Manager Communications

Job Description

At Children’s, the region’s only full-service pediatric healthcare center, our people make us the very best for kids. Come cultivate your passion, purpose and professional development in an environment of excellence and inclusion, where team members are supported and deeply valued. Opportunities for career growth abound as we grow our services and spaces, including the cutting-edge Hubbard Center for Children. Join our highly engaged, caring team—and join us in providing brighter, healthier tomorrows for the children we serve. Children's is committed to diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer including veterans and people with disabilities.

A Brief Overview

The Communications Manager helps lead the development, execution and measurement of internal and external communications plans for Children's Nebraska, Children's Specialty Physicians and the Child Health Research Institute, reporting to Children's director of Strategic Communications. This leader helps inform and engage team members, physicians, leaders and the broader community to support and align with strategic organizational goals and priorities. Instrumental in shaping content strategy and culture, a significant amount of the manager's time is spent building relationships with Children's HR, operational and physician leadership. The manager also oversees internal communication tools, requests, events, forums and programs. Fosters teamwork and collaboration within the department and cross-functionally to deliver excellent outcomes and experiences. Identifies opportunities and puts best practices into action.

Essential Functions

Strategic Planning and Project Management:

• Develop and manage Children’s internal and external voice and visual assets to advance Children’s strategic plan.
• Develop and contribute to strategic communications plans to ensure the delivery of clear, concise, authentic messaging that supports strategic goals and initiatives.
• Manage the timely completion of communications project deliverables.
• Identify project and schedule requirements, milestone criteria and task dependencies to advance multiple, simultaneous projects.
• In coordination with Marketing \& Communications leader peers, assign projects and track project deliverables, work directly with cross-departmental team members, facilitate communication and provide status updates to operations leaders and project teams.
• Rotates as Public Information Officer of Hospital Incident Command and media-on-call, with support from other department leaders.
• As part of Marketing \& Communications leadership, shape, help manage and contribute to Children’s content strategy and planning process.

Messaging and Collaboration:

• In coordination with other members of the Marketing \& Communications team, manage internal messaging and contribute to external messaging to engage all stakeholders and advance Children’s brand, culture and reputation. Manage all content from ideation and execution to measurement of effectiveness.
• Provide communications expertise and counsel to leaders and/or as a part of cross-functional teams for key enterprise projects/initiatives/changes, including developing communications strategies and managing implementation.
• Employ a communications approach that ensures message integration, leadership involvement, efficient and effective distribution of information and multi-directional dialogue.
• Provide communications expertise and leadership for key executive-led meetings/events.
• Manages and edits content of an array of vehicles targeting internal and external audiences including MyChildren’s, The Leader, The Pulse, communication stations, Children’s Connection magazine and communication for the Child Health Research Institute and the UNMC Department of Pediatrics.
• Daily editing and review of copy to ensure it is clear, factually accurate, free of grammatical errors and consistent with brand style and conventions. Regularly act as the final editor/quality-control checkpoint before publication.
• Ensure internal messages align and are consistent with external messages.
• Prioritize and oversee the planning and implementation of assigned communications plans and projects, and corresponding content.
• Plan, develop, and/or edit timely, relevant, and engaging communications, including intranet content, FAQs, presentations, email, blogs, remarks, talking points, brochures, communication station graphics, digital, video, events and more.
• Review and edit materials produced by internal stakeholders or vendors.
• Build positive relationships with stakeholders, partners and vendors to drive proactive, collaborative communications.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications leaders and executives to develop and distribute crisis communications strategies and collateral.
• Develop other communications channels as needed to meet strategic objectives and continuously improve.
• Oversee existing and/or design new communications channels aligned with strategic goals, connect with target audiences and support the Employee Value Proposition and Children’s People First culture. Existing events, communications forums and programs include bi-monthly Leadership Forums and Quarterly Town Halls.

Feedback, Measurement \& Continuous Improvement:

• Regularly evaluate and measure the effectiveness and value of existing communications content, channels and tools.
• Manage and oversee the successful implementation of new and innovative communications channels based on research and measurement.
• Determine if/how events, programs and forums help achieve organizational goals and objectives and initiate changes as needed.
• Develop feedback mechanisms to assess awareness, understanding, buy-in and engagement in company initiatives, goals and campaigns.
• Respond to feedback and requests from colleagues and adjust communications accordingly.
• Analyze campaigns and translate anecdotal or qualitative data into recommendations and plans for revising internal and external communications plans.
• Compile reports for management showing internal results/engagement.
• Connect with peers inside and outside Children’s to ensure we are leveraging communications best practices.
• Remain current in industry trends, best practices and emerging methods and technologies as they relate to corporate communication and healthcare.

Personnel Management:

• Prioritizes and coordinates daily work activities. Provides leadership and guidance by sharing expertise and feedback with others. Coaches team members toward high performance and individual learning and growth goals. Approves schedules and monitors time worked.
• Trains and/or oversees the training of team members on job related tasks.
• Conducts performance management duties, including completion and delivery of performance evaluations, setting goals, dissemination of information, coaching and addressing performance issues as they arise.
• Holds regular 1:1s and communicates essential team and organizational information to team members in a clear, consistent and timely manner.
• Participates in selection, hiring and salary recommendations.

Operational/Financial Management:

• Ensures cost-effective use of resources by identifying and implementing changes related to team member allocation and assignment and patient/department supplies.
• Ensures compliance with quality assurance, safety practices, policies and recordkeeping standards.
• Assists in the development and maintenance of policies and procedures.
• Participates in the implementation of business plans for the area.
• Assists with annual budget by tracking expenses and providing input for future budget needs.

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, public relations or marketing or related degree required

Experience Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of experience in a corporate communications, public relations/advertising agency or corporate marketing department required
• Previous project management and strategic communications experience required, preferably in a healthcare or hospital setting
• Minimum of two years of supervisory experience required

Skills And Abilities

• Strategic orientation and the desire and ability to define and guide communications strategy.
• Exceptional copy-editing skills to ensure content is clear, accurate, free of grammatical errors and consistent with brand style and conventions. Minimal to no additional review should be needed.
• Exceptional copywriting skills. Ability to write clearly, concisely, creatively and accurately with minimal to no editing. Knowledge of writing promotional copy, video scripts, print, web and digital content is required.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Strong, mature judgment and ability to make key operational and reputational decisions in a complex, high-volume, fast-paced business environment.
• Must be a self-starter with excellent managerial, critical thinking and budgeting, as well as oral, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience developing and implementing effective multi-channel communications programs using print, video, audio and/or web-based tactics. Develops and implements programs while meeting deadlines and budget guidelines.
• Must have ability to take complex/broad concepts and goals and translate them into specific objectives and work plans.
• Demonstrated ability to understand clinical and technical information and accurately translate it into audience-appropriate content.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of effective web, digital and traditional marketing strategies.
• Ability to work with multi-disciplinary team members to advance common goals/projects.
• Basic knowledge and familiarity with using AI tools – their advantages and challenges – and a desire to explore ways to engage with AI that are safe, responsible and people-centered.
• Knowledge of best practices for web content development – including SEO and keyword optimization, formatting best practices and writing clear, scannable text.

Licenses and Certifications

• Accreditation or membership in a professional organization such as the Public Relations society of America (PRSA), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Required or
• Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations (SHMPR) preferred

Children’s is the very best for kids and the very best for your career! At Children’s, we put YOU first so together, we can improve the life of every child!