Director, Strategic Communications - Hybrid in Dallas, TX

Job Summary

The Director of Strategic Communications is a skilled healthcare storyteller and strategic thinker who ensures the right stories reach key audiences to build trust, elevate brand reputation, amplify business priorities, and drive engagement across earned and owned channels. This role connects Corporate Communications, Field Communications, Marketing, and Clinical/Operational stakeholders to deliver clear, compliant, and compelling narratives in a highly regulated environment.

The Director translates complex healthcare and managed care concepts into accessible, audience‑appropriate content for patients, providers, payers, regulators, employees, and community stakeholders-turning strategy into measurable outcomes while maintaining credibility, accuracy, and compliance.

Responsibilities

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Translates complex healthcare initiatives-including managed care, value‑based care, clinical programs, access, quality, and affordability-into clear, compelling narratives for internal and external audiences
• Drives strategic communications by embedding healthcare‑appropriate storytelling across owned channels, including websites, email, social media, newsletters, educational content, and integrated campaigns
• Aligns strategic communications with marketing to ensure message consistency across paid, earned, shared, and owned channels, while respecting regulatory and compliance requirements
• Identifies opportunities to amplify earned media, thought leadership, and reputation‑building healthcare content through owned and digital channels
• Leads integrated communications strategies for key enterprise initiatives, including managed care partnerships, population health programs, clinical transformation, and market expansions
• Serves as a senior communications advisor to executives on healthcare messaging, narrative risk, and sensitive issues

Content Writing & Editorial Ownership

• Oversees and personally contributes to high‑impact healthcare content writing, including:

• Executive and physician leader communications

• Thought leadership on healthcare trends and innovation

• Web, email, and newsletter content

• Campaign narratives tied to growth, access, and outcomes

• Media‑adjacent and reputation content

• Establishes and enforces editorial and compliance standards to ensure content is accurate, clear, audience‑appropriate, and aligned with brand and regulatory expectations

• Owns enterprise editorial calendars and content planning for healthcare storytelling across channels

• Translates clinical, operational, and policy‑driven information into plain‑language, patient‑ and stakeholder‑focused content

• Partners with Legal, Compliance, Clinical, and Regulatory teams to ensure all content meets healthcare standards

Earned Media Content Operating Model

• Builds and leads a standardized earned‑media content operating model that supports healthcare markets and regions
• Identifies, packages, and distributes healthcare‑relevant earned media story opportunities (e.g., patient impact, clinician expertise, innovation, community benefit) to field teams
• Equips field communications teams with media‑ready assets, approved messaging frameworks, FAQs, and storytelling toolkits that enable local market customization
• Balances national narrative consistency with local healthcare market needs and regulatory considerations

Measurement & Analytics

• Establishes KPIs and dashboards to evaluate media impact, content engagement, reputation strength, and share of voice in healthcare contexts
• Leads a monthly insights and measurement process to surface optimization opportunities and best practices
• Leverages analytics to refine storytelling priorities related to trust, access, outcomes, and growth
• Partners with Marketing and Analytics teams to align communications metrics with broader healthcare performance indicators

Team & Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Leads and develops a team of communications and content professionals
• Works effectively in a highly matrixed healthcare environment, partnering with Marketing, Clinical, Operations, Managed Care, Legal, and Compliance teams
• Manages agency partners supporting healthcare communications, media relations, content, and measurement

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Healthcare Administration, or related field
• 10+ years of progressive experience in healthcare communications, corporate communications, public relations, or media strategy
• Demonstrated experience working in regulated healthcare or managed care environments
• Proven ability to lead teams and influence senior leaders across complex organizations
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with strong healthcare literacy
• Ability to manage sensitive, high‑stakes communications with sound judgment and attention to detail
• Minimum travel may be required. We will run an MVR on the final candidate.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in Communications, Public Health, Healthcare Administration, Business, or related field
• Experience supporting managed care, payer-provider partnerships, or value‑based care models
• Crisis and issues management experience in healthcare settings

Key Competencies:

• Healthcare storytelling and narrative development
• Content writing and editorial leadership
• Executive and physician communications
• Regulatory and compliance awareness
• Cross‑functional influence in complex systems
• Data‑driven decision making
• Ability to operate with speed, precision, and judgment

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Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by an applicant's or employee's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other legally protected status. Tenet will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship.

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