Job Description

SUMMARY OF JOB PURPOSE AND FUNCTION:

The Senior Director, External Communications brings vision and expertise to drive an external corporate communication strategy that helps us build and protect our reputation among pet owners, clients, potential Associates, and other key stakeholders. The Senior Director is a strong people leader, leading a team consisting of three Associates as well as external consultants driving the proactive, national reputation agenda for VCA and handling media issues at the Hospital level.

The role partners closely with members of the Corporate Affairs team to ensure we take a complete 360 view to communications across all channels, including social. Primary responsibilities of this role include managing corporate reputation, brand PR, social media communications, and issue and crisis management as well as accountability for identifying external risks and opportunities (monitoring and predicting political, legal, economic, and social developments) and putting in place strategies to manage them. The position reports to the VP of VCA Corporate Affairs and partners closely with cross-functional teams, executive leaders, and the Field. The Senior Director tells our sustainability story, through internal and external media channels. The Senior Director \xe2\x80\x98flexes\xe2\x80\x99 into internal communications need where needed especially when it comes to issues management.

This role is comfortable navigating the Mars ecosystem across Mars Veterinary Health, Petcare and Global, finding ways for VCA to \'show up\'.

Essential Responsibility/Tasks:

Lead the national reputation strategy for VCA with ownership of 360-degree strategic communications to build visibility, positive sentiment, brand equity, and external reputation

Lead a team of VCA Associates in line with our CA culture and VCA Purpose

Orient the VCA team around key messages and points of view, owning these

Manage issue and crisis situations including social media/online crisis scenarios and guide positioning on controversial topics

Provide oversight and strategic direction to our PR agency to ensure effective management of brand PR programs, budget, and measurement

Train and coach VCA leaders

Education/Experience

Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Business, or related

10+ years\xe2\x80\x99 experience in communications and PR with some experience managing and leading a team

*All degrees will be deemed \xe2\x80\x9cor equivalent combination of education and experience\xe2\x80\x9d unless absolutely required to do the job (i.e., DVM degree for Veterinarian, Law degree for Attorney, etc.).

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:

Ability in order to develop engaging communication campaigns based on industry leading best practice; track record of implementing PR programs that achieve measurable results

Ability to navigate complex challenges and to develop strategies and tactics in line with company objectives and to execute against them

Ability to deal with ambiguity, display good judgment and composure, and provide strong leadership to upper management in a crisis situation

Ability to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders and work effectively with all levels of management and Associates

Ability to execute and track programs with speed, accuracy, and efficiency

Core Competencies:

Leadership and Development

Priority-Setting

Written and Verbal Communication

Internal Affairs

Crisis Management

If you are a current associate, you need to apply through our internal career site. Please log into Workday and click on the Career worklet on the landing page or search for Find Jobs.

Benefits: We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision and paid vacation/sick days, 401(k), generous employee pet discounts and more!

The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development).

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com.

VCA Animal Hospitals