The Director, Marketing & External Communications provides strategic and operational leadership for VNATC's marketing, brand management, external communications, public relations, digital presence and community-facing communications.
The Director develops and executes an integrated marketing and external communications strategy that advances VNATC's mission, strengthens its market position, builds community awareness and trust, and supports the growth objectives of the organization's service lines and programs.
Serving as a primary steward of the VNATC brand and external voice, the Director establishes standards and strategies for organizational positioning, marketing campaigns, digital marketing, websites, social media, public and media relations, advertising, publications, creative services and reputation management.
The Director partners closely with the Senior Director of Sales & Marketing and service-line and organizational leaders to translate strategic and growth priorities into measurable marketing strategies. The position provides leadership for the Marketing & Communications function, establishes priorities and performance expectations, manages resources and vendors, and uses data and market intelligence to evaluate effectiveness and optimize marketing investments.
Internal associate communications are outside the primary scope of this position.
Responsibilities:Strategic Marketing Leadership- Develop, implement and continuously evaluate VNATC's enterprise marketing and external communications strategy in alignment with the organization's strategic plan, mission and growth objectives.
- Develop the annual marketing plan, priorities, calendar, resource requirements and performance measures in partnership with the Senior Director of Sales & Marketing.
- Translate organizational and service-line strategies into integrated marketing plans designed to increase awareness, engagement, referrals, utilization and community visibility.
- Advise senior and service-line leaders regarding market positioning, messaging, target audiences, marketing opportunities and communication strategies.
- Identify emerging marketing opportunities, competitive considerations and community trends that may affect VNATC's market position.
- Establish appropriate marketing priorities across service lines and organizational initiatives to ensure resources are directed toward the highest-value opportunities.
- Ensure marketing strategies balance organizational growth objectives with VNATC's nonprofit mission and community presence.
Service-Line Growth & Market Development Support- Partner with Sales and service-line leadership to develop marketing strategies supporting organizational growth, referral development and market penetration.
- Develop differentiated marketing approaches appropriate to VNATC's services, programs and target audiences.
- Use market, referral, digital and campaign data to identify opportunities to strengthen awareness and support growth.
- Develop campaigns supporting new services, geographic expansion, strategic initiatives and identified growth opportunities.
- Collaborate with Sales leadership to ensure marketing strategies, campaigns and materials effectively support referral-development efforts.
- Establish mechanisms to evaluate the contribution of marketing initiatives to inquiries, referrals, conversions and other organizational growth measures where attribution is reasonably available.
- Support recruitment marketing and employer-brand initiatives from an external marketing and brand perspective in partnership with People & Culture.
Brand Strategy & Management- Serve as a primary steward of the VNATC brand and external organizational identity.
- Develop, maintain and enforce organizational brand standards across service lines, programs, locations and communication channels.
- Establish standards governing organizational messaging, visual identity, logos, imagery, templates and other brand assets.
- Ensure marketing and external communications consistently reflect VNATC's mission, values, quality, reputation and commitment to the community.
- Evaluate opportunities to strengthen organizational positioning and differentiate VNATC within the communities and markets it serves.
- Protect brand integrity across print, digital, environmental, promotional and community-facing applications.
- Ensure organizational partnerships, sponsorships and co-branded initiatives appropriately represent the VNATC brand.
External Communications & Content Strategy- Establish and oversee VNATC's external communications and content strategy.
- Ensure consistent, accurate and compelling messaging across external communication channels.
- Oversee development of annual reports, newsletters, brochures, advertising, patient and community education materials, donor-facing marketing materials, presentations, promotional materials and other external communications.
- Establish editorial standards and content-development processes that ensure accuracy, quality, timeliness and consistency.
- Develop external communication strategies for new services, organizational initiatives, community programs, partnerships and significant organizational developments.
- Develop or oversee executive talking points, presentations, key messages and other externally facing leadership communications as requested.
- Ensure external content is appropriate for its intended audience and communication channel.
Public Relations, Media Relations & Reputation Management- Lead VNATC's public and media relations strategy in partnership with senior leadership.
- Develop and maintain productive relationships with local and regional media and other community communication partners.
- Identify opportunities for earned media, thought leadership, community education and positive organizational visibility.
- Oversee development and distribution of press releases, media statements, background materials and other public-relations content.
- Coordinate media inquiries and facilitate appropriate organizational responses.
- Advise leadership regarding external messaging associated with sensitive, emerging or reputational matters.
- Support external crisis communication planning and response within the scope of the position.
- Monitor media, community conversations and marketplace developments that may affect VNATC's reputation.
- Escalate significant reputational risks promptly to appropriate executive leadership.
- Identify proactive opportunities to strengthen community trust and VNATC's reputation as a leading community healthcare organization.
Digital Marketing & Digital Presence- Establish and oversee the organization's digital marketing strategy.
- Provide strategic oversight of VNATC websites, ensuring content is current, accurate, accessible, user-focused and aligned with organizational objectives.
- Direct social media strategy, content standards, channel management and performance measurement.
- Oversee digital advertising campaigns designed to support awareness, referrals, recruitment and other strategic priorities.
- Develop strategies to strengthen online visibility, search performance, audience engagement and conversion.
- Evaluate emerging digital platforms, technologies and marketing approaches and recommend investments based upon organizational needs and anticipated value.
- Use website, search, social media and campaign analytics to continuously improve digital performance.
Advertising & Integrated Campaign Management- Direct organizational advertising strategy across digital, print, broadcast, outdoor, community and other appropriate channels.
- Establish campaign objectives, audiences, messaging, creative strategy, media mix, budgets and performance measures.
- Ensure campaigns are coordinated across channels and service lines where appropriate.
- Evaluate advertising effectiveness and adjust strategy based upon performance data.
- Negotiate or oversee media placements, advertising agreements and vendor relationships.
- Ensure advertising expenditures align with strategic priorities and provide appropriate organizational value.
Creative Services & Marketing Production- Provide strategic oversight for development of VNATC's visual, graphic, photographic, video, print and digital marketing assets.
- Establish priorities and quality standards for marketing collateral and creative projects.
- Oversee development of brochures, publications, advertisements, signage, promotional materials, event materials and other branded assets.
- Determine when projects should be completed internally versus through external creative resources.
- Manage relationships with designers, printers, photographers, videographers, agencies and other marketing vendors.
- Ensure appropriate management and accessibility of approved brand assets, photographs, graphics, templates and creative files.
Community Visibility & Strategic Partnerships- Identify marketing and communication opportunities that strengthen VNATC's visibility throughout the communities it serves.
- Partner with organizational leaders to support community events, sponsorships, partnerships and outreach initiatives aligned with organizational strategy.
- Evaluate sponsorship and promotional opportunities based upon audience, mission alignment, market relevance and anticipated value.
- Ensure VNATC is represented consistently and professionally through community-facing activities.
- Identify opportunities to position organizational leaders and subject-matter experts as trusted community resources.
Department Leadership & People Management- Provide leadership and direction to Marketing & Communications associates and assigned resources.
- Establish clear departmental priorities, responsibilities, performance standards and measurable objectives.
- Recruit, orient, coach, develop and evaluate assigned associates.
- Build a responsive, collaborative and accountable marketing function capable of effectively supporting multiple service lines and organizational priorities.
- Establish workflows and project-management practices that support timely delivery and appropriate prioritization.
- Evaluate departmental capacity and recommend staffing, technology, vendor or resource changes when appropriate.
- Promote professional development and contemporary marketing practices within the department.
Budget, Vendor & Resource Management- Develop and manage the annual Marketing & Communications budget in partnership with the Senior Director of Sales & Marketing.
- Allocate marketing resources based upon organizational priorities, anticipated impact and demonstrated performance.
- Monitor expenditures and ensure responsible stewardship of nonprofit resources.
- Manage agency and vendor relationships, contracts, scopes of work and performance within delegated authority.
- Evaluate vendor quality, service, responsiveness, cost and return on investment.
- Identify opportunities to consolidate spending, improve efficiency and increase marketing value.
- Maintain appropriate oversight of advertising, production, technology and other marketing expenditures.
Analytics, Performance & Marketing ROI- Establish a meaningful Marketing & External Communications scorecard aligned with organizational strategy.
- Define performance measures for major campaigns and marketing investments before implementation whenever practical.
- Monitor website traffic, digital engagement, campaign performance, advertising effectiveness, social media performance, lead/referral activity and other relevant measures.
- Develop regular reporting for the Senior Director of Sales & Marketing and other organizational leaders.
- Evaluate marketing performance by service line, campaign, channel and audience where appropriate.
- Use data to identify underperforming activities and redirect resources toward higher-value opportunities.
- Continuously improve the organization's ability to demonstrate the effectiveness and organizational contribution of marketing investments.
Organizational & Compliance Responsibilities- Demonstrate VNATC's mission and values in interactions with associates, patients, families, referral partners, donors, volunteers, community members, media representatives and other stakeholders.
- Maintain confidentiality and appropriately safeguard patient, associate, donor and organizational information.
- Ensure marketing activities comply with applicable privacy requirements, organizational policies, contractual obligations and regulatory standards.
- Ensure appropriate permissions and authorizations are obtained for photographs, testimonials, patient stories and other protected or sensitive content.
- Participate in strategic planning, organizational meetings, committees, community events and specia
