Director of Public Relations Job at ABA Centers of America in Fort Lauderdale

Director of Public Relations – ABA Centers of America (Corporate HQ)

Downtown Fort Lauderdale, FL – In‑Office

About the Company

We are the nation's fastest‑growing provider of autism care, delivering high‑quality Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy across a rapidly expanding footprint. Since our founding in 2020, we've scaled from a single clinic to nearly 70 operating areas in more than a dozen states, supported by a high‑performance corporate infrastructure and data‑driven decision‑making.

Recognized as the #5 fastest‑growing private company in America by Inc. magazine, ABA Centers of America is a self‑funded, founder‑led organization—a rarity in today’s healthcare landscape. We've achieved this growth without private equity, relying instead on operational discipline, smart capital allocation, and a relentless focus on outcomes.

Our corporate team plays a mission‑critical role in this success—developing scalable systems, managing risk, and driving the analytics that power our growth. If you’re a strategic thinker who thrives in a fast‑paced, purpose‑driven environment, we offer a unique opportunity to help shape the future of autism care while building on a legacy of operational excellence.

Recognition & Awards

• Inc. 5000 – 5th fastest‑growing private company in America
• Financial Times – #1 on “The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies”
• EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® U.S. Overall
• South Florida Business Journal’s Top 100 Companies
• Florida Trend Magazine’s 500 most influential business leaders
• Inc. Best in Business, Health Services

About the Role

ABA Centers is seeking a strategic, mission‑driven Director of Public Relations to lead and elevate the organization’s national visibility, reputation, and thought leadership. This role will drive proactive media strategy, position the company as a leading voice in healthcare, and improve its online reputation. The ideal candidate is both a strategist and a hands‑on communicator who thrives in a high‑growth environment and is passionate about expanding awareness, access, and understanding of autism services.

Key Responsibilities

Media Relations

• Develop and implement comprehensive public relations strategies to enhance the company’s brand awareness and reputation, aligned with business growth priorities
• Position the organization and its executives as thought leaders in autism care, healthcare access, behavioral health, business, and finance
• Secure “best in business” awards and list placements in top‑tier business publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, Financial Times, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company
• Identify and capitalize on proactive media opportunities tied to special interest months, research, community impact, company milestones, client success stories, and clinic‑based events
• Collaborate with regional teams to generate local media coverage in key growth markets
• Partner with executive leadership to shape messaging that supports growth, recruitment, and market expansion
• Build and maintain strong relationships with both national and regional media contacts in relevant beats
• Draft and distribute press releases, media pitches, op‑eds, and executive commentary
• Secure high‑impact earned media placements throughout broadcast, print, digital, and podcast platforms
• Prepare executives for media interviews, including talking points, briefing materials, and media training
• Support events, conferences, and workshops to represent ABA Centers and engage with the autism community
• Manage crisis communications planning and response
• Monitor media coverage, industry trends, and public sentiment
• Track and report PR performance metrics, including media reach, share of voice, sentiment, and business impact
• Manage PR tools, media databases, and agency relationships

Executive Communications

• Maintain LinkedIn profiles of the company’s Chairman and CEO
• Assist in coordinating details of public appearances
• Draft speeches as needed
• Online Reputation Management (maintain online presence across Google, Indeed, Glassdoor)
• Develop and implement a comprehensive online reputation strategy aligned with brand, growth, and recruitment goals
• Respond promptly and professionally to reviews, maintaining HIPAA compliance and brand voice standards
• Partner with clinical, operations, HR, and recruiting teams to address concerns raised in reviews and identify opportunities for systemic improvement
• Identify recurring themes in feedback and translate insights into actionable recommendations for operations, patient experience, and employee experience improvements
• Establish protocols for escalating sensitive, negative, or high‑risk feedback to appropriate internal stakeholders
• Proactively increase positive reviews by implementing employee feedback campaigns
• Track and analyze reputation metrics (ratings, sentiment, response times, review volume, and trends) and provide regular reporting to leadership
• Support employer brand reputation by collaborating with Talent Acquisition and HR to strengthen ratings and messaging on career platforms

Requirements

Education, Work Experience, and Other Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in public relations, corporate communications, or media relations
• Strong understanding of media landscape and experience in building relationships with key media contacts
• Proven success securing national and regional earned media coverage
• Experience developing and executing strategic PR plans in a high‑growth organization
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with the ability to tailor messages for diverse audiences
• Experience supporting executive communications and media training
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work effectively in a fast‑paced environment
• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, or related field

Preferred

• Experience in healthcare, behavioral health, autism services, or multi‑site healthcare organizations
• Business/finance PR experience to be better equipped to tell our stratospheric de novo growth story
• Agency management experience
• Bi‑lingual in Spanish

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
• Proactive, resourceful, and results‑oriented
• Excellent relationship builder with media and internal stakeholders
• High emotional intelligence and mission alignment
• Ability to translate complex clinical topics into clear, compelling stories

Benefits

• 21 paid days off (15 days of PTO, which increases with tenure, plus 6 holidays)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options
• Medical, dental, vision, long‑term disability, and life insurance
• Generous 401(k) with up to 6% employer match