Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital is scheduled to open in 2025 as the ninth hospital in the Houston Methodist system. Cypress, which will be master planned for 500 beds, will be modeled after Houston Methodist West and Houston Methodist The Woodlands hospitals. It will be designed as the hospital of the future and will be a testament to Houston Methodist’s commitment to innovation.
The hospital, located at Highway 290 between Barker-Cypress and Jarvis Road, will include medical office buildings to house our breast care center, cancer and infusion center, orthopedics and sports medicine and multi-specialty physician practices.
We are currently seeking to hire a Manager of Marketing and Communications. In this role, you will manage the Marketing and Communications department and be responsible for ensuring marketing and communication strategies and tactics support the hospital strategic plan, drive preference and volumes and are in alignment with overall system marketing strategy. You will work collaboratively with the hospital leadership (administrators, chairs, service line directors and managers) and corporate marketing team in the development, implementation, and measurement of marketing plans to build consumer preference for the local hospital brand and to drive priority service lines to help achieve volume and preference targets.
In addition, you will be responsible for the planning and production of all components of marketing campaigns and activities including advertising, publications, media relations, events, brand management, public relations, and internal communications of assigned entity (while adhering to the budget). You will also manage the daily work activities of the work unit/department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence, and efficiency while assisting management in accomplishing strategic and operational objectives. The selected candidate will provide guidance to staff, and you will be responsible for staffing, budget compliance, contributing to staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. You will also implement training and monitor operations initiatives that assure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Perform management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees in the Marketing and Communications department
- Provide development and mentoring of staff (meet or exceed threshold goal for department turnover)
- Develop direct reports to perform these same functions
- Provide leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes
- Provide timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem
- Facilitate the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed
- Meet or exceed threshold goal for department and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators: action readiness score, tier level
- Maintain positive relationships and outcomes with marketing vendors/contacts (printers, media, designers, promotional, writers, etc.), hospital leadership, employed and aligned physicians as well as corporate marketing to develop and implement hospital service line marketing and communications plans to build consumer preference for the hospital and achieve volume targets
- Plan and organize day-to-day Marketing and Communications department operations, schedule and activities
- Set priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction
- Drive department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability
- Serve and actively participate on various entity committees as a voice for the Marketing and Communications department
- Develop, manage, and evaluate marketing plans/campaigns/sponsorships and internal and external communications and events/seminars/screenings
- Lead and partner with hospital and clinical leadership on the management of communications including press release writing/distribution, and content creation for website, e-newsletter, Leading Medicine community magazine and CEO communications
- Collaborate with corporate PR in the event of media crisis
- Lead, manage, and participate in the planning and implementation of community and/or consumer events, including health fairs, seminars, screenings, outreach events, open house events, chamber activities and other hospital events
- Represent hospital through active participation and engagement in community events
- Ensure a safe and effective working environment; monitor and/or revise the Marketing and Communications department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines
- Use and optimize information systems to enhance operations; supports entity-specific performance improvement and data management/analysis functions
- Employ a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes by monitoring and improving the department workflow, using peer-to-peer accountability, and identifying solutions via collaboration
- Adopt lean principles in driving process improvements (role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety)
- Monitor self and employee compliance with policies, procedures, and System HR Standards of Practice and perform associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.)
- Lead and manage marketing and communications strategy for hospital and evaluate the success of programs, service lines and sponsorships/events
- Ensure all marketing and communication efforts are in alignment with system brand, communication and digital strategies through ongoing communication and engagement with corporate marketing and PR
- Identify and coordinate opportunities to enhance the consumer/patient experience through operations and partnerships with hospital leadership and local employed physician leadership
- Assist in the development of department budget and ensure that the department operates in a cost-effective manner
- Manage/audit department expenses within approved budget parameters, ensuring that the Marketing and Communications department meets the budgeted/flex revenue and/or expense targets on a monthly and annual basis
- Develop staffing plans and schedules to meet department needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness
- Implement department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, developing others to do the same, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications
- Manage marketing and communication campaign expenses within budget and provide recommendations for improvement
- Proactively seeks opportunities to optimize spending and results for hospital, service lines and employed physicians
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, journalism, public relations, or related field
- Master’s degree is preferred
- Eight years of experience in marketing or communications
- Health care experience is preferred
- Proven skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job
- Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
- Ability to effectively communicate through a variety of channels with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles; engages the recipient(s) and helps them understand and retain the message
- Demonstrated ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
- Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one’s own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved
- Demonstrated leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective people skills and oral/written communication skills
- Ability to identify and understand issues, problems, and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions (taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences)
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment - Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in the workplace
- Ability to lead meetings, conversations and present with authority
- Ability to uphold confidential and sensitive information
- Proficient in spreadsheet, word-processing, and presentation software
- Proactively manage own professional development, including receiving, seeking out and acting on performance feedback
- Ability to engage and be open to ideas offered by others; works collaboratively and contributes to dialogue
- Initiative in managing projects and communication with stakeholders
- Possess good judgment and decision-making ability, with strong analytical and critical thinking skills (understands when to escalate issues)