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.

We have an excellent opportunity for a Communications Director in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey area. The Communications Director will work as an individual contributor to make an outstanding impact in our Greater Philadelphia market crafting and delivering essential communications and marketing support. You will report to the Senior Communications & Marketing Director and will be based in our Philadelphia office.

In this role you will work in collaboration with our development and health strategies staff to craft and implement essential communications, marketing and deliverables in support of our fundraising efforts, educational programs, awareness campaigns, advocacy efforts and branding. The Communications Director will play a significant role in helping us reach our 2024 Impact Goals by delivering mission-related messaging. This position will require travel throughout the market to meet with media, community partners, key volunteers and corporate sponsors.

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 and 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, Twitter, and at heart.org.

Responsibilities

As a Communication Director you will be responsible for:

• Develop plans to reach the media, general public and target audiences through traditional media outlets, social media, press releases and other relevant materials and sources.
• Develop an integrated market-wide communications plan and timelines for market advocacy priorities, core fund-raising campaigns and events (including Heart Walk, Go Red for Women, Heart Ball, CycleNation, and other events as added), for the Community Impact Priorities, and for all sponsorships that include a media component.
• Sharing the markets Community Impact story via public and media relations, social media, and video creation.
• Cultivate media sources both internal and external, providing spokesperson training to volunteer leadership and staff.
• Support script writing for both internal and external speaking opportunities.
• Support market events by leading the stage presentation and prepping speakers, working with external production teams to create videos, working with media outlets the night of events. Lead local relationships with spokespeople (medical experts, survivors, etc.), marketing and media organizations.
• Work with media and other third-party vendors to provide traditional and non-traditional media sponsorship opportunities.
• Coordinate all promotional activities with media sponsors, including, PSA’s, interviews with American Heart Association spokespeople. Run market specific social media channels.
• Share critical wellness resources, risk messaging and communication campaigns to the public to save and change lives in the community.
• Champion volunteers for the organization, including cardiac and stroke survivors, physicians, philanthropists, and more.
• Monitor the use of the Associations’ name and logo by internal teams and media sponsors.
• Act as the communications consultant and authority to internal teams and lead communications related market trainings on branding, crisis comms and message creation.

Qualifications

Want to help get your resume to the top? Take a look at the experience we require:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in communications, public relations, journalism or related field and/or at 3-5 years of experience in public relations, communications, marketing or journalism.
• Ability to build powerful partnerships internally as well as externally with media sources and the public.
• Excellent written and verbal skills, and outstanding interpersonal skills with a variety of audiences, including multicultural, and via numerous marketing platforms, including writing for the web and mobile.
• Knowledge of not-for-profit healthcare organizations with a focus on medical-related issues is helpful.
• Experience working with groups and/or volunteers with the ability to train, lead and guide them to achieving program goals.
• Able to prioritize multiple assignments in a fast paced, diverse professional setting.
• Willing to travel within your territory daily as well as occasional travel to other locations.
• Willing to work outside normal hours including some evenings and weekends as needed.

Compensation & Benefits

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, diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity applies to both our workforce and the communities we serve as it relates to heart health and stroke prevention.

This position not a match with your skills? Click here to see other opportunities.

EOE/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities

The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. We fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide critical tools and information to save and improve lives.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide, and stroke ranks second globally. Even when those conditions don’t result in death, they cause disability and diminish quality of life. We want to see a world free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

The size and scope of our organization, along with our more than 40 million volunteers and supporters, allows us to make a real impact on our shared focus of cardiovascular and overall health.