Vice President, Public Relations (Business of Health)

Responsibilities

• Serve as a lead for a portfolio of key Business of Health accounts, setting strategic direction and ensuring best-in-class delivery.
• Advise clients across managed care and benefits, health plans, care delivery and talent, value-based care and care management, hospitals and health systems, mental health and wellness, and health services.
• Define and oversee integrated communications strategies that build brand authority, trust, and long-term market leadership within a complex and rapidly evolving healthcare environment.
• Provide executive-level counsel on messaging, positioning, reputation management, issues and crisis response, and business-of-health narratives.
• Guide teams in translating complex healthcare business, operational, economic, and policy topics into clear, compelling, and relevant stories for executive, healthcare, clinical, employee, and mainstream audiences.
• Own senior client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor and escalation point while ensuring client satisfaction, retention, and expansion.
• Identify and drive organic growth opportunities across existing accounts, including expanded thought leadership, research-driven storytelling, executive visibility, and reputation-building programs.
• Oversee financial performance for assigned accounts, including budgets, forecasting, staffing models, and margin management.
• Contribute to Highwire’s point of view on Business of Health trends, including healthcare economics, affordability and access, care delivery transformation, workforce and talent, value-based care, health system strategy, managed care, benefits, mental health, and evolving consumer expectations.
• Maintain and deepen relationships with top-tier healthcare, business, benefits, managed care, hospital and health system, workforce, mental health, policy, and trade media, as well as analysts and key industry influencers.

Requirements

• 10+ years of PR or strategic communications experience, with significant agency leadership experience (required).
• Deep expertise leading communications for organizations across the Business of Health, including managed care and benefits, health plans, care delivery and talent, value-based care and care management, hospitals and health systems, mental health and wellness, or health services.
• Proven success owning and scaling integrated communications programs for complex, high-growth healthcare organizations and brands.
• Strong command of the healthcare business and media landscape, including healthcare, business, trade, policy, benefits, managed care, hospital and health system, workforce, and consumer media, as well as analysts and industry influencers.
• Solid understanding of the regulatory, policy, and market environment shaping healthcare communications, including Medicare and Medicaid, reimbursement and payment models, healthcare policy, and relevant regulatory and compliance considerations.
• Exceptional strategic writing, editing, and storytelling capabilities, with the ability to translate complex healthcare business and industry topics into compelling narratives.
• Demonstrated experience providing executive-level client counsel and managing senior stakeholder relationships, including C-suite and board-level engagement.
• Track record of building, mentoring, and retaining high-performing teams.
• Strong business acumen, including experience with forecasting, resourcing, account management, and revenue growth.
• Experience supporting and winning new business in a competitive agency environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with merit-based opportunities for growth
• Flexible hybrid work model tailored to your schedule and lifestyle
• Generous vacation policy, including extended summer and winter breaks
• Early log-off on Fridays through our Empower Hours program
• 401(k) plan with employer matching
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus FSA options
• Paid parental leave benefits
• Commuter benefits
• Annual Growth Mindset stipend for books, events, or learning experiences
• Monthly technology reimbursement