Executive Director, Public Relations

Executive Director, Public Relations

Reporting to the head of External Communications, the Executive Director, Public Relations serves as the enterprise leader for Enterprise Newsroom, Intelligence & Analytics and is responsible for newsroom operations, editorial planning, communications intelligence, social listening, stakeholder monitoring, reporting, analytics, and rapid-response coordination across all regions and national functions. This leader builds and operates Kaiser Permanentes modern communications operating system-providing leaders with the visibility, insights, and enterprise coordination needed to shape proactive narrative strategy, monitor stakeholder dynamics, measure communications performance, identify emerging risks, and respond effectively in a rapidly changing environment.
Enterprise accountability: Serves as the central intelligence and coordination hub for External Communications & Reputation by leading enterprise newsroom operations, editorial governance, stakeholder intelligence, rapid-response coordination, and analytics capabilities that strengthen decision-making, reputation management, and enterprise alignment across markets and national functions.
Operating model considerations: This role leads integrated communications transformation across earned, owned, and social channels by modernizing enterprise capabilities, strengthening editorial strategy and channel orchestration, improving how stories and priorities move across the system, and helping the Public Affairs leadership team align communications, reputation, policy, and business priorities during periods of rapid change. Transformation in practice includes capability modernization, stronger cross-functional alignment, clearer leadership expectations, and a more proactive enterprise storytelling model-not crisis ownership, which sits with Issues Management. This role owns the enterprises proactive external voice-shaping the narratives, media agenda, executive visibility, and storytelling platforms that define Kaiser Permanentes presence in the market. The Executive Director partners closely with Issues Management during high-stakes moments, but the center of gravity for this role is proactive reputation-building, earned influence, enterprise storytelling, and brand visibility.
The Executive Director serves as a trusted advisor to enterprise and regional leadership, helping shape organizational priorities, influence enterprise decision-making, and guide executive positioning in moments of opportunity, ambiguity, and change. This role requires judgment, external orientation, and the ability to balance stakeholder expectations while advancing Kaiser Permanentes mission, reputation, and business objectives.
Essential Responsibilities:
Enterprise Newsroom
Builds and leads a modern enterprise newsroom that serves as Kaiser Permanentes engine for editorial planning, content prioritization, story mining, and enterprise storytelling.
Develops enterprise editorial calendars, content governance processes, and decision rights that align storytelling priorities to enterprise and business objectives.
Surfaces, curates, and elevates stories from markets and national functions to strengthen enterprise narrative development and audience relevance.
Intelligence & Monitoring
Leads enterprise media monitoring, social listening, stakeholder intelligence, and narrative tracking to identify emerging risks, opportunities, and trends.
Develops intelligence products, insights, and briefing materials that support executive decision-making and strengthen enterprise readiness.
Rapid Response Coordination
Operates enterprise rapid-response capabilities and supports issue escalation, breaking news response, and cross-market coordination in partnership with Issues Management and market teams.
Maintains operating rhythms and escalation pathways that connect markets and national teams during fast-moving external developments.
Analytics & Reporting
Develops enterprise communications measurement frameworks, dashboards, and reporting tools that track reputation, media impact, thought leadership, social engagement, stakeholder sentiment, and campaign effectiveness.
Delivers executive reporting and actionable insights that inform strategy, resource allocation, and continuous performance improvement.
Enterprise Coordination
Provides visibility into media strategies, campaigns, issues, and stakeholder dynamics across markets and national functions, and establishes common reporting standards, performance measures, and planning rhythms that support enterprise alignment.
Basic Qualifications:
Minimum twelve (12) years of relevant professional experience.
Education:
Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university or four (4) years of experience in a directly related field required.
High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required.
License, Certification, Registration:
N/A
Additional Requirements:
Experience in large, complex, regulated organizations
Exceptional judgment
Ability to influence without authority
Experience operating in matrixed environments
Proven capability building and team leadership
Executive presence and strategic thinking
Preferred Qualifications:
Healthcare preferred but not required
Primary Location: California, Oakland, Ordway
Additional Locations:
Washington D.C., DC
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 Shift: Day Workdays: Mon - Fri Working Hours Start: 08:00 am Working Hours End: 05:00 pm Job Schedule: Full-time Job Type: Standard Employee Status: Regular Worker Location: Flexible