Director, Community & Engagement, Planetree

Director, Community & Engagement, Planetree

Planetree, a global non-profit organization that pioneered the person-centered care (PCC) movement, is seeking a dynamic and collaborative leader to serve as Director, Community & Engagement. This role is responsible for building, managing, and activating a robust portfolio of communities and engagement programs for Planetree members, partners, and affiliated professionals worldwide.

Founded by a single patient in 1978, Planetree partners with healthcare organizations in more than 30 countries around the world to create cultures of excellence in person-centered care. Grounded in partnership, compassion, and respect, Planetree helps teams align policies, practices, and everyday interactions with what matters most to patients, family members, and the staff who care for them.

Reporting to the Vice President, Engagement, the Director, Community & Engagement, will oversee signature Planetree communities of practice; create high-value opportunities for peer-to-peer connection and shared learning; ensure that Planetree's online and in-person engagement platforms deliver measurable value for members; and model inclusive engagement practices that reflect Planetree's mission and address the needs of a diverse, global community. The position requires exceptional program management skills, cultural humility, and the ability to collaborate across functions, geographies, and professional disciplines. An annual program budget is planned in partnership with the VP, Engagement, and the role is supported by shared marketing / event operations and technology resources; plan to add a coordinator / contracted support as programs scale successfully in FY27.

This represents an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished, mission-driven, collaborative leader who is passionate about improving healthcare experiences around the world. The new Director will join Planetree at a key time in its evolution and impact the future of this remarkable team and the healthcare organizations we serve around the world.

Engagement Programs

Planetree Membership : Manage organizational and individual membership programs, including onboarding, benefits delivery and utilization tracking, member communications and events calendar (in partnership with Marketing), program evaluation, and improvement.

Communities of Practice : Lead and grow the engagement of the following Planetree communities, including developing and maintaining inclusive community engagement plans, applying inclusive engagement strategies that ensure accessibility and relevance for community members across regions and professional roles :

o Global Patient & Family Partnership Council (PFPC)

o Fellows in Person-Centered Care (FPCC)

o Phased implementation starting in FY26 : Regional Advisory Boards, Regional PFPCs, Global Consulting Network

Program and manage PCC Exchange Webinars : Select topics, recruit and prepare speakers, and coordinate with Marketing for promotion and registration of public and members-only webinars.

Program and manage Planetree's Humanizing Healthcare podcast in partnership with Fidelum Health : Select topics, secure speakers, and coordinate with Marketing for promotion.

Launch and manage Planetree's Member Connections program, working with the Consulting team to ensure all member organizations are paired with a mentor organization for peer learning.

Lead the design and delivery of Annual Member Day and Virtual Office Hours, ensuring high participation, diversity of perspectives, and alignment with member priorities.

Ensure all programs and materials meet accessibility standards (e.g., captioning, alt text) and accommodate global participation (e.g., time-zone rotation, recordings, translated materials where feasible).

Evaluate the impact of engagement programs with metrics such as participation rates, satisfaction scores, and contribution to member retention.

Planetree Hub & Online Engagement

Oversee curation and management of resources on the Planetree Hub, ensuring materials are up-to-date, relevant, and aligned with the Planetree PCC Framework.

Collaborate with the Consulting, Certification, and Marketing teams to integrate new tools, case studies, and thought leadership into the Hub.

Manage and grow Planetree's online communities (including those supporting Planetree Communities of Practice, above) : Create and moderate discussion spaces, post content, answer questions, send reminders, and share thought leadership.

Track and analyze engagement analytics to inform continuous improvement.

Collaboration, Budgeting & Cross-Functional Alignment

Partner with the Vice President, Engagement, and others to develop and manage budgets for community and engagement programs.

Work with Director, Education & Product Development, to ensure engagement programs align with the Planetree Product Portfolio and Roadmap.

Work with the Marketing team to ensure consistent branding and messaging for all engagement activities.

Work with the Consulting and Certification teams to ensure that resources and programming support member success in PCC implementation and Certification.

Build and maintain relationships with external Faculty, clients, and partners to enhance content and expand reach.

Teamwork & Culture

Contribute to annual team operational plan aligned to Planetree's strategic plan and roadmap.

Work internally as a collaborative team member to meet the goals of Planetree.

Contribute to Planetree's organizational learning by bringing field experiences to drive innovation.

Complete mandatory training as required.

Professional development budget available; opportunities to present at the Planetree Forum and PCC Exchange.

Flexible schedule with occasional early / late meetings to accommodate global time zones.

Practice and uphold the Planetree Mission, Vision, and Values.

Education

Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in a related field preferred.

Experience

710 years of progressively responsible experience in program management, community engagement, or member relations, preferably in healthcare, nonprofit, or membership organizations.

At least 3 years in a leadership capacity with accountability for budgets and strategic decision-making.

Experience working with cross-cultural, geographically dispersed teams.

Proven ability to design, deliver, and evaluate high-quality virtual and in-person events.

Skills & Competencies

Demonstrated success building and managing professional communities, member programs, or networks.

Strong cultural humility and ability to engage with diverse stakeholders across geographies.

Skilled at strategic communications, content curation, and online community engagement.

Competence in budgeting, project management, and partnership development.

Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Strategic thinker with ability to translate vision into implementation; proactive and solutions-oriented

Technology

Proficiency with Microsoft 365, Salesforce (CRM / Experience Cloud / Surveys), learning management systems, online community platforms, and video conferencing (Zoom / Teams).

Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Jira) and emerging digital engagement / AI tools.

Language

English proficiency required; additional languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic) strongly preferred.

Performance objectives will be established at the beginning of the team member's period of employment. These objectives will be discussed and agreed with the team member's direct line manager. This will form the team member's Development & Performance Plan for the year.

Performance will be evaluated by :

Feedback on work achievements and issues by ongoing discussions and at performance evaluations

Periodic external member / partner feedback on services provided

Performance indicators for key areas of responsibility

Planetree is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. We work in over 30 different countries, and value diversity in our work and our workplace. In our work, we promote respect, inclusion, and compassion towards all stakeholders in the healthcare enterprise. We encourage qualified candidates of any race, religion, creed, or orientation to join our mission-driven team.

All positions at Planetree require an applicant who has accepted an offer to undergo a background check. The specific checks are based on the nature of the position. Background checks may include some or all the following : SSN / SIN validation, education verification, employment verification, and criminal check, search against global sanctions and government watch lists, fingerprint verification, credit check, and / or drug test. By applying for a position with Planetree, you understand that you will be required to undergo a background check should you be made an offer. You also understand that the offer is contingent upon successful completion of the background check and results consistent with Planetree's employment policies. You will be notified during the hiring process which checks are required for the position.

Pay Transparency Non-Discrimination Notice Planetree will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However,