JOB SUMMARY

The Assistant Vice President for Health Communications is a senior communications professional reporting jointly to the CEO of UConn Health and the University’s Associate Vice President for University Communications. This leader provides direct communications support and counsel to the CEO, and works closely with UConn Health academic and administrative leadership, faculty and staff, and University Communication colleagues to develop and implement strategic communications initiatives for UConn Health. This position plays a key role in generating and overseeing news and web content, managing media relations, internal communications, executive communications, special projects, and managing public issues on behalf of the entirety of UConn Health.

This position works primarily on location in Farmington and at UConn Health satellite offices and on occasion may require flexible work hours and locations.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides direct communications support and counsel to the CEO;
• Leads UConn Health's news and media relations efforts, internal communications, executive communications, and special projects with the goal of advancing and protecting UConn Health's brand and highlighting UConn Health's high-quality patient care, faculty research, student and alumni success, and public service;
• Produces content for all of UConn Health's communications channels, including UConn Today, The Pulse, and social media accounts;
• Generates positive press coverage of UConn Health, identifying and proactively pitching stories to the news media that highlight UConn Health's faculty, students, research, teaching, service and patient care;
• Supervises health information officers and/or writers focused on producing a wide variety of content aimed at internal and external audiences, including the news media;
• Develops and provides communications and on-site support for events;
• Serves as the primary UConn Health spokesperson and, working closely with the University spokesperson, acts as the first level of interface for all significant interchanges with the media;
• Builds and maintains positive working relationships with journalists;
• Works with University and UConn Health academic and administrative leadership on media relations strategies, and provides counsel regarding how the actions taken by UConn Health will be interpreted and covered by the media;
• Serves as a member of the UConn Health crisis response team, which involves alerting all key University and UConn Health officials of crises, and works closely with the University spokesperson to deploy the emergency communications protocol when necessary;
• Develops official campus communications on behalf of the CEO and UConn Health's leadership team;
• Closely collaborates with the EVP and the deans and the schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, and their staffs, to develop and coordinate strategic messaging for varied audiences;
• Collaborates and coordinates as needed with a variety of university units including Governmental Relations, Human Resources and Public Safety regarding media and public affairs issues;
• Supports adherence to Freedom of Information Act

This individual has access to information that may be used in collective bargaining or litigation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, journalism or related field
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in communications related field or equivalent combination of experience and training
• Excellent writing and editorial skills
• Willingness to work flexible and irregular hours
• Demonstrated ability to work with highly confidential information

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Working knowledge of crisis communications strategies
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience utilizing innovative communication technologies to manage workflow and to promote content in variety of mediums to achieve reputational awareness
• Health industry or higher education experience
• Social media experience, managing accounts and curating content
• Web content experience
• Event experience

UConn Health is an equal-opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

Search number 2025-879

Link to apply: https://jobs.uchc.edu/CSS_External/CSSPage_JobDetail.ASP?T=20250307120820&