JOB SUMMARY

The job drives the development and implementation of enterprise reputation strategies, including storytelling that supports the organization's overall strategy and brand, mission, business priorities, and organizational differentiators. The incumbent will focus on external and internal audiences. Externally, the primary focus is on promoting and enhancing the organization's reputation and brand across markets through effective media issues and crisis management communications practices. Serves as the company's primary spokesperson on key business issues in national trade publications and in regional media. Develops news media, social media, and corporate communication strategies to tell the organization's story in multiple channels. Internally, the primary focus is on employee engagement, and business and cultural transformation through the application of effective manager and employee communications. Serves as a strategic communications advisor to executive leadership team, executes strategic executive communications plans, and delivers consistent messaging throughout the organization. Must be adept at understanding complex issues, working cross functionally to develop strategic communications for multiple constituencies and coordinating their dissemination.

This is a hybrid based role in Pittsburgh, PA. 3 days a week onsite - T, W, TH.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform management responsibilities to include, but are not limited to: involved in hiring and termination decisions, coaching and development, rewards and recognition, performance management and staff productivity. Plan, organize, staff, direct and control the day-to-day operations of the department; develop and implement policies and programs as necessary; may have budgetary responsibility and authority.
• Responsible for the oversight of millions of dollars of grant making to the community each year. The ideal candidate must bring media relations acumen to the role, having experience in the planning, development and execution of news media relations campaigns in support of company objectives. The candidate will also have knowledge of the local nonprofit community and experience in grant making. The candidate must be adept at understanding complex issues, working cross functionally to develop strategic communications for multiple constituencies and coordinating their dissemination, as a well as matrixing to Community Affairs and the Highmark Foundation to identify community needs, build nonprofit relationships and execute determination of grant making.
• The person in this role will have budget responsibility and management oversight for outside services such as public relations firms, free-lance writers and other vendors needed to support internal and external communications campaign and promotional activities.
• Public relations / external communications (only): -Serve as the primary public relations lead for enterprise or regional activities and issues ranging from crisis communications to serving as a spokesperson on highly visible issues critical to our business in the news media or community. -Partner with the Market President and senior leaders, are able to deal with highly confidential and visible projects, and develop and execute media and community outreach strategies working collaboratively across business groups, and with social media, web publishing and internal communications teams. -Manage corporate projects that cross business lines and work to maintain the company's reputation and brand in the marketplace, including core health business, provider areas and subsidiaries.
• Community Relations: -Provide strategic guidance to the Market President and grant making-affiliated Board committees about nonprofit grant making, including identification of priority community issues, RFPs and guidance on nonprofit capacity needs. -Work in concert with the Community Affairs and Highmark Foundation teams to align regional grant making with larger corporate priorities for funding and support.
• Internal communications (only): -Provide strategic consulting on communications best practices to the Market President and senior leaders; develop, design and deliver manager and employee communications that increase employee engagement in executing enterprise strategy, and foster a customer-focused, high-performance culture. -Work collaboratively with public relations, social media, web publishing and other communications teams to communicate high-impact management decisions and other strategic business-related changes and oversee the development, writing, editing, approval and delivery of all content published through enterprise communications channels including the HighWire homepage (intranet), email, mobile apps and all-employee meetings.
• Other duties as assigned or requested.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's Degree Communications, Business or related field

Substitutions

• 6 years of related and progressive experience in lieu of Bachelor's degree

Preferred

• Master's Degree in Communications, Business or related field

EXPERIENCE

Required

• 7 years in Journalism, Public Relations or Employee Communications
• 3 years in a leadership or management role

Preferred

• Experience dealing with senior management.
• Community-based nonprofit experience

LICENSES or CERTIFICATIONS

Required

• None

Preferred

• Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)

SKILLS

• Knowledge of the health care industry critical for success
• Extensive experience dealing with local, regional and national media is required. Must also have the ability to react to the news media requests for immediate response on high profile issues
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent strategic communication & planning skills
• Strong project management skills
• Strong influence management and relationship building skills
• Possess the ability to think on his/her feet while dealing practically with conflicting demands and expectations
• Possess exceptional conflict resolution and negotiating skills
• Able to handle and adjust to interruptions with ease, make efficient and precise executive decisions and effectively react to last minute changes
• Self-starter with the ability to work under pressure independently and as part of a team
• Vendor management

Language (Other than English):

None

Travel Requirement:

0% - 25%

PHYSICAL, MENTAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS

Position Type

Office-based

Teaches / trains others regularly

Frequently

Travel regularly from the office to various work sites or from site-to-site

Rarely

Works primarily out-of-the office selling products/services (sales employees)

Never

Physical work site required

Yes

Lifting: up to 10 pounds

Constantly

Lifting: 10 to 25 pounds

Occasionally

Lifting: 25 to 50 pounds

Rarely

Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.