Overview

Now is the time to join us and make a difference. Be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Here at the American Heart Association, you matter and so does your career.

The American Heart Association has an excellent opportunity for a Senior Marketing Communications Director based in Oakland, CA. This is a field/home-based position and involves regular work performed from a home office environment, regular meetings in the office and remote locations for business meetings and events, some of which are outdoors. 

Under general supervision, the Senior Marketing Communications Director manages, plans, directs, and implements the communications, marketing, and media and public relations plans of the American Heart Association in a specified market, in addition to assisting the communications team as needed for other territories. The Marketing Communications Director provides targeted, proactive positioning of the American Heart Association as the public’s leading authority on cardiovascular health and science. This is achieved through external and internal communications, marketing, media relations, digital strategies, sponsorship activation and special campaigns/initiatives.

The Association offers many resources to help you maintain work-life harmonization through your changing needs and life situations. To help you be successful, you will have access to Heart U, our award-winning corporate university, as well as additional training and support, locally.

#TheAHALife is our company culture, our way of life, reflecting our diversity, equity & inclusion, our focus on work-life harmonization and our Guiding Values. Discover why you will Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Valued™ at the American Heart Association by following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and at heart.org.

Responsibilities

Brand Integrity

• Maintains the integrity of the brand and identity of the American Heart Association by developing and/or reviewing/editing communications and marketing materials.

Traditional and Digital Media

• Raise visibility of the Division via traditional and digital media outlets. Maintain and steward existing media relationships. Explore and engage new outlets, especially media with reach to targeted audiences. Research and monitor new/burgeoning media, especially those being developed in the market.
  • Seeks, cultivates, and maintains regional media relationships, with traditional and emerging media.
  • Secures formal media partnerships/sponsorships for various events, campaigns and cause initiatives as appropriate.
  • Pitches “big picture” stories, focusing on hard news, feature and research stories, to the specified media market.
  • Researches and prepares media and background materials to support American Heart Association policy issues and community programs.
  • Develops fast response mechanism for hard news stories. Alerts field staff with media advisories and cause/marketing activities as appropriate.

Overall Campaign Development and Traction

• Work closely with internal partners to be an innovator and market disruptor. Seek new approaches to transforming sponsorship communications and marketing deliverables. Steward current sponsorships and expand into new industries. Help craft mission-focused proposals and weave in media, marketing and messaging themes to fully complement our campaigns. Contribute to campaign revenue through health asset sponsorships/activations.
  • Develops and submits proposals outlining the details of the partnerships/sponsorships.

• Elevate Visibility of Local Divisions as Engaged Community Stakeholders

  To truly make an impact, each local Division needs to be widely recognized as a trusted and reliable stakeholder. We are invested in the overall health of the communities we serve. From our Guiding Values, the Division will continue to embrace “Meeting People Where They Are,” “Building Powerful Partnerships,” and “Ensuring Equitable Health for All.”
  • Implements communications plans with media advocacy, public policy initiatives and media spokespeople. Contributes to volunteer leadership, including diversity and inclusion aspects, including helping identify and recruit potential committee and board members.
  • Identifies, recruits and trains volunteers who can serve as media and cause initiative spokespersons. Maintains an accessible database of human interest stories to tap for media inquiries.
• Develops, in conjunction with field staff and volunteers, and oversees implementation of communications and marketing plans. Works with internal partners to ensure effective local implementation of field-related communications and marketing activities.
• Serves as communications and marketing consultant to staff and volunteers, including conducting communications orientation and training, monitoring progress on key objectives and cause initiatives, and providing general counsel and guidance.
• Coordinates, in conjunction with National Center and Western States communications and marketing staff, communications- and marketing-related promotions, mailings, distribution, and reporting.

Qualifications

Success factors include strengths in collaboration and a dedication to excellence along with a track record that includes three (3) years or more progressively responsible experience with:

• Knowledge of variety of mass and alternative media, and principles of journalism including news gathering, interviewing, writing and editing. Basic video, graphic design and photography skills desired.
• Experience in communications, marketing, or public affairs with a background in journalism, public relations, marketing, advertising or similar position.
• Knowledge and experience with the fundamentals of multiple disciplines are needed, including the principles and ethics of public relations, promotion, marketing and business communications.
• Demonstrated excellence in written communications skills, including news, business, and persuasive writing.
• Demonstrated skills in effective one-on-one and group communications and work with all levels of media contacts, community leaders, and American Heart Association volunteers and staff.
• Ability to deal professionally in a corporate and non-profit environment and assume responsibility for guiding communications and marketing projects and programs from inception through completion.
• Demonstrated ability to simultaneously manage multiple, complex projects in varying stages of development under time pressure.

Here are some of the preferred skills we are looking for:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of strategic planning, budgeting, and managing work.
• Knowledge of basic fund-raising principles, practices, and techniques
• Knowledge of American Heart Association’s mission and programs

Compensation & Benefits

Expected pay range will be $84,360 to $101,300. Pay is commensurate with experience; geographic differentials to the pay range may apply.The American Heart Association invests in its people. Here are the main components of our total rewards package. Visit Rewards & Benefits to see more details.

• Compensation – Our goal is to ensure you have a competitive base salary. That’s why we regularly review the market value of jobs and make adjustments, as needed.
• Performance and Recognition – You are rewarded for achieving success by merit increases and incentive programs, based on the type of position.
• Benefits – We offer a wide array of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, along with a robust retirement program that includes an employer match and automatic contribution. As a mark of our commitment to employee well-being, we also offer an employee assistance program, employee wellness program and telemedicine, and medical consultation.
• Professional Development – You can join one of our many Employee Resource Groups (ERG) or be a mentor/mentee in our professional mentoring program. HeartU is the Association’s national online university, with more than 100,000 resources designed to meet your needs and busy schedule.
• Work-Life Harmonization – The Association offers Paid Time Off (PTO) at a minimum of 16 days per year for new employees. The number of days will increase based on seniority level. You will also have a total of 12 paid holidays off each year, which includes several days off at the end of the year.
• Tuition Assistance - We support the career development of all employees. This program provides financial assistance to employees who wish to further their education and career in relation to their current duties and responsibilities, or for potential future positions in the organization.

The American Heart Association’s 2024 Goal: Every person deserves the opportunity for a full, healthy life. As champions for health equity, by 2024, the American Heart Association will advance cardiovascular health for all, including identifying and removing barriers to health care access and quality.

At American Heart Association | American Stroke Association, our mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, age, language, sexual orientation, national origin and physical or cognitive abilities. We're committed to ensuring our workforce, workplace culture and mission have a shared impact across a diverse set of backgrounds.This position not a match with your skills? Click here to see other opportunities.

EOE/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities