Marketing Communications Director

American Heart Association - Greenville, SC

Full-time - Mid Level

Greenville, SC

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations

About the position

As we celebrate our Centennial year, the American Heart Association invites you to join us in shaping the next century of impact. The Communications & Marketing Director position in Greenville, SC, is a pivotal role focused on developing and implementing comprehensive communications and marketing plans that promote the Organization's strategic priorities, events, and cause initiatives within the Upstate SC and CSRA markets. This position is essential in ensuring that the Association's message resonates with the community and drives engagement in our mission to promote longer, healthier lives for everyone, everywhere. In this role, you will be responsible for crafting and executing local strategic communications plans that align with the Organization's nationally driven priorities. This includes writing and distributing news releases, managing social media content, securing media sponsorships, and implementing awareness campaigns around heart and stroke-related topics. You will collaborate with various stakeholders, including local staff and media, to ensure that our branding guidelines are adhered to and that our communications are effective and impactful. Additionally, you will track media coverage, manage a spokesperson database, and work with video production companies to create engaging content for events and social media. Your efforts will not only support our local events but also enhance our fundraising initiatives and community impact. This position requires a proactive approach to identifying human interest stories and leveraging them across various communication channels to maximize visibility and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Travels as required within the assigned territory markets; 30% travel as needed to Augusta, GA.
• Develops and implements local strategic communications plans that promote the Organization's nationally driven priorities, local events, community impact, Science news and cause initiatives.
• Writes, distributes and pitches news releases and other supporting media materials to local traditional and non-traditional media.
• Develops and manages local social media posts.
• Secures media sponsorships for local events and priority initiatives, as appropriate.
• Implements awareness campaigns around heart and stroke related topics and works collaboratively with other key market staff to develop an integrated approach to such campaigns.
• Works with staff to ensure that national branding guidelines are followed.
• Develops and implements communications plans for sponsor funded activations.
• Coordinates and implements communications plans in conjunction with strategic alliances.
• Identifies, secures and media trains local spokespersons.
• Provides marketing and communications support for development and fundraising events and activations, as appropriate.
• Identifies human interest stories for media coverage, social media posts, internal and external communications channels and event integration.
• Tracks all media coverage via a media tracking system and manages a spokesperson database.
• Works with video production companies to produce videos for events, social media and other marketing communications resources.
• Works with photographers to produce photography for events, social media and other marketing and communications resources.
• Develops and implements media events, as appropriate.
• Works to place Public Service Announcements (PSA) locally.
• Works with Southeast Region's VP of Communications and Marketing to manage local crises or sensitive issues.
• Works in collaboration with media advocacy staff to develop appropriate media advocacy strategies and implements strategies, as appropriate.
• Works with executive director and team to manage local paid advertising projects.
• Manages and implements other projects as identified by the executive director.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism or related field, or some college plus experience.
• Minimum of two years of work experience in communications, social media, public relations and journalism or any equivalent combination of training and work experience.
• Experience applying the principles and practices of communications and marketing to the non-profit environment.
• Experience working as a team member with multiple internal and external constituencies at varying levels: staff, media, external corporations, and volunteers.
• Experience with crisis communications and sensitive issues.
• Experience implementing communications campaigns, pitching to media, planning media events, and writing news releases.
• Exceptional oral and written communications skills, including experience with speech writing, news writing for broadcast and print and general business writing.
• Working knowledge of news media operations, newsgathering, and technology.
• Must have at least intermediate knowledge and skills with Microsoft Office for word processing, email, PowerPoints, and spreadsheets.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary with regular market reviews.
• Merit increases based on performance.
• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage.
• Robust retirement program with employer match and automatic contributions.
• Employee assistance program and wellness program.
• Telemedicine and medical consultation services.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) starting at a minimum of 16 days per year, increasing with seniority.
• 12 paid holidays off each year.
• Tuition assistance for further education and career development.