual plan aligned to enterprise narrative priorities and organizational goals.
• Own GuideWell's executive thought leadership program, ensuring all work reflects GuideWell's enterprise messaging framework and maintains consistent voice, quality, and narrative integrity.
• Design, build, and manage GuideWell's enterprise-wide executive thought leadership program — establishing criteria for leader participation, investment levels by tier, strategic objectives, and the measurement framework that determines whether the program is working. Develop and maintain an annual thought leadership strategy — a proactive calendar of external visibility opportunities for participating leaders across speaking, publishing, LinkedIn, media, and coalition platforms — aligned to the enterprise narrative and GuideWell's strategic priorities for the year.
• Work directly with participating executives to develop their individual thought leadership positioning — identifying their authentic point of view, the audiences they should be reaching, the platforms right for their voice, and the narrative connection between their work and the GuideWell enterprise story. Partner directly with executives to pitch, secure, and prepare for speaking engagements, including developing briefing materials and talking points.
• Coach executives as communicators — helping each leader develop the external confidence, message discipline, and platform-specific skills that make thought leadership effective.
• Own GuideWell's Leader LinkedIn Program — managing the full lifecycle of leader LinkedIn content from strategy to writing through publication.
• Build and manage the enterprise speaking pipeline — identifying the right external platforms, developing proposals and submissions, and managing preparation and follow-through for every confirmed engagement.
• Set and hold the narrative standard for the program — ensuring every piece of external leader content is strategically coherent, advances the enterprise narrative, and contributes to GuideWell's reputation as a credible voice in health transformation.
• Partner closely with colleagues across Enterprise Communications — including Media & Issues, Internal Communications, Strategic Communications & Reputation, and CEO Communications — to ensure Executive Thought Leadership work is integrated with the broader communications function and not operating as a standalone track. Actively share intelligence, coordinate on shared moments, and contribute to enterprise-wide planning.
• Serve as the primary communications resource and advisor for executive leadership and business unit leaders as it relates to thought leadership and enterprise storytelling. Provide counsel, develop materials, and prepare leaders for speaking engagements, industry publications, LinkedIn, and external forums.
• Define success metrics for Executive Thought Leadership & Enterprise Storytelling that go beyond activity and output — tracking indicators of leader credibility, narrative penetration, share of voice in relevant industry conversations, and enterprise reputation contribution. Use data to make stop, start, and scale decisions and report results in a format useful for senior leadership.
• Maintain active coordination with the Business Partner Content Strategy team in Marketing — establishing a regular alignment cadence to prevent duplication or narrative contradiction across executive content. Serve as the Communications function's primary relationship holder with Marketing on matters of executive content and leader voice.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life and global travel health insurance
• Income protection benefits: life insurance, short- and long-term disability programs
• Leave programs to support personal circumstances
• Retirement Savings Plan including employer match
• Paid time off, volunteer time off, 10 holidays and 2 well-being days
• Additional voluntary benefits available
• A comprehensive wellness program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior