Vice President of Communications

Headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, Dogwood Health Trust (Dogwood) became operational in 2019 and currently has approximately $1.8 billion in assets. Serving 18 counties in Western North Carolina (WNC) and the Qualla Boundary, Dogwood’s creation has opened the door to unforeseen opportunities in the area. Dogwood works closely with its partners to create a Western North Carolina where every generation can live, learn, earn and thrive with dignity and opportunity for all – no exceptions. Dogwood focuses on achieving radical and equitable impact for all who reside in WNC by engaging the public, private, and nonprofit sectors together in four strategic priority areas: Housing, Education, Economic Opportunity and Health & Wellness.

Critical to the mission of Dogwood Health Trust is the role of messaging both the work of Dogwood’s partners and the work of Dogwood in the region. To advance Dogwood’s storytelling and positioning, Dogwood Health Trust seeks a Vice President of Communications to lead impactful internal and external messaging which will support Dogwood’s work in Western North Carolina.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The Vice President of Communications reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is a member of the senior leadership team. The VP will lead and develop the communications team and will supervise a number of outsourced consultants. The VP will collaborate with other senior leaders to develop communications and presentation strategies.

LOCATION

While Dogwood Health Trust is headquartered in Asheville, NC, the VP can live in any of the 18 counties or the Qualla Boundary. The Dogwood team works in a hybrid style, convening in the newly renovated office several times a week.

Responsibilities

Working closely with the President and CEO and other senior leaders, the Vice President of Communications will ensure that Dogwood is known as a leader in improving the health and well-being of all people and communities in Western North Carolina. The Vice President of Communications will be charged with amplifying the work of Dogwood’s partners and communicating Dogwood’s purpose, commitments, and successful community-led initiatives to the region and beyond.

The Vice President of Communications will demonstrate their expertise in several areas including Strategic Communications, Reputational and Brand Management, and Internal Communications.

The VP of Communications will

• Design and implement communication strategies in partnership with the CEO and senior leaders to support community investments, partner capacity, community outreach and engagement, and investment evaluation.
• Identify key stakeholder audiences and develop online and offline strategies to increase engagement, facilitate collaboration, and advance organizational priorities.
• Demonstrate Dogwood’s impact by leading equity-driven storytelling that includes partner success stories, earned media, interviews, and content curation.
• Provide leadership and support to staff and external consultants responsible for implementing all Dogwood communications strategies.
• Ensure that Dogwood’s commitment to equity and our focus on creating opportunity for those who have been under resourced is present in all aspects of its work.
• Proactively manage media and public relations to increase credibility and positive regard for Dogwood.
• Provide strategic communications coaching support for Dogwood leaders to support message alignment, stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and professionalism. ​
• Work closely with the CEO and other senior leaders to anticipate, manage and prevent incidents that could result in reputational damage.
• Oversee all external-facing communications to ensure alignment with Dogwood’s purpose, brand standards and commitment to cultural sensitivity, equity, diversity, inclusion and justice.
• In partnership with the CEO and the People & Culture team, design and oversee internal communications strategies to ensure staff are informed, supported, well-resourced, and celebrated.
• Work closely with the People & Culture and the Vice President of Community Equity, to develop communications strategies that reinforce equity, diversity, inclusion, justice and belonging at Dogwood.

Qualifications

The Vice President of Communications will be an excellent writer and speaker.  Ideally, the Vice President of Communications will have an undergraduate degree and at least 10 years of experience leading a communications team for an organization similar to Dogwood Health Trust. The Vice President will have the opportunity to build the Communications team and will have resources to work creatively with consultants. The Vice President will demonstrate success in expanding an organization’s digital presence and use of social media.

Application Process

Click here to view the leadership brief

To apply or for more information, please email DogwoodVPComms@intentionalworks.com

Date Posted

02/12/2024

Closing Date

05/17/2024

Contact

Laura Lovelace <DogwoodVPComms@intentionalworks.com>