Executive Director, Communications- NCAL

Kaiser Permanente Northern California-s Executive Director, Communications, reports to the Vice President, Communications, Northern California market, and is a key senior leader on the Northern California communications team, and across enterprise reputation management efforts. This position is accountable for positive, proactive reputation management strategies that engage public relations, social media, promotions, and partnerships, as well as leading the issues and crisis communication function. This position is an accountable executive and must be able to write expertly and quickly, create plans, presentations, and strategies for the overall promotions and public relations program in the market as well as for emerging issues. This position works closely with executives and communication leaders in Northern California, Southern California, and Program Office as needed, to promote, protect, and deliver on the Kaiser Permanent brand by assimilating facts on complex issues, synthesizing and creating compelling cases for direction on issues and crisis management and providing updates to stakeholders across the organization. The role is responsible for directing proactive and reactive media relations strategies, and proactively engaging leadership across the program to move those strategies forward. The position will manage sensitive communications on actual and emerging issues and crises, frequently in short deadline-driven situations. With this responsibility comes accountability for developing strategies to respond to and address issues and crises as they emerge. This role serves as the lead issues management and reputation management executive in the market and directs the work of a team which reports directly into the NCAL Communications organization, and indirectly directs the issues and media relations work of an additional team of public affairs and communications staff in service areas who are accountable to the Region.

• Reputation Management Strategy:  In coordination with the VP of Communication in NCAL and regional and enterprise leadership: Track and synthesis data to inform external communication strategy and plans in support of reputation, competitive, and business objectives.
• Public Relations Strategy: Lead a team of media relations and communications specialists to determine public relationship strategy to competitively position Kaiser Permanente in the Northern California market.
• Social Media Strategy: Lead an innovative and effective social media strategy that encompasses multiple platforms, accounts, influencers, and approaches.
• Content Direction: Lead a team of content creators for both internal and external storytelling that supports key strategies and is guided by effective measurement of successes.
• Issues & Crisis Communications: Help develop and lead a communication process that provides proactive monitoring of sensitive issues, processes & procedures that if not dealt with immediately or effectively could negatively impact key constituents and become a crisis that could harm Kaiser Permanente-s brand reputation. 
• Conduct continuous scanning, reviewing, and identifying of systems, processes, procedures, services, and programs at Kaiser Permanente health plan and hospitals that are new, high-risk or have been identified at an early-warning stage for potential risk to patients/families, physicians, employees, or the community (key constituents) and the Kaiser Permanente brand. 
• Enhance and execute a responsive crisis management program in conjunction with Regional Incident Command that effectively addresses media crises in a coordinated and consistent manner. As part of this effort, the Regional Executive Director will lead crisis response teams and make communication decisions to support operational actions to ensure that Kaiser Permanente responds publicly in a way that positions the organization as high-quality, ethical, and member centric. 
• Work with Program Office and Regional executives and senior leaders and communicators to develop messages that address critical issues and crises across the program and ensure there are tools and training available to service area and regional teams to effectively deliver messages. 
• Direct reactive media relations, including message development and approvals and identifying and preparing appropriate subject matter experts for media interviews. When appropriate, the executive director will serve as a spokesperson for the organization.
• Develop and implement issues and crisis management media training programs for key leaders and physicians as appropriate. Train leaders to be media spokespersons. Conduct mock crisis drills for regional leaders and staff. 
• Identify appropriate media avenues - editorial boards, opinion editorials, new media, etc. - to build a strong messaging platform in concert with the media relations and public relations teams.