Agency Marketing Statement

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is tasked with the oversight of communities within Illinois to achieve and maintain optimal health and safety. With an annual budget of over $2 billion in state and federal funds, 7 regional offices, 3 laboratories and over 1,200 employees, IDPH is equipped to fulfill its mission of protecting the health and wellness of the people of Illinois through the prevention, health promotion, regulation and control of disease and injury.

Position Overview

Serves as Deputy Director of the Office of Communications. As a policy-making official, organizes, plans,
executes, controls and evaluates the operations of the Office of Communications. Serves as supervisor.

Job Responsibilities

1. Serves as Deputy Director of the Office of Communications.
• As a policy-making official, organizes, plans, executes, controls and evaluates the operations of the Office of Communications. Forecasts and plans annual communications strategies, calendar of events, campaigns, activities and key dates to observe.
• Provides input in determining DPH policy which fixes objectives or states principles to control actions toward operating objectives in DPH.
• Formulates policy for the total management process of the Office of Communications which has a statewide impact.
• Participates in planning and programming agency activities mandated by legislation, regulations and the Director.
• Acts authoritatively on policy-making issues impacting agency management and statewide agency operations.
• Establishes and reviews policies and directives utilized in implementation and maintenance of programs.
• Creates process maps, templates and standards for agency marketing, media engagement, and communication materials.
• Establishes goals and objectives for the Office. Provides a year-end report summarizing Office highlights, successes, audience, campaigns and metrics, and advises on how to increase market engagement.
• Provides input in budget development, long and short-range departmental planning goals, missions and values development and commitment of agency resources and personnel.
• Confers with the Director and administrative staff on feasibility of recommended policies.
• Interprets new legislation and administrative policies and procedures for notifying the public.
• Commits the Department, the Director and the Office to specific courses of action that enhance public health communication across the State.
• Serves as key confidential member of the administrative/management team for all layoff, strike and/or lockout situations.

2. Serves as full‐line supervisor:
• Assigns and reviews work
• Provides guidance and training to assigned staff
• Counsels staff regarding work performance
• Reassigns staff to meet day‐to‐day operating needs
• Establishes annual goals and objectives
• Approves time off
• Adjusts first level grievances
• Effectively recommends and imposes discipline up to and including discharge
• Prepares and signs performance evaluations
• Determines and recommends staffing needs

Job Responsibilities (continued)

3. Serves as the Agency’s lead, statewide communications professional for all communications-related activities.
• Exerts primary controlling impact on the end results and outputs of the Office.
• Directs and coordinates DPH messaging and creative communication across a variety of platforms including website, intranet, newsletter, social media.
• Effects sound communications and community relations policies for DPH.
• Coordinates activities to provide information and interpretation of agency missions, values, goal and diverse operations of the Office.
• Provides information on a broad range of available services and the issues concerning all DPH programs and services, including marketing activities for DPH programs, FOIA requests, social media content, productions of DPH television or other visual media outputs, periodic reporting, public events, talking points/speeches for the Director and other executive staff, public health conferences, etc..
• Collaborates with CMS media staff assigned to handle web sites, publications, brochures and mandated reports to ensure the DPH message is accurate and consistent.
• Collaborates with DPH programmatic offices to feature and highlight their events, campaigns and causes for promotion.

4. Consults with the Director, DPH executive staff, clients, consumers and representatives on programs/services, and education issues.
• Directs the design and presentation of programs for favorable community relations and information communication and dissemination. Improves external relations and increases community engagement through working with stakeholders to reduce miscommunication, restore the public trust and improve agency image.

5. Directs and coordinates the design, preparation, composition and presentation of speeches, brochures, newsletters, presentations, exhibits, and for events and issues of shared concern and involvement in coordination of projects.
• Collaborates with CMS media staff.

6. Serves as an official agency spokesperson on behalf of the Director of DPH, the agency and the Office with officials of federal, state, and local agencies, the Governor’s Office, legislators and consumer groups in events and issues of shared concern.
• Plans and executes publicity-generating appearances, actions and events conducted at the local level which involve appearances by the Director and other DPH staff, in coordination with CMS media staff.
• Prepares and directs the preparation of public testimony.
• Speaks on the record on behalf of the Director and DPH working closely with CMS media staff in coordinating press releases.

7. Performs other duties as assigned or required which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to completion of four years college.
• Requires prior experience equivalent to four years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or business organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to completion of four years college, with course work in business or public administration, public affairs, or public relations.
• Four years experience in management of a multi-faceted communications strategy, relating to numerous programs, industry stakeholders, and impacted communities.
• Four years experience establishing policies, goals and objectives for a program.
• Two years experience serving as a supervisor.
• Two years experience designing, preparing, and presenting speeches, brochures, newsletters, or presentations.
• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
• Thorough knowledge of government programs, service objectives, activities and operational systems of DPH.
• Thorough knowledge of public and business administration principles and practices.