Responsibilities

• Lead issues and crisis communications strategy: Provide enterprise leadership for issues communications, crisis response, and reputation management to protect the organization’s reputation. Develop and coordinate communications approaches that protect institutional credibility and support timely, accurate, and aligned messaging during sensitive, complex, or high-profile situations.
• Guide enterprise media relations strategy: Develop, implement, and continuously guide an integrated media relations strategy that advances Dana-Farber’s institutional priorities, strengthens organizational reputation, and increases national and international visibility for the Institute’s clinical, research, educational, and philanthropic missions.
• Advise executive leadership and advance executive visibility: Serve as a trusted communications advisor to executive leadership, faculty, clinicians, and researchers on reputational risk, media engagement, executive visibility, strategic storytelling, and interview preparation, while partnering with leaders across the Institute to shape thought-leadership opportunities and ensure coordinated external messaging.
• Direct proactive media engagement: Lead proactive media outreach, story development, media pitching, press events, and strategic communications campaigns designed to generate high-impact coverage across national, regional, healthcare, scientific, consumer, trade, and digital media. Oversee media efforts that broaden external awareness and reinforce institutional priorities.
• Build strategic media partnerships and monitor the media landscape: Cultivate and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, producers, media influencers, and other external stakeholders. Monitor changes in the media environment and identify emerging opportunities that align with institutional priorities and reputational goals.
• Measure impact and lead the team: Establish and oversee performance measures for media relations activities, such as message penetration, share of voice, audience reach, and reputational impact. Provide executive reporting, analysis, and strategic recommendations.
• Supervise staff. Hire, develop, and manage staff to achieve organizational goals. Set clear expectations, deliver feedback, and monitor performance for quality, efficiency, and compliance with policies and procedures. Mentor staff, foster career growth, and cultivate a positive and productive work environment.
• On call, with some evening and weekend work.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, English, or related field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in media relations, public affairs, strategic communications, or corporate communications required.
• Significant experience leading issues management, crisis communications, and reputation management in complex organizations required.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing enterprise media strategies that advance organizational reputation and strategic priorities, including advising executive leaders, physicians, researchers, and subject matter experts on media engagement and communications strategy required.

Preferred

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Healthcare, academic medicine, higher education, research institution, governmental, or agency experience preferred.