Vice President Communication Issues & Advocacy

American Addiction Centers•Charlotte, NC

21h•Remote

About The Position

The Vice President Communication Issues & Advocacy will develop and execute strategic communications plans for Advocate Health, focusing on thought leadership, issues management, and media relations. This role involves serving as a trusted advisor to executive and senior leadership, providing informed points of view to prevent or address crises, protect reputation, and advance thought leadership. The VP will manage external communication needs for various Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) across departments like Legal, People and Culture, Consumer and Social Impact, Information Technology, Finance, M&A and Integration, and Enterprise Services. Key responsibilities include managing the issues and advocacy team's budget and personnel, leading strategic communications initiatives, and collaborating with the integration office on M&A activity. The position also entails establishing best-in-class media relations protocols, creating storytelling opportunities, and playing a central role in crisis prevention and management, including preparing playbooks and drafting communication materials. Additionally, the VP will work with PR agencies and ensure all communications align with the organization's mission, vision, and values. The role also encompasses talent development, team structure, and performance management for the communications functions under its purview. Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, serving nearly 6 million patients across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, with 155,000 teammates.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, advertising or other business-related field, or bachelor’s degree combined with relevant experience.
Typically requires 10 years of experience leading diverse teams, budgets and comprehensive strategies in communications, marketing or other business-related field.
A strategic thinker and creative problem-solver with a track record in corporate reputation management and communications; expertise in crisis and issues prevention and management is essential.
Ability to think big picture to foresee reputational risks and opportunities and zoom into critical details, nuances and variables to inform issues management strategy and response.
Comfortable working across departments and businesses to bring a calm demeanor and coordinated approach to company issues, balancing competing perspectives and the needs of stakeholders at all levels.
Capable of understanding complex business and financial concepts, distilling them into easy-to-understand external communications for specific and varied audiences.
Strong understanding of the media and how to best manage Advocate Health’s interactions with outlets and individual members of the media to enhance the organization’s reputation and avoid or mitigate negative coverage.
Ability to recognize business practices, innovations or other occurrences within the enterprise that set it apart from the industry, as a whole, for the purposes of enhancing our thought leadership credentials.
Proven ability to develop and lead enterprise-wide communications and public relations strategies, with clear and compelling recommendations to executive leadership.
Experience with proactive and crisis communications planning, including reputation management across multiple channels.
Highly strategic with a demonstrated track record in assessing complex, competitive issues and situations and in developing related initiatives in partnership with other stakeholders to drive business results.
Ability to think critically, synthesize complex information, and create clarity to support sound decision-making.
Specific experience and strong record of success in understanding the environment, identifying opportunities, designing solutions and aligning action to drive performance.
Demonstrated ability to stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and evolving stakeholder expectations to inform strategy and foster innovation.
Strong leadership and communication skills, including presentation creation and delivery, with executive presence and the ability to inspire, influence, and build trust across diverse audiences.
Proactive, independent and takes initiative with consistent follow through.
Thrives in a fast-paced environment, having a change mindset and comfortable navigating ambiguity.
Skilled in managing budgets, vendors, resources, and timelines to ensure efficiency and impact.
Proven ability to assess, retain, grow and attract strong, diverse talent to meet business objectives.
Track record of empowering team members, fostering accountability, and building effective operating models that drive results.
Collaborative mindset with the ability to work cross-functionally.

Responsibilities

Develop and drive the execution of Advocate Health’s strategic communications plans and processes that support our organization, including during periods of growth and in times of crises, as well as establishing the enterprise as a thought leader within the health care industry.
Create and maintain Centers of Excellence in Thought Leadership, Issues Management and Media Relations, providing executive oversight and strategic direction for these three core communications teams.
Serve as a trusted advisor to executive and senior leadership across enterprise, providing informed points of view to prevent or address crises and/or protect or enhance reputation, advance thought leadership and support organizational growth; guide communications that support organizational goals and elevate Advocate Health’s national profile.
Support external communication needs of EVPs across client set, including but not limited to, Legal, People and Culture, Consumer and Social Impact, Information Technology, Finance, M&A and Integration, and Enterprise Services, collaborating closely with internal communications and other key partners where appropriate.
Effectively manage the people and budget for the issues and advocacy team, working closely with the rest of the communications leadership team.
Lead the team in helping to prioritize, plan, organize and direct strategic communications initiatives to inform and engage teammates, elevate the organization’s profile and proactively manage reputation to generate positive awareness and build goodwill.
Collaborate closely with integration office to understand potential and/or imminent M&A activity, partnering to ensure optimal external communications plans are developed and executed to protect and enhance Advocate Health’s reputation.
Establish protocols and processes to provide framework for best-in-class media relations efforts, employing a geographically diverse approach to maintain and leverage local relationships and provide necessary support for departmental storytelling efforts in each Advocate Health media market.
Create and manage storytelling opportunities across entirety of client set designed to bring consumers closer to Advocate Health’s care delivery brands and affirm its role as a leader within its communities and the industry.
Play a central role in preventing issues before they happen and manage them when they do by gathering facts, identifying vulnerabilities, solving for problems, creating solutions and executing effectively with an eye to minimizing reputational damage.
Prepare playbooks, processes and plans that prepare the organization for potential scenarios that may impact our reputation and business objectives, including M&A activity and crisis communications.
In partnership with key stakeholders across legal, advocacy, operations and impacted markets or departments, assess and investigate situations for potential reputation impacts, draft communications materials (e.g., media statements, talking points, Q&A’s, etc.), and prepare stakeholders and spokespeople for escalated issues and matters that may become public.
In partnership with other communications leaders, work with PR agencies, as needed, to support communications efforts, including media and social media monitoring during crisis situations, major announcements and to promote thought leadership opportunities.
Ensure all related communications reflect the mission, vision and values of our organization.
Maintain flexible availability and responsiveness both during and outside of normal work hours.
Lead and mentor a high-performing communications team and cultivate a culture of excellence and innovative thinking and storytelling.
Oversee talent development, team structure, and performance management across all communications functions under this role’s purview.

Benefits

Comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work
Compensation Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training
Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job
Incentive pay for select positions
Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Paid Time Off programs
Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program