Senior Communications Director

### Overview

As we celebrate our Centennial year, we invite you to join us in shaping the next century of impact. Be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives as we remain devoted to a future of health and hope for everyone, everywhere. At the American Heart Association, your contribution matters, and so does your career.

We are currently hiring for a Senior Marketing Communications Director in the Chicago area. The Communications Director will set and execute our communications strategy to promote Association health and development priorities in the Chicago market including earned media, social media, paid media, PSAs, media advocacy, messaging, and storytelling. This is a full-time, office-based position with some flexibility to work from home.

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, equity & 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, X (formerly Twitter), and at heart.jobs.

### Responsibilities

– Proactively pitch American Heart Association programs, campaigns, and events to the media on a local level.
– Oversee local social media sites, including the creation and promoting of posts.
– Negotiate and coordinate local media sponsorships for Association programs, campaigns, and events.
– Execute strategy for media advocacy that advances local and state policy goals.
– Lead creation of market messaging for events and issues.
– Recruit, engage, and train local volunteers and staff to serve as Association spokespeople in traditional, non-traditional, and social media.
– Work outside of normal business hours and on weekends as needed.
– Supervise the Communications Director.

### Qualifications

– 3-5 years of experience in public relations communications, public relations, marketing, or journalism. This experience may also count towards satisfying this position’s educational requirement. Nonprofit experience preferred.
– Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in communications, public relations, journalism, or related field preferred.
– Knowledge of media and communications principles, ethics, practices, and techniques, including technical requirements.
– Working knowledge of news media operations and news gathering.
– Ability to create and maintain key contacts within the media.
– Ability to recruit, organize, train, and manage volunteers as well as the ability to accomplish goals through them.
– Exceptional skill in written and oral communications.
– Must have at least basic knowledge and skill with Microsoft Office used for word processing, email, presentations, and spreadsheets. Advanced knowledge and skill with these programs is preferred. These skills are subject to testing.
– Ability to do daily local travel up to 50%; requires access to reliable transportation at all times on an immediate basis.
– Ability to lift and/or move large objects (such as boxes) with the expectation that heavier items would be broken down into smaller components or requesting additional assistance may be required before lifting and/or moving.

### 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, our mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, age, language, sexual orientation, national origin, and physical or cognitive abilities. We’re committed to ensuring our workforce, workplace culture, and mission have a shared impact across a diverse set of backgrounds.

Learn more here