VP of Marketing & Communications

Donor Network West’s mission is to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation and research.

At Donor Network West, we're looking for people who embody our core values: passion, excellence, equity and inclusion, and relationships. We welcome diverse perspectives and foster an environment of collaboration and service.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President of Marketing & Communications (VPMC) is responsible for the organization’s marketing, branding, media relations, digital communications, event production, issues management and crisis communications. Provide guidance, oversight and support for internal communications needs. Collaborate with the Chief Operating Officer to develop and foster community engagement activities. This VPMC provides direction and support to the executive team on the strategic approaches to: enhancing and maintaining brand image and reputation, sound and consistent internal and external communications, effective community outreach, and the development of all of DNWest’s marketing strategies (both traditional and digital), and well as community outreach and fund development. Provide marketing and production support for the DNWest Foundation fundraising programs, special events and corporate and community engagement initiatives. This position supports DNWest’s involvement in Donate Life Nevada and Donate Life California as well as State and National legislative and lobbying efforts, as needed by the Chief Executive Officer. All marketing and communications programs enhance the organization’s brand reputation. In this role, initiatives are developed that help shape the perception of organ and tissue donation and drive the community to the donor registry. This individual must have a strong sense of how to articulate DNWest’s strategic priorities as a vitally important public health issue and engage and educate internal and external audiences about its importance.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs

• Responsible for researching, strategizing, creating, implementing and measuring/reporting the success of a comprehensive brand management, marketing (traditional and digital), communications (both internal and external), public affairs programming that will enhance the DNWest image and position within the marketplace and the general public.
• Provides strategic oversight for all marketing, communications, and public affairs functions.
• Creates and facilitates internal and external communications and ensures consistent communication and articulation of DNWest’s brand image with desired imagery, messaging and positioning to internal and external constituencies.
• Oversees efforts to segment, target and engage diverse audiences.
• Ensures the strategic selection of channels utilized to most effectively reach all target audiences.
• Cultivates community, state, and national media network relationships to promote DNWest and proactively manage news cycles and messaging.
• Provides relevant, accurate, and timely information to the community and news media.
• Provides strategic counsel, executive support and messaging to executive leadership team during events, media opportunities and internal meetings.
• Leads and coordinates crisis communications.
• Oversees executive level communications between Donor Network West and its stakeholders across the donation and transplant community.
• Ensures communications, messaging and media objectives align with the Donate Life America, Donate Life California and Donate Life Nevada organizations.
• Ensures regular, relevant and valid market research and oversees and interprets the results of this activity in order to inform decision-making. Oversees trend monitoring via traditional and digital/web methodologies.

Planning and Budgeting

• Develops short- and long-term Marketing and Communications, plans and strategies that align with DNWest’s overall targets and goals.
• Areas of oversight:
• Develops budgets, including effective means of evaluating opportunities and monitoring progress and results, assuring adherence and evaluating performance and results relative to the DNWest goals.
• Responsible for the development and achievement of goals and financial objectives. Ensures that evaluation systems are in place related to these goals and objectives and reports progress to the Executive team and Board.
• Develops, implements and monitors systems and procedures necessary to the smooth operation of functional areas
• Keeps informed of developments in the fields of marketing, communications, and public relations (both traditional and digital/web), not-for-profit management and governance, as well as OPO advances, specific to assisting DNWest operate with initiative and innovation.
• In collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer, develop and prioritize outreach strategies to promote public awareness, understanding, and support of the mission and strategic goals.
• Oversees the current web and digital strategies in enhancing the design and functionality of website, search engine optimization, digital marketing, email/direct response marketing and enhanced and innovative web tools.
• Represents DNWest at major events with professionalism and portraying the brand and the organization’s mission.

Organizational Strategy

• As a member of the executive leadership team, participates in organizational visioning, strategic planning and budgeting
• Strengthens organizational development, as well as bring solid strategic thinking and communications efforts in assuring that DNWest’s priorities are met.
• Works with senior staff, other staff and volunteers to develop and maintain a strategic perspective, based on marketplace and constituent needs and satisfaction, in organizational direction and planning, programming and services, and decision-making to ensure the overall health and vitality of DNWest.
• Develops and coordinates the means to seek regular input from DNWest’s key constituencies (both internal and external) regarding the quality of programs and services, their opinions and attitudes, and the organization’s relevance.
• Helps formulate and administer policies to ensure the organizational integrity, especially with digital information, databases, donor and recipient family confidentiality, etc.
• Acts as an internal consultant to bring attention and solutions to institutional priorities such as marketing and communications activities.

Managing and Staff Development

• Creates a vision that inspires staff to do their best work and promotes success and accountability for results, while honoring the organization’s commitment to teamwork, integrity, passion and excellence
• Oversees management of assigned staff towards the accomplishment of DNWest’s mission, including recruitment and selection; scheduling and job assignment; training and development; counseling and coaching; appraisal and recognition; and recommending salary, promotional, and disciplinary actions in accord with existing policies and procedures.

Professional/Personal Competency

• Maintains professional competence and expertise in order to provide leadership and consultative services to staff and transplant centers.
• Actively participates in appropriate professional state and national organizations in an effort to provide ongoing communication and best practice dissemination to Donor Network West. This includes, but not limited to: Donate Life California; Donate Life Nevada; Donate Life America; Association of Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT); American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), and United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS).
• Participates in relevant professional associations such as American Marketing Association and/or Public Relations Society of America.
• Maintains, completes and submits budgeting requests, and maintains accurate records and expense reports.
• Maintains professional working relationships and rapport with management, clinical and ancillary staff both within and outside of Donor Network West. Works proactively and constructively to resolve issues as needed.
• Adheres to all DNWest’s policies and ensures department compliance.
• The VPMC ensures 24-hour on-call resources for DNWest to assist with media Inquiries.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Possesses experience and expertise in both Marketing and Communications, including digital and web tools and strategies.
• Ability to measure and adapt to trends and implement new communication platforms.
• Highly organized and resourceful, with excellent written,verbal and presentation communications skills.
• Demonstrates tact, maturity, and professionalism in all points of contact.
• Possess a high degree of organization, ability to solve problems independently, and work with others in a congenial and collaborative manner.
• Provenability to evaluate the costs, risks, and benefits associated with alternative actions before making decisions. Demonstrated experience in developing effective strategies aligned with organizational goals and business outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to work with executive management on organizational strategic planning and change initiatives. Highly skilled at motivating and managing staff.
• Ability to manage a diverse team of experts over seeing several projects simultaneously on time and on budget with the highest level of professionalism and integrity.
• Conveys a sense of urgency when appropriate; persists in the face of obstacles; strives for excellence and drives to outcomes that reflect meeting or exceeding a standard of excellence.
• Effectively build relationships of trust and mutual respect with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills required. Must have the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of personnel and to represent the organization publicly.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team required.
• Must have ability to travel within the DNWest service area by car and airplane. Must maintain a valid California driver’s license and current vehicle insurance based on California minimum insurance coverage standards.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, Communications, or related field required. Work experience may be substituted for educational requirement.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 7 years of experience in healthcare marketing or communications or a relevant non-profit or corporate environment, with demonstrated experience in oversight of fund development programming required. 10 years preferred.
• 7 years of progressive leadership experience required. 3 years at an executive level preferred.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.

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