JOB TITLE:Vice President of Business Development

CLASSIFICATION:Safety Sensitive; FLSA Exempt

SUPERVISOR:President & CEO or designee

DEPARTMENT:Operations

Purpose:

To oversee and manage all aspects of Avante Group's strategic marketing, sales and business development policies, objectives and initiative to include the Avante Centers, Home Health offerings, and physician group offerings as well as any other services Avante Group Inc. should provide now or in the future.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of communications spectrum: corporate communications, Public Relations, advertising, marketing, etc.
• Must have experience in all areas of marketing relative to the healthcare industry, with focus in long-term-care setting preferred.
• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
• Must be able to read, write and follow oral instructions and directions in English.
• Must meet the education and experience requirements outlined below.
• Must demonstrate high integrity.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be computer literate and proficient with MS Word, Excel, Power Point, and email, along with other electronic programs related to marketing and the healthcare industry.
• Must demonstrate excellent judgment.
• Must be willing and able to travel.
• Must protect confidentiality of information.
• Must have strong critical thinking skills.
• Must have ability to manage a diverse and demanding workload as well as handle complex issues.
• Must be able to always work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner at all times.
• Must have ability to work with all levels of management as well as front-line staff.

Essential Job Functions: Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Strategy

• Remain strategic, tactical and program-oriented, in that order;
• Evaluate the internal and external marketing processes in all facilities and lines of business, and recommend improvements where necessary;
• Work with Executive Team and Regional Sales and Marketing Staff and Facility Administrators and Sales Teams to develop strategic partners and alliances;
• Responsible for creating annual strategic and tactical corporate marketing plan for the Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), Home Health, Physician Group and all other services provided by Avante Group Inc.

Research & Information

• Measure effectiveness of the facility and corporate marketing and admissions departments and implement with Executive Team improvements;
• Develop, in coordination with Executive Team, admissions and sales marketing tools that will analyze and trend occupancy, admissions and discharges, including clinical reasons for admission, length of stay, discharged to data;
• Develop with Information Technology (IT) team a marketing and admissions data collection, distribution and presentation product that will provide information to all levels of the organization with thought put into "eyes only" and general viewing tool;
• Investigate and produce demographic, sales and marketing materials for all acquisitions.

Product, Direction, Competition

• Ensure we have substantial qualified leads for direct sales. These can be gathered through direct mail campaigns, trade shows, the Web site, and qualified list acquisition;
• Analyze facility-specific and regional pricing issues, name recognition and positioning, curb-appeal issues by market and region;
• Establish case-mix and payor-mix admission strategy, including an analysis of rates and reimbursement effectiveness and facility specific strategies;
• Conduct and analyze market research to determine financial and operational risk and marketability of potential programs in all markets, i.e., HMO's, hospice, clinical specialty programs (wounds, respiratory, specialty rehab, etc.) and program features. Collect and supply information from and to appropriate personnel;
• Responsible for collection of and top level review of corporate and facility competitive analysis, strategies and tactics, including other business lines;
• Create a census development and quality mix improvement plan for all facilities operating at less than 90% occupancy and 23% quality mix;
• Competitively analyze each Avante facility vis-a-vie other skilled nursing facilities within a ten (10) mile radius to compare census and case mix quality;
• Tour each competitive facility and other business lines to determine their respective strengths in comparison to market, and recommend strategies that can be made to improve Avante's competitive position.

Management & Training

• Hire, train and review Regional Sales Directors, establish performance expectations and review outcomes with Regional Vice Presidents of Operations (RVPOs) and Senior Management;
• Develop standardized marketing and admissions job descriptions, performance measures and training and orientation programs for facility and regional levels;
• Review salary and bonus structures of regional and facility sales and admission personnel and approval of all payments;
• Partner with RVPOs and other executives in preparing annual marketing budgets for all lines of business;
• Ensure a consistent, fair and situational management style exists throughout the sales and admission department;
• Generate a monthly summary report and comprehensive quarterly and annual marketing report;
• Provide technical guidance and training to all internal and external marketing personnel, and with each facility Administrator and RVPO and equivalent positions with other business lines.

PR & Image

• Develop a media response strategy for both image development and crisis management;
• Manage media outlets for all Avante communities and other business lines, and develop a corporate public relations program that encourages facilities and other business lines to use free media to enhance image.
• Ensure the proper amount and type of coverage to raise awareness, win reviews and ensure consistent corporate and product branding and image.

Advertising

• Work with Regional Directors of Sales and Marketing (RDSMs) and community Administrators to create a media schedule if appropriate, negotiate the rates, prepare the deliverables and execute;
• Follow-up and measure the advertising campaign using print and online methods;
• Work with external vendors to establish a unified advertising specialty and collateral program, including print materials and branded items for facility distribution;
• Establish a best practice program for community awareness programming, i.e., health fairs, marketing booths, blitzes, outreach events inside and outside of facilities, etc., and share these ideas throughout the organization;
• Team with RVPOs, RDSMs and Administrators to establish an outreach expectations and outcomes measurement tools, including executive team members of other lines of business as well to establish a continuity of care marketing campaign.

Strategic Partnering & Alliances

• Establish relationships with senior housing professional organizations to build Avante's name and reputation within the greater long term care community, including other lines of business as well; 
• Establish and update and maintain a database of hospitals, physicians and medical service providers in all of our geographic areas and direct corporate mailings to these providers;
• Provide guidelines for RDSMs and Administrators regarding gifts and incentives for hospital discharge planners, physicians and other referral sources in coordination with RVPOs, Corporate Compliance and Executive Team;
• Participate in creating strategic partnerships with external census development firms to help drive census;
• Set up relationships with community based hospices, HMOs, and disease management associations (i.e., Alzheimer's Associations, Heart Assn, etc.) to improve name recognition, reputation and drive long term census;
• Analyze the individual markets in all facilities to determine long-term care referral sources, and determine how Avante can position itself in locations currently not having a company presence;
• Interface with local and State politicians to make them aware of the Avante organization, its mission and complimentary lines of business.Invite these individuals to attend functions held by Avante which you organize.

Internal Marketing

• Develop, distribute, collect and track and trend customer satisfaction surveys and follow-up materials.
• Establish an environmental appeal portfolio for each facility and develop a long term plan with Facilities Management for the enhancement of each property with a unified "look" including a financial analysis and long term capital plan for each building;
• Develop and implement a customer satisfaction training program for management and line level staff and an incentive program for improved customer satisfaction;
• Roll out "first impression" program for reception, evening and weekend coverage and referral intake management.

Online Marketing

• Ensure a professional, inviting Web site employing the latest technology to encourage initial and repeat visits. Develop an online referral system to for new products, upgrades customers;
• Establish a web search strategy so customers are driven to the web site for all existing markets;
• Mitigate the effect of governmental and anti-nursing home advocacy web sites through positive on-line stories and programs;
• Establish direct referral networks between hospitals and facilities ECIN or AllScripts;
• Establish online relationships with customers and referral sources and send advertising, direct mail and information to customer base.

Physical Job Requirements:

·Works in office setting, as well as at Avante facilities and other lines of business locations as well;

·While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; lift and/or move equipment (generally ranging from 25 to 50 pounds); grasp; stoop, bend, kneel or crawl; talk or hear; distinguish smells, tastes and temperatures; remain calm under stress.

·Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus;

·Always being able to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner;

·Position requires frequent travel to facilities and other locations;

·Works beyond normal working hours, as necessary.

Education and Experience:

• Requires a Bachelor's Degree in Sales & Marketing, Business, Public Relations or similar degree field;
• Proven 8-10 years or more of professional marketing and/or business development and sales experience, preferably in the healthcare field;
• Experience in long term care industry, home health and/or physician group practice operations preferred;
• Proficiency in communication technologies (i.e., email, cell phone, social media, etc.), including Microsoft Office applications;
• Solid experience in a senior-level management role.