Director, Strategic Communications

Job Description The Director, Strategic Communications is a key leader within the Communications function, responsible for shaping narratives, strengthening organizational reputation, and conditioning the environment so the company can successfully execute major business priorities. This role requires a communicator with strong strategic instincts, sound judgment, and the ability to bring clarity, alignment, and momentum across a complex, enterprise. Directors are communicators first, capable of operating across functional lanes, anticipating organizational needs, and applying disciplined thinking to high‑stakes, high‑visibility work. This role partners closely with business leaders to ensure communications not only informs but prepares stakeholders, builds trust, and reinforces the purpose and credibility of the organization. We believe firmly that communication solves business challenges. The Director operates with composure through change, consistently modeling a forward‑looking mindset that supports the continued evolution of the Communications function What You’ll Do Strategic Communications Leadership Develop and execute clear, compelling communications strategies that prepare stakeholders for enterprise decisions and reinforce trust in organizational direction. Provide narrative leadership and contextual framing that helps audiences understand the “why” behind policies, products, and priorities. Ensure all communications connect to enterprise strategy, market realities, affordability priorities, and organizational purpose. Reputation, Risk & Environmental Conditioning Shape the internal and external environment to build trust, reinforce credibility, and reduce friction for business operations. Anticipate areas of sensitivity or risk and proactively prepare messaging that support safe, confident rollout of key initiatives. Translate policy, regulatory, and market insights into communications actions that strengthen the organization’s reputation and narrative authority. Cross‑Divisional Alignment & Influence Connect dots, starting with our P&L teams, and across divisions, ensuring unified messaging and cohesive stakeholder preparation. Serve as an integrator who brings clarity and alignment among Brand, Performance Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility teams, P&Ls, Strategy, Customer Experience and Digital, Public Affairs, Healthcare Innovation and HR. Ensure leaders have the right context, narratives, and materials to support consistent, enterprise‑aligned communication. Operational Excellence & High‑Quality Delivery Lead multiple communications workstreams with discipline, timeliness, and accuracy. Establish and maintain processes that support message discipline, predictable delivery, and clarity for stakeholders. Drive continuous improvement in communications workflows, tools, and team readiness. Leadership, Culture & Change Support Model professional maturity, clear thinking, proactive ownership, and modern communications judgment. Operate with confidence through change and support the continued evolution of Communications as a strategic enterprise function. Mentor others and elevate team capability, encouraging a mindset of curiosity, accountability, and integrated problem‑solving. Leadership Attributes & Competencies The Director must demonstrate: Strategic clarity — ability to distill complexity into clear, actionable communication. Judgment & discernment — identifies risk early and offers sound recommendations. Enterprise fluency — understands how decisions connect across functions and shape stakeholder expectations. Healthcare ecosystem literacy — demonstrates a strong understanding of the health care landscape, policy environment, and market forces, ensuring communication and counsel are grounded in industry context. Change confidence — operates with steadiness and positivity through transformation and evolving priorities. Proactive ownership — anticipates needs and brings forward solutions, not just challenges. Influential communication — strong writing, framing, alignment-building, and audience awareness skills. Operational rigor — dependable execution and strong prioritization in high‑stakes environments. What You Bring Established ability to develop and execute enterprise‑level communications strategies that align with business objectives and drive measurable organizational impact. Proven experience advising senior leaders and managing high‑profile stakeholder engagements, including state and national audiences, on complex and sensitive issues. Enterprise-level operational and analytical acumen, including oversight of agency partnerships, budgets, and performance metrics, with the ability to translate data and KPIs into strategic action. Successful ability to lead, develop, and retain high‑performing teams, with a consistent focus on talent growth and leadership effectiveness. Demonstrated expertise in public relations and media management, including proactive media engagement, issues response, and reputation management. Proven ability to manage high‑stakes crisis situations in healthcare or regulated settings, including rapid response, stakeholder coordination, and executive counsel. Bonus Points Bachelor’s degree required; 10+ years of relevant experience in strategic communications, public affairs, reputation management, or related fields. Proven ability to navigate complex, fast‑paced environments and support senior‑level decision-making. Established track record as a people leader with high standards, able to provide clarity, elevate performance and model the behaviors expected of a modern communications function. Exceptional writing, messaging, and narrative development skills. Demonstrated strength in cross-functional alignment, stakeholder influence, and integrated communications planning. Experience in change communications, reputation management, or narrative conditioning strongly preferred. Strong project management, organization, and operational execution abilities. What You’ll Get The opportunity to work at the cutting edge of health care delivery with a team that’s deeply invested in the community Work-life balance, flexibility, and the autonomy to do great work Medical, dental, and vision coverage along with numerous health and wellness programs Parental leave and support plus adoption and surrogacy assistance Career development programs and tuition reimbursement for continued education 401k match including an annual company contribution Learn more #LI-Hybrid Salary Range At Blue Cross NC, we take great pride in a fair and equitable compensation package that reflects market-price and our starting salaries are typically planned near the middle of the range listed. Compensation decisions are driven by factors including experience and training, specialized skill sets, licensure and certifications and other business and organizational needs. Our base salary is part of a robust Total Rewards package that includes an Annual Incentive Bonus*, 401(k) with employer match, Paid Time Off (PTO), and competitive health benefits and wellness programs. *Based on annual corporate goal achievement and individual performance. $143,616.00 - $229,786.00 Skills Communications Strategy, Content Strategy, Digital Communications, Executive Leadership, Marketing Communications (MarCom), Organizational Communications, Social Media, Social Media Management, Strategic Communication Planning, Strategic Planning _____________________________________________________________________ JOB ALERT FRAUD: We have become aware of scams from individuals, organizations, and internet sites claiming to represent Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina in recruitment activities in return for disclosing financial information. Our hiring process does not include text-based conversations or interviews and never requires payment or fees from job applicants. All our career opportunities are published on If you have already provided your personal information that you suspect is fraudulent activity, please report it to your local authorities. Any fraudulent activity should be reported to: View email address on click.appcast.io. About Us It's an exciting time to work at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC). Health care is changing, and we're leading the way. We offer more than health insurance our customers can count on. We’re committed to better health and better health care − in our communities and beyond. Our employees bring energy and creativity to the workplace, and it shows in our innovative approach to improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians. Blue Cross NC is a fully taxed, not-for-profit company headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. We serve more than 4.3 million members, and we employ more than 5,000 people across the country who are passionate about making health care better for all. Help us lead the charge for better health care by joining our award-winning team. Discover tremendous opportunities with us to do challenging and rewarding work. Opportunities that can lead you to a fulfilling career, work that can help others lead healthier, happier lives. Authorization to Work in the United States We use E-verify to confirm authorization to work in the United States. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify Overview for English or Visión General de E-Verify for Español. Request Accommodations Blue Cross NC provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please notify HR at View email address on click.appcast.io. Blue Cross NC is a Hybrid Flex company. Whether the role is Hybrid Flex or Remote Flex depends on the nature of the work and distance from our Durham headquarters. We welcome candidates from outside the local area and in any of our approved states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming