Director of Communications

Communications Director

Rochester, NY

JK Executive Strategies is proud to partner Daystar Kids in search of its next Communications Director! The Communications Director is responsible for the development and implementation of Daystar Kids communications, public relations, and marketing strategy to advance Daystar Kids position with relevant constituents, build donor support, drive broader awareness, and create impactful partnerships and associations to support the agency’s mission, culture, and brand, and achieve its enrollment and strategic goals.

Daystar Kids is New York State’s only pediatric center, helping families successfully transition their infant or young child with special health care needs from the hospital to home and support their healthy development all the way until they enroll in kindergarten.

Primary duties and responsibilities include:

• Develops and implements an integrated strategic communications plan to enhance Daystar Kids brand reputation; broaden awareness of its programs, services, and strategic priorities, increase the visibility of its programs across key audiences, and achieve the agency’s performance goals.
• Creates and implements a comprehensive marketing and public relations strategy to enable Daystar Kids leadership to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with targeted, high-level external audiences and key influencers.
• Identifies challenges and emerging issues faced by the agency. Works with leadership team to recognize internal and external communications opportunities and solutions and defines and executes appropriate strategies to support them.
• Serves as communications counselor to Daystar Kids leadership and manages and expands upon the internal communications programs.
• Oversees development of all agency communications including the annual report, marketing collateral materials and electronic communications including the agency’s website and new media; manages relationships with associated vendors.
• Serves as a spokesperson and lead point person on media and community interactions that help promote and/or impact the agency.
• Exercises judgment to prioritize communication opportunities, and prepares talking points, speeches, presentations, and other supporting material as needed.
• Actively engages, cultivates, and manages press relationships to ensure coverage surrounding Daystar Kids programs, special events, public announcements, and other projects.
• Oversees the day-to-day activities of the communications function including budgeting, planning and staff development.
• Participates in regular staff meetings and complies with all Daystar Kids in-service requirements.
• Maintains confidentiality of all information related to the agency, program enrollees and their families, and team members that may be encountered either formally or informally, during the normal course of business to include medical and treatment records, program records, financial and human resource information; and complies with all HIPAA standards.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field required; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of success in a senior communications management role.
• Demonstrated experience and leadership in developing and successfully managing a comprehensive strategic communication, media relations, and marketing program to advance an organization’s mission and priorities.
• Proven impact in proactively building relationships with top tier reporters and editors, and in successfully positioning subject matter with the media to achieve high impact placements.
• Demonstrated success in planning, writing, editing, and producing newsletters, press releases, annual reports, marketing literature, and other print/online communications formats.
• Creative and thoughtful on how new media technologies can be utilized to improve ROI.
• Innovative thinker with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and outcomes.
• Experience in building, mentoring, and coaching teams in communication strategies; persuasive communicator.
• Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical administrative, fundraising, and programmatic initiatives and adapt to a changing environment to anticipate future needs.
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with senior management, Daystar Kids Board of Directors, team members, and other key stakeholders.
• Ability to operate as an effective tactical and strategic thinker; self-reliant, good problem solver, results oriented.
• Passion for Daystar Kid’s mission.

JK Executive Strategies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of JK Executive Strategies to provide equal opportunity in employment and conditions of employment to all individuals regardless of age, race, color, religious beliefs, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, veteran or military status, disability, pregnancy-related condition, predisposing genetic characteristics, genetic information, marital status, familial status, prior arrest, domestic violence victim status, non-job related convictions, participation in lawful activities outside of our workplace, or any other status protected by law.

JK Executive Strategies, LLC