Director, Community Engagement and Communications

Job Description

Job Description

Company Description

Donor Network of Arizona’s mission is to make the most of life through the gift of organ and tissue donation. We challenge ourselves and others every day to realize Arizona's potential to save and improve lives. Every employee at Donor Network of Arizona is responsible for embracing the organizational culture by upholding the Donor Network of Arizona’s core values of Positive Energy, Passion, and Eagerness.

Job Description

Director, Community Engagement and Communications

About the Role

Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) is seeking a strategic and mission-driven leader to serve as our Director, Community Engagement and Communications . In this leadership role reporting to the Executive Vice President, Strategy and Mission Performance, you will oversee the Community Engagement and Communications department, which is comprised of two teams – the Community Engagement and Communications (Comms) team and Donor Family Engagement (DFE) team.

For the Community Engagement and Communications team, this position ensures development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy for marketing, communications, public affairs and community programs to effectively reach and positively influence critical audiences in support of the mission of Donor Network of Arizona.  This position also collaborates with leadership to ensure internal and external marketing and communications across the organization are effective, integrated and aligned to advance Donor Network of Arizona’s reputation and brand.

This position also oversees the Donor Family Engagement (DFE) team, and develops and directs family support initiatives, fosters meaningful donor family engagement, and collaborates cross-functionally to elevate the family experience and organizational impact.

This is an onsite leadership role based in Arizona. Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to Arizona.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership and Executive Collaboration:

• Serves as a key advisor to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), providing insights and strategic recommendations to support decision-making.
• Engages actively as a member of the Director team, ensuring alignment between strategy, operations and executive priorities while driving cross-departmental collaboration.
• Ensures organization's mission and vision is at forefront of decision-making.
• Collaborates closely with other Directors and ELT members to ensure effective partnership in advancing the organization's mission and goals.

Community Engagement and Communications Leadership:

• Directs Community Engagement and Communications staff (Comms)
• Creates annual plans to increase the number of registered donors in AZ.
• Collaborates with internal and external leadership and partners involved with local, regional and national public relations activities and campaigns to generate positive outcomes
• Ensures that department staff and agencies/vendors effectively integrate best practices across all strategies, channels and platforms, including print materials, web and online platforms, e-marketing, social media, advertising, multimedia, photography, media, customer management technologies and digital/software integrations
• Promotes consistency of “voice” aligned to advance Donor Network of Arizona’s reputation and brand for Donor Network of Arizona and Donate Life Brands
• Oversees, sets goals and provides direction to the Community Engagement & Communications team, including the following areas:
  • Motor Vehicle Division/Authorized Third Party (ATP) partnership
  • Government Affairs
  • DonateLifeAZ Donor Registry
  • Internal Communications
  • Signature Events
  • Traditional and social media
  • Marketing collateral
  • Community, religious, civic and social outreach
  • Multicultural Community Outreach
  • Local and Outlying Volunteer Programs
  • Workplace Partnership Program
• Community outreach in partnership with healthcare organizations in collaboration with Hospital Engagement and Strategy.
• Hires, counsels, reviews and recommends salary, promotional and disciplinary and termination actions for assigned staff.

Family Engagement Leadership:

• Directs and manages Donor Family Engagement (DFE) staff
• Directs the development of annual plans for DFE to increase and improve donor family support and efficiency.
• Complaint Oversight and Resolution: Oversees the troubleshooting of donor family complaints, recommend follow-up actions, and revises procedures as necessary to improve service quality and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Oversees, sets goals, and provides direction to DFE staff, including the following areas:
  • A yearly analysis of the two-year program, with needed outcomes included in the annual plan.
  • Event coordination for donor families, including quilt-pinning events.
  • Accurate documentation in documentation/written correspondence outcomes, including the database.
  • Good communication:
    • With donor families
    • With DNA staff to ensure accurate and appropriate communications with families
    • Between donor families and recipients
    • With transplant centers for families and recipients
    • Appropriate bereavement support for donor families
    • Relations between donor families and DNA, providing excellent family support
    • Donor family engagement to promote donation, including:
    • Donor Family Advisory Committee
    • Speaking opportunities
    • Marketing collateral or educational opportunities
• Hires, counsels, reviews and recommends salary, promotional and disciplinary and termination actions for assigned staff.

Strategic Department Leadership:

• Aligns department strategy with the organization’s broader mission, ensuring operational effectiveness and goal attainment.
• Performs policy development, implementation, revision and obsoletion as needed for the department.
• Develops policies in collaboration with the other departments within Donor Network of Arizona.
• Recommends, develops, implements and ensures day-to-day operational processes, procedures, and job instructions, are aligned with the overall department strategy and follow all applicable standard operation procedures, regulatory and affiliated program requirements.
• Participates in the department annual budget and staffing planning with the Executive Vice President, Strategy & Mission Performance.

Managerial Responsibilities: 

• Fosters a high-performance culture within the Comms and DFE, ensuring professional development and operational excellence.
• Conducts and completes timely and accurate annual performance reviews and employee check-ins consistent with Talent processes and procedures. This includes observation of performance and assessment of demonstration of DNA’s core values.
• Ensures all department staff are trained in and performing their duties according to established Donor Network of Arizona guidelines and regulatory or affiliated agency standards. This includes observation of performance and assessment of demonstration of DNA’s core values.
• Monitors the department employees and ensures competency by initiating training, coaching, counseling or discipline identified in the employee’s performance.
• Ensures communication in the department is effective including but not limited to daily operational information, staff meetings, facilitating staff feedback and suggestions, etc.
• Provides leadership to the department’s staff and assigns tasks, responsibilities and special projects as needed.

Performs other duties as assigned/needed:

• Performs related duties, responsibilities and projects as needed and/or assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education

• Bachelor’s Degree

Preferred Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing or similar related field.

Minimum Experience

• 7 years of experience in healthcare, non-profit or similar field with a proven track record of results in marketing, public relations and partnership development
• 3 years of experience at the Manager or above level

Preferred Field of Experience

• PR; Ad Agency; Medical
• Non-Profit Public Relations
• Marketing

Management Experience

• Excellent human relations and oral/written communication skills
• Prior direct supervision of professional staff preferred.
• Experience managing a high-functioning team and mentoring staff.
• Proven ability to handle multiple projects and meet deadlines, while producing high quality work.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Donor Network of Arizona is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristics as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.  All employment is based on qualifications, merit and business need. If you require a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or interview process, please contact our team at View email address on ziprecruiter.com. We are committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace.