Vice President Communication Issues & Advocacy

Develop and drive the execution of Advocate Health’s strategic communications plans and processes that support our organization, including during periods of growth and in times of crises, as well as establishing the enterprise as a thought leader within the health care industry. 

Create and maintain Centers of Excellence in Thought Leadership, Issues Management and Media Relations, providing executive oversight and strategic direction for these three core communications teams.  

Serve as a trusted advisor to executive and senior leadership across enterprise, providing informed points of view to prevent or address crises and/or protect or enhance reputation, advance thought leadership and support organizational growth; guide communications that support organizational goals and elevate Advocate Health’s national profile. 

Support external communication needs of EVPs across client set, including but not limited to, Legal, People and Culture, Consumer and Social Impact, Information Technology, Finance, M&A and Integration, and Enterprise Services, collaborating closely with internal communications and other key partners where appropriate. 

Effectively manage the people and budget for the issues and advocacy team, working closely with the rest of the communications leadership team.  

Lead the team in helping to prioritize, plan, organize and direct strategic communications initiatives to inform and engage teammates, elevate the organization’s profile and proactively manage reputation to generate positive awareness and build goodwill.  

Collaborate closely with integration office to understand potential and/or imminent M&A activity, partnering to ensure optimal external communications plans are developed and executed to protect and enhance Advocate Health’s reputation. 

Establish protocols and processes to provide framework for best-in-class media relations efforts, employing a geographically diverse approach to maintain and leverage local relationships and provide necessary support for departmental storytelling efforts in each Advocate Health media market.  

Create and manage storytelling opportunities across entirety of client set designed to bring consumers closer to Advocate Health’s care delivery brands and affirm its role as a leader within its communities and the industry.  

Play a central role in preventing issues before they happen and manage them when they do by gathering facts, identifying vulnerabilities, solving for problems, creating solutions and executing effectively with an eye to minimizing reputational damage. 

Prepare playbooks, processes and plans that prepare the organization for potential scenarios that may impact our reputation and business objectives, including M&A activity and crisis communications. 

In partnership with key stakeholders across legal, advocacy, operations and impacted markets or departments, assess and investigate situations for potential reputation impacts, draft communications materials (e.g., media statements, talking points, Q&A’s, etc.), and prepare stakeholders and spokespeople for escalated issues and matters that may become public. 

In partnership with other communications leaders, work with PR agencies, as needed, to support communications efforts, including media and social media monitoring during crisis situations, major announcements and to promote thought leadership opportunities. 

Ensure all related communications reflect the mission, vision and values of our organization. 

Maintain flexible availability and responsiveness both during and outside of normal work hours.

Talent Development & Culture Building  

Lead and mentor a high-performing communications team and cultivate a culture of excellence and innovative thinking and storytelling.  

Oversee talent development, team structure, and performance management across all communications functions under this role’s purview. 

A strategic thinker and creative problem-solver with a track record in corporate reputation management and communications; expertise in crisis and issues prevention and management is essential. 

Ability to think big picture to foresee reputational risks and opportunities and zoom into critical details, nuances and variables to inform issues management strategy and response. 

Comfortable working across departments and businesses to bring a calm demeanor and coordinated approach to company issues, balancing competing perspectives and the needs of stakeholders at all levels. 

Capable of understanding complex business and financial concepts, distilling them into easy-to-understand external communications for specific and varied audiences.  

Strong understanding of the media and how to best manage Advocate Health’s interactions with outlets and individual members of the media to enhance the organization’s reputation and avoid or mitigate negative coverage. 

Ability to recognize business practices, innovations or other occurrences within the enterprise that set it apart from the industry, as a whole, for the purposes of enhancing our thought leadership credentials. 

Proven ability to develop and lead enterprise-wide communications and public relations strategies, with clear and compelling recommendations to executive leadership.  

Experience with proactive and crisis communications planning, including reputation management across multiple channels.  

Highly strategic with a demonstrated track record in assessing complex, competitive issues and situations and in developing related initiatives in partnership with other stakeholders to drive business results. 

Ability to think critically, synthesize complex information, and create clarity to support sound decision-making.  

Specific experience and strong record of success in understanding the environment, identifying opportunities, designing solutions and aligning action to drive performance.  

Demonstrated ability to stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and evolving stakeholder expectations to inform strategy and foster innovation.  

Strong leadership and communication skills, including presentation creation and delivery, with executive presence and the ability to inspire, influence, and build trust across diverse audiences.  

Proactive, independent and takes initiative with consistent follow through. 

Thrives in a fast-paced environment, having a change mindset and comfortable navigating ambiguity.   

Skilled in managing budgets, vendors, resources, and timelines to ensure efficiency and impact.  

Proven ability to assess, retain, grow and attract strong, diverse talent to meet business objectives.  

Track record of empowering team members, fostering accountability, and building effective operating models that drive results.  

Collaborative mindset with the ability to work cross-functionally.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

Position requires some work on weekends and outside of normal business hours.   

Position requires some local, regional and market travel. 

DISCLAIMER