Advocate Health Care

Senior Vice President, People Communications & Activation

Advocate Health Care$150K — $200K *
Healthcare
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's Degree in Communications or related field is required.
  • 10 years of experience in human resources, particularly in large health systems or similarly complex organizations.
  • 5 years of management experience in leading comprehensive human resources functions.
  • Proven experience in establishing large-scale communication functions in complex, matrix environments.
  • Expertise in AI-driven communication tools and digital engagement platforms.

Responsibilities

  • Build and lead a high-performing team across strategic communication functions.
  • Foster a culture of innovation and strategic impact within the organization.
  • Partner with key departments to deliver personalized communication experiences.
  • Own and drive the People Communication strategy aligned with organizational goals.
  • Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders on visibility and messaging initiatives.
  • Lead communication strategies for enterprise-wide initiatives like M&A and cultural transformation.
  • Implement governance frameworks and performance metrics for operational excellence.

Benefits

  • Paid Time Off programs to support work-life balance.
  • Comprehensive health and welfare benefits including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
  • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match.
  • Opportunities for educational assistance and career development programs.
Full Job Description
Department:

14205 Enterprise Corporate - People & Culture Administration

Status:

Full time

Benefits Eligible:

Yes

Hours Per Week:

40

Schedule Details/Additional Information:

Remote with routine travel.

Major Responsibilities:
  • Build and lead a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team across strategic advisory, lifecycle messaging, change communication, and operations.
  • Foster a culture of innovation, agility, and strategic impact.
  • Continuously evolve roles, capabilities, and workflows to support a unified, digitally enabled communication function.
  • Partner with HR Shared Services, IT, and divisional leaders to deliver integrated, personalized communication experiences.
  • Engage with Communication Advisory Councils and pulse networks to gather insights and inform enterprise strategy.
  • Ensure alignment with CEO and senior leadership priorities through strategic planning, quarterly reviews, and executive reporting.
  • Own and drive the enterprise-wide People Communication & Activation strategy, aligning with Advocate Health's transformation agenda and People & Culture vision.
  • Serve as a strategic advisor to senior executives, shaping leadership visibility, messaging, and engagement across the organization.
  • Lead communication strategy for enterprise-wide initiatives, including M&A, large-scale change, and cultural transformation.
  • Oversee the Leadership Advisory Communication & Activation function, enabling senior leaders to connect meaningfully with teammates through consistent, high-impact messaging.
  • Implement and evolve the 4/8/40 executive visibility cadence, ensuring leaders are emotionally present and strategically engaged throughout the year.
  • Design and deliver leadership activation events and advisory frameworks that build trust, clarity, and alignment.
  • Develop and execute change communication strategies that support enterprise transformation and teammate adoption.
  • Translate complex change into clear, compelling narratives tailored to diverse audiences.
  • Partner with business leaders to ensure communication is timed, targeted, and aligned with change readiness and impact.
  • Lead communication across the full teammate journey-from recruitment and onboarding to development, recognition, and retention.
  • Ensure messaging is inclusive, personalized, and aligned with strategic pillars and teammate preferences.
  • Collaborate with HR, Talent, and Culture teams to embed communication into every stage of the teammate experience.
  • Align and implement systems, processes, and assets that support planning, production, and measurement of all people communications.
  • Champion the use of AI and automation to reduce administrative burden, enhance content quality, and deliver personalized communication at scale.
  • Establish governance frameworks, service models, and performance metrics to ensure operational excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Oversee Communication Advisory Councils and pulse networks to gather insights, elevate issues, and inform strategy.
  • Use data, analytics, and teammate feedback to continuously refine communication approaches and demonstrate impact to executive leadership.
  • Ensure communication efforts are measurable, scalable, and aligned with enterprise priorities.
  • Performs human resources responsibilities for staff which include interviewing and selection of new employees, promotions, staff development, performance evaluations, compensation changes, resolution of employee concerns, corrective actions, terminations, and overall employee morale.
  • Develops and recommends operating and capital budgets and controls expenditures within approved budget objectives.
  • Responsible for understanding and adhering to the organization's Code of Ethical Conduct and for ensuring that personal actions, and the actions of employees supervised, comply with the policies, regulations and laws applicable to the organization's business.


Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required:
  • None Required.


Education Required:
  • Master's Degree in Communications or related field.


Experience Required:
  • Typically requires 10 years of experience in human resources in a large health system or similarly sized/structured business. Includes 5 years of management experience in directing and leading comprehensive human resources functions within a complex organization. Proven success leading large-scale communication functions in complex, matrixed environments and expertise in AI-driven communication tools, digital engagement platforms, and change enablement.


Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:
  • Strong executive presence, strategic thinking, and advisory capabilities.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams and drive enterprise-wide impact.
  • Demonstrated advanced consulting skills and ability to effectively develop, implement and apply organizational strategies to address complex business challenges including change/succession management, workforce planning, leadership development and organization design.
  • Advanced knowledge and expertise of multiple human resource disciplines and business practices including compensation practices, organizational diagnosis, employee/union relations, diversity, performance management, regulatory compliance and employment laws.
  • Demonstrated leadership and excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills. Ability to build/foster strong trusting relationships, influence leaders, use negotiation skills and develop solutions to achieve results. Ability to advise leaders on how to successfully lead people through change.
  • Acute analytical ability and business, industry and financial acumen; understands the role caregivers and leaders play in driving financial performance.
  • Must be self-directed, self-motivated, and flexible. Ability to take initiative to identify and anticipate client needs and effectively manage multiple conflicting priorities and deadlines.
  • Expert knowledge in the use of data, evidence-based research, benchmarks, HR and business metrics to make critical decisions.


Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:
  • This position requires travel, therefore, will be exposed to weather and road conditions.
  • Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.
  • Exposed to a normal office environment.


This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties

Our Commitment to You:

Advocate Health offers a 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, including:

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


Benefits and more
  • 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


Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.

About Advocate Health Care

Advocate Health Care is a not-for-profit, faith-based health system providing comprehensive health care services to the people of Illinois. The organization is the largest fully integrated health care delivery system in Illinois, with more than 500 sites of care and 12 hospitals, including two of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, the state’s largest integrated children’s network, five Level I trauma centers (the state’s highest designation in trauma care), three Level II trauma centers, one of the area’s largest home health and hospice companies and one of the region’s largest medical groups. Advocate Health Care trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $1.6 billion in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2019.
Learn more about Advocate Health Care
Size
75,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1976

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