Director, Communication Strategy & Operations

About Us

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to continually seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.

Position Summary:

The Director of Communications Strategy and Operations leads the strategy and day-to-day management for PCORI’s flagship communications platform pcori.org, overarching communications strategy and message development and oversees internal planning efforts for the division in consultation with the Chief of Communications and division leadership, including managing the division’s annual Action Plan and Communications Framework. The Director also supervises project management to support integrated communications activities that advance cross-departmental initiatives and programs. The Director supervises data capture strategies, measurement and analysis for Communications activities and collaborates with colleagues in relevant evaluation areas to optimize work and assess the effectiveness of Communications activities.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads strategic vision, user experience, content governance and day-to-day management of the website pcori.org, including operations, information architecture, accessibility, user journeys, analytics, optimization and archive site management. 

• Leads digital and web strategy initiatives, including audience engagement approaches, content strategy, search optimization, performance measurement, platform enhancements and alignment of digital experiences with organizational goals and user needs.
• Leads strategy development for Communications activities, including a multiyear Communications framework, annual Action Plan development and execution and collaborates on connections with project planning.
• Leads development and implementation of operational activities in consultation with the Chief, including the management of the development of the division’s annual budget, Personnel Plan, and Procurement Plan. Oversees management of division contracts and leads monthly budget and expense management.
• Leads overarching message and related resource development to support the organization.
• Leads strategic efforts with communications subject matter experts and colleagues across the organization on communications-related strategic plan development, execution and measurement.
• Identifies performance metrics and owns regular tracking and reporting. Leads data analysis and insight generation.  
• Directs project management operations for Communications, including developing briefs, timelines, calendars, and integrating planning tools and resources (including Asana) that align priorities, streamline workflows and ensure consistent execution across initiatives. 
• Leads division-wide collaboration toward use of technologies, including AI. Leads the design, division processes and use of systems and their implementation across the division.
• Serves as the first point of contact for strategic communications and website requests from across the organization.
• Advises the Chief of Communications and PCORI senior leadership. Provides colleagues with a broad perspective on communications strategies. As assigned, serves as PCORI’s Communications division representative, engaging with third parties on communications-related activities and collaborating with colleagues to achieve shared outcomes.
• Leads collaboration with the Chief of Communications and senior Communications colleagues to accomplish goals and steward the Communications division. Identifies and advances opportunities to collaborate, partner, or co-lead with colleagues across PCORI to accomplish role and advance division and PCORI goals.
• Leads Communications-driven cross-PCORI meetings, strategy sessions, workgroups, conversations, etc.
• Leads the weekly Communications team meeting, setting the agenda and overarching learning strategy, including identifying priority topics and curating internal perspectives to advance team KSAs and organization goals.
• Supervises direct reports, freelancers, and contractors. Assigns work, balances workloads, and determines staff priorities and areas of focus to support efficient and balanced portfolios and responsiveness to organizational and team priorities.  

Incumbent(s) in this position may be required to perform other duties and special assignments not specifically stated above. 

Statements outlined in this section are designated as essential job functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 

Required Skills and Experience: 

• Demonstrated experience developing and advancing website strategies and overseeing website management (using Drupal), including oversight of website operations, governance and optimization. Deep experience conducting and leveraging formative audience research and user experience research, including heuristic evaluations and usability testing and AI-enabled tools and strategies to drive website development.

• Demonstrated ability to develop integrated strategic communication activities, including messages, strategies, and tactics for different audiences. Knowledge of how to leverage different communications channels and tactics to reach desired audiences and experience implementing this knowledge.
• Project management expertise and ability to manage both consistent/recurring timelines and deadlines as well as manage a regular flow of work that can be both urgent and important. Experience simplifying systems and processes where possible.
• Broad communications, promotion and outreach expertise, both externally and internally, and the ability to lead cross-functional work to build and advance integrated communications and promotion strategies.
• Well-developed skills and understanding of extramural research funding processes. Experience working with researchers and end-users of health research; familiarity with research and evaluation methods with an understanding of healthcare stakeholder contexts (including perspectives and preferred communications styles of clinicians, payers, purchasers, and patient communities).
• Significant experience managing a large staff, with a demonstrated dedication to professional development and team building.
• Experience identifying, evaluating, deploying, and managing independent contractors as needed to augment staff capacity.
• Record of working with a broad array of stakeholders and ability to network across departments to promote relationships that evolve communications strategies. 
• Experience building and managing budgets, contracts and personnel planning. 
• Either a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or a combination of education and requisite experience and at least 10 years of related work experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or a related field is required.
• Specialization in health, health care, health policy, or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Experience in a nonprofit, government, or academic setting preferred.
• At least ten years of management experience, including managing large-scale projects, staff and freelancers.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range: $190,000 - $220,000

The above range represents the salary range expected for the position; however, final offers are based on several factors such as the position’s responsibilities; the candidate’s experience, education, and skills; location; travel required; and current market conditions. Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect, eligible employees may participate in PCORI-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance plans for the employee and the employee’s eligible dependents.
 

Conflict of Interest.

PCORI wants to ensure that prospective employees are aware of its conflict-of-interest policies so that employment deliberations take into consideration this aspect of PCORI employment. PCORI requires all PCORI employees to disclose upon commencement of their employment and on an annual basis all individual and close relatives financial, business, and personal association with the potential to bias or that have the appearance of biasing one’s decisions relating to PCORI. All disclosures made by employees are made publicly available on PCORI’s website. Disclosures must include all financial and business and personal associations with any health or healthcare-related organizations and include all associations with any other organizations that have the potential to bias or that have the appearance of biasing one’s decisions relating to PCORI, including but not limited to vendors or other third parties with whom PCORI has a contract or that PCORI has funded. For more information please visit PCORI-Conflict-of-Interest-Policies-Outside-Employment-Policy.pdf

PCORI conducts reference and background checks on all applicants.
 

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