Covenant Health

Director of Communications & Media Relations

Full time, 80 hours per pay period, Day shift

Covenant Health Overview:

Covenant Health is the region’s top-performing healthcare network with 10 hospitals, outpatient and specialty services, and Covenant Medical Group, our area’s fastest-growing physician practice division. Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated healthcare delivery system and the area’s largest employer. Our more than 11,000 employees, volunteers, and 1,500 affiliated physicians are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the more than two million patients and families we serve every year. Covenant Health is the only healthcare system in East Tennessee to be named a Forbes “Best Employer” seven times. 

Position Summary: 

Initiates, develops, and implements media relations/communications strategies for Covenant Health. Directs activities of the communications and content department. Primary responsibilities include managing a team of writers and content creators; developing/implementing strategic PR/communications goals; creating search engine optimized content for dissemination on the website; working with departmental staff to effectively disseminate meaningful information and key messages to various audiences (e.g., the public, community leaders, employees and physicians) via traditional and digital media; developing strategies to enhance Covenant Health’s reputation among the community; overseeing external media relations strategies; implementation of system wide crisis communications plans as needed; producing audio/visual presentations; speech/scriptwriting; publicizing Covenant Health’s community outreach efforts and other system wide departmental activities; coordinating special events; developing effective tools and resources for communications team; tracking and reporting value of PR activities; managing the content calendar for the marketing department.

Recruiter: Kathleen Rice || kkarnes@covhlth.com || 865-374-5386

• Serves on marketing leadership team to establish marketing/public relations goals for Covenant Health and develop effective strategies for achieving goals.
• Supervises PR/communications specialists (writers/content managers). Develops budget, establishes goals, implements processes/infrastructure, and monitors daily operations/performance to support organizational and departmental success. Identifies opportunities for personal/professional development for each staff member.
• Develops and implements communication plans (both ongoing and as-needed) for key stakeholder audiences – the public, community leaders, employees, and physicians. Serves as information resource about Covenant Health, its facilities and services.
• Oversees content development for Covenant Health’s websites, social media, and employee intranet. Interfaces with Digital, Graphic Services, IT, and content specialists to create and deploy effective digital communications strategies.
• Oversees internal communications system wide; serves as editor-in-chief for Connections electronic employee newsletter. Writes and posts articles for CovMD. Works with communications specialists to develop creative and effective ways to communicate with employees throughout the system, including facility employee newsletters and CovNet facility pages. Provides support to human resources department as needed to facilitate communicating important employee information.
• Leads PR/communications activities related to special events and special projects. Leads or serves on task forces for special events and other marketing/PR projects. Writes speeches and writes/edits/produces collateral materials and audio-visual presentations for system wide special events as needed.
• Creates proactive opportunities for Covenant Health to enhance its reputation in the community. Coordinates periodic business leader surveys as needed, writes/produces print and online community benefit reports, and other tactics to enhance Covenant Health’s reputation as a strong, good company.
• Oversees media relations for Covenant Health. Works with communications specialist/media representative to pitch story ideas to appropriate media. Updates and implements crisis communications plans as needed. Serves as media backup and internal consultant for affiliate marketing/PR coordinators. Tracks media coverage and reports media value to the health system.
• Serves as HIPAA privacy officer for Topside facility. Attends privacy officers’ meetings and training; implements and reports staff training.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:           

Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, English, or Liberal Arts.

Minimum Experience:         

Five (5)+ years of public relations/marketing experience with healthcare or hospital public relations experience preferred. Excellent writing and editing skills required, including experience writing news and features, reports, speeches, scripts, and advertising copy. Basic photography skills and working knowledge of web content management systems, social media platforms, and media relations preferred. Managerial and problem-solving experience needed. Excellent communication and organizational skills, ability to meet deadlines and work both independently and in teams. Ability to lead teams, facilitate meetings, and give presentations effectively.

Licensure Requirement:      

None