The Health Initiative Senior Manager of Communications

Job Description

Job Description

ABOUT THE HEALTH INITIATIVE :

It is well-established that 80% of a person’s health is determined by factors outside the doctor’s office — healthy food, safe housing and a livable income. Yet our healthcare system is built backwards, with more than 99% of US healthcare dollars spent on medical care alone. The amount of money going toward healthcare is huge — the US government and private health insurance companies spend $10.7B on healthcare every day . This is projected to grow 6% annually through the next decade, despite recent safety net cuts. But what exactly do we get for all this healthcare spending? Right now, the US has some of the worst health outcomes across all high-income countries, including for preventable heart disease and obesity, which cost the system nearly $500B each year. This is inefficient and leaves people behind, especially low-income children and families.

But what if our healthcare system was built to pay for health, not just healthcare? What if it moved dollars upstream to pay for the basics people need to get and stay healthy, like safe housing and nutritious food? The result would be a win-win-win : Children and adults would have better access to healthy food and safe housing and, as a result, have better health outcomes. When healthier patients use less care, the government saves money – and insurance companies’ revenues increase – incentivizing both to pay for these basics.

The Health Initiative (THI) is a national organization that crosses political divides, taps market forces and activates stakeholders to shift dollars toward health. By providing strategic guidance and technical assistance, we activate healthcare institutions to move dollars into the hands of patients and communities to pay for food and housing— improving health outcomes for those most at risk and reducing overall healthcare costs.

Since 2018, THI has used our playbook to spur healthcare institutions to spend nearly $1B in healthcare dollars on food, housing and other basics. For example, we supported North Carolina to use Medicaid dollars to provide patients with groceries, rental assistance and other basics, keeping them out of the hospital and saving the state a net $1,020 per person per year. THI also advised a Fortune 25 insurance company on how to provide food and housing benefits for 22K high-risk patients (87% living on less than $20K a year) and to design an evaluation which found that those receiving higher benefits have lower healthcare costs.

THI maintains a diversified revenue base which enables staff stability, long-term planning, and meaningful impact.

ABOUT THE POSITION :

The Senior Manager of Communications will lead the development and execution of THI communications , ensuring clarity, consistency, and impact across all internal and external messaging. This role is responsible for personally crafting compelling narratives that are persuasive and reflect THI’s voice and value, for supporting executive communications, and for managing relationships with partner communications teams. Specifically, this role has three primary functions :

Create communication deliverables for THI, e.g. speeches, press releases, proposals, annual reports

Manage relationships with communication teams at THI partner institutions

Identify and manage outsourced communications resources

A successful candidate will thrive in the fast-paced context of issue-based campaigns and / or start-up environments and have a track record of ghostwriting that captures the voice of other individuals and / or an organization. They must demonstrate excellence in relational instincts, attention to detail, and, of course, excellent written and verbal communication skills.

The position reports to the Chief Operating Officer on an interim basis and will work closely with the Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of THI, Rebecca Onie and Rocco Perla. As part of a small organization, the role may or may not have direct reports at any given time but will be responsible for leading and mentoring a cross-functional team of internal and external people to ensure communication deliverables are executed flawlessly.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES :

Lead the creation and finalization of all communications deliverables, ensuring high-quality content and process; will include both the creation of first drafts and polishing drafts done by others.

Understand and reflect the “voice” of THI partners and executives by monitoring speeches, press releases, and public communications; incorporate smoothly into output.

Draft and review content such as articles, talking points, and executive communications.

Develop materials that clearly articulate THI’s value proposition (e.g., overviews, annual reports).

Manage relationships with partner communications teams, including development of materials.

Assess, retain, and manage outsourced communications resources (e.g., design, social media, technical writers).

Define functional goals, in alignment with and in support of other THL functions including federal, state, plan and development teams’ goals.

Create and execute plan to achieve those goals.

Collaborate effectively with other leaders to achieve collective goals.

KEY COMPETENCIES :

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

ROLE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

3+ years of experience in communications roles

Exceptional writing skills—clear, concise, compelling

Strategic thinker who can help articulate goals and will execute against them in dynamic environments.

Ability to synthesize and simplify complex information for diverse audiences.

Ability to generate action via persuasive writing.

Deep understanding of healthcare payment policy or strong willingness to learn.

Experience writing in the voice of senior leaders or organizations.

CORE THI ATTRIBUTES AND BEHAVIORS :

Commitment to THI’s mission, vision, and values.

Continuous improvement mindset; eagerness for learning and feedback.

Confident in leading with a point of view and recommendations while being open to changing position when necessary.

Takes full accountability for the timeliness and quality of their function.

Comfortable operating behind the scenes; low ego.

Ability to navigate ambiguity and work both independently and collaboratively.

Drives forward progress amidst change.

Ability and willingness to learn and adapt to THI’s approach to building transformative relationships based on humility, reliability, openness, humor, and confidence.

Good judgment : knows when to act independently and when to seek input.

Clear, concise, and compelling communication.

Strong project management and prioritization skills including ability to manage multiple projects with short, medium, and long-term deadlines

Ability to manage up, down, and with peers

Efficiently leverages cross-functional team members and technology.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS : THI offers a comprehensive benefits package. The salary for this position is $110,000 - $135,000. In addition to a competitive salary, THI also offers :

Full coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance.

Generous 401K matching and parental leave.

Unlimited sustainable vacation and sick time

This is a full-time, exempt role and is fully remote within the US. THI expects staff to work Eastern Time Zone hours. Some travel and flexible evening and weekend work expected.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT : THI is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage all qualified applicants to apply.