Director of Communications

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally.

PHI was distinguished as one of the top 50 "Best Non-Profit Organizations to Work For" by the Non-Profit Times in a national search.

SUMMARY:

The Public Health Institute works to improve health, health equity and wellbeing for individuals and communities in California, nationally, and globally. PHI strengthens ideas, programs, people, and partnerships transforming public health. Through the provision of premier fiscal sponsorship services to 50+ program partners and as a public health thought leader, PHI's work maximizes program strengths and impact in capacity building, research, community and state-level public health services, use of science and data, launching and scaling what works, centering community, connecting and partnering across the health ecosystem, and systems and policy change to improve health.

The Director of Communications is a senior level working leader responsible for designing, driving, and implementing the organization's communications strategy to advance its mission, demonstrate impact, and activate the next strategic plan in a highly complex and challenging public health environment. As a member of the organization's Management for Action Team, the Director leads and directly contributes to all facets of external and internal communications, with a focus on clear, strategic, and compelling storytelling that strengthens the organization's visibility, credibility, and connection with key audiences, including program and external partners, funders, and policymakers.

The Director leads communications across external relations including digital strategy and media, impact storytelling, internal communications engagement, business and fund development, and policy and advocacy. Working with a small communications team, peers, and colleagues throughout the organization, the role is both strategic and hands-on, requiring exceptional writing, editing, and project leadership skills, and the ability to work collaboratively across teams and with program leaders. This position also plays a key role in advancing narrative strategies that build trust in public health and in the organization's commitment to health equity, especially among historically underserved communities. The Director reports to the Chief Development and Strategic Initiatives Officer (CDSIO).

This is a full-time hybrid position based in Oakland, CA, with the expectation of working in the office a minimum of one day per week. Candidates based in reasonable traveling distance from Oakland are preferred.

Full salary range for this position: $144,278 to $225,289 per year. The typical hiring range for this position is from $144,278 (minimum) to $184,784 (midpoint) per year, based on 100% FTE. The starting salary is determined using a variety of factors, such as the candidate's knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as internal equity consideration and budget availability.

Employment Type: Full Time

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

Strategic Communications & Organizational Positioning

• Design and execute a comprehensive communications strategy aligned with the organization's next strategic plan and long-term public health mission.
• Serve as the organization's chief storyteller, elevating narratives that reflect values, demonstrate impact, and advance key strategic goals-including building trust in public health and supporting organizational growth.
• Collaborate with the President & CEO, CDSIO, and senior leaders to shape organizational messaging and public positioning.
• In partnership with CDSIO, serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to executives and program leaders, offering guidance on messaging, public engagement, and narrative strategy.
• Serve as a thought and implementation partner to program teams, supporting their communications priorities and advising programs in translating complex work into accessible, compelling content.
• Ensure communications reflect the organization's identity as a trusted fiscal sponsor and collaborator with a broad range of public health partners.

External Relations: Media and Digital

• Cultivate and manage relationships with media outlets and journalists to amplify the organization's work and thought leadership, secure news coverage, and respond to media requests.
• Serve as spokesperson as needed and support executive and program leaders in media engagement.
• Lead the development and implementation of digital strategies and strengthen PHI's online presence across the website, social media, and digital campaigns

Communicating Impact & Program Accomplishments

• Partner with program leadership team and fiscally sponsored programs to capture, curate, create, and communicate stories of public health impact, lessons learned and community change that reflect and promote PHI's organizational priorities and messages.
• Develop written, visual, and multimedia content that highlight organizational and program work and outcomes

Communications for Policy & Advocacy

• Develop and implement messaging and impact storytelling strategies to support public policy and advocacy priorities, and narratives that support public health investments.
• Collaborate with internal staff, government affairs advisors and key strategic partners to advance state and federal policy work. Elevate the organization's unique perspective on how public health policies affect individuals and communities at the local level.

Communications for Business Development & Fundraising

• Collaborate with the Development team to craft communications and production of materials that support overall organizational fundraising, partnership development, and strategic growth.
• Help articulate the organization's value proposition as a mission-driven collaborator, service provider, and public health leader.

Internal Communications

• Lead internal communications strategies that promote transparency, staff engagement, and alignment across teams and functions.
• Support communications that build knowledge and buy-in from staff in response to organizational changes and initiatives.
• Produce internal newsletters, intranet content, and executive communications that connect staff to the organization's mission and values.
• Supervise communications staff, consultants, and vendors as needed, fostering high-quality, value-aligned communications.
• Contribute to a learning and improvement culture by encouraging reflective practice, knowledge-sharing, and feedback across communications efforts.

Department and Team Management

• Manage a small communications team with commitment to staff and team development and creating a healthy, collaborative, impact-focused culture and work environment in the department and in work across the organization.
• Effectively manage communications department budget.

Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10 years of progressive experience in strategic communications, public relations, or digital media, with at least 3 years as a manager.
• Bachelor's degree required, or substitute with 4 additional years of related experience.

Other Required Qualifications

• Outstanding writing, editing, storytelling, and other communications skills; ability to simplify and elevate complex public health or related policy work.
• Proven ability to manage media relations, digital strategy, and internal and external communications in dynamic environments.
• Demonstrated understanding of public health, health equity, and mission-driven communications strategy.
• Demonstrated project management skills to oversee multiple bodies of work.
• Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills, with experience working across departments and with program teams.
• Experience supervising staff, managing vendors, and leading cross-functional projects.
• Passionate about mission impact, adaptive, action- and results-oriented, customer-focused, and have a learning and improvement mindset.
• Strong commitment to health and racial equity, and sensitivity towards the experiences of marginalized and/or historically underserved people, othering, structural exclusion, and cultural differences.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and time management skills in a dynamic fast paced environment.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence skills, creative and strategic thinker, anticipatory problem solver.
• Proactive in managing staff and organizational priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in public health, health equity, or government or policy environments.
• Familiarity with fiscal sponsorship, program support structures, or intermediary organizations.
• Visual communications or basic design skills a plus (e.g., Canva, Adobe).
• Technical skills to use project management programs like SharePoint.
• Bilingual or multilingual fluency.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter detailing your interest in and qualifications for this position.

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA) STATUS

This position is classified as exempt based on the job duties. However, based on the FTE, salary level of the employee, or federal/state/local laws, the employee may be classified as nonexempt.

The Public Health Institute is committed to a policy that provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and to make all employment decisions so as to further this principle of equal employment opportunity. To this end, the PHI will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are offered employment and employees are treated during employment without regard to these characteristics.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

To apply for any position, you must create an account on the Public Health Institute's job application site. After creating your account, you may search the open positions and apply for the specific position that interests you. Please note, mailed and emailed applications will not be accepted.

We're so pleased the Public Health Institute is an organization you would like to work with. Do you have questions about this opportunity? If so, email our recruitment team at Recruitment@phi.org.

Additional information about PHI's benefits and compensation offerings can be found here.

The Public Health Institute is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Recruitment Team at least 48 hours in advance at Recruitment@phi.org.