Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications and External Affairs

SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, this executive leads Brown Health’s enterprise marketing, communications, government relations, public affairs, reputation management, and strategic stakeholder engagement. The role integrates these functions into a coordinated strategy that advances the organization’s mission, brand, reputation, growth, and transformation priorities. As a trusted advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team, the incumbent provides counsel on high-profile matters, leads crisis and change communications, anticipates external risks and opportunities, and builds a collaborative team that delivers measurable impact across a complex academic health system.

Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another.
In addition to our values, all employees are expected to demonstrate the core Success Factors which tell us how we work together and how we get things done. The core Success Factors include:

Instill Trust and Value Differences
Patient and Co

mmunity Focus and Collaborate

In addition, our leaders will demonstrate an aptitude for:

Ensure Accountability and Build Effective Teams
Drive Vision and Purpose and Optimize Work Processes

By applying core and leadership competencies, leaders help Brown University Health achieve its strategic goals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Marketing, Brand and Growth Strategy

• Lead enterprise marketing strategy aligned with Brown Health’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities.
• Ensure consistent brand positioning across hospitals, physician groups, service lines, digital channels, and stakeholder touchpoints.
• Drive patient acquisition, retention, market growth, referral development, and service line promotion.
• Oversee market research, consumer insights, competitive intelligence, brand performance, and digital marketing capabilities.

Communications and Reputation Management

• Develop and oversee enterprise communications strategies for employees, providers, patients, community partners, and external audiences.
• Direct media relations, executive communications, thought leadership, public relations, social media, and content development.
• Monitor and manage organizational reputation across internal and external channels.
• Lead crisis and change communications for major initiatives and enterprise transformation.
• Serve as senior communications counsel to the executive leadership team.

Crisis, Issues and Change Communications

• Lead enterprise crisis communication planning and incident response.
• Advise executive leadership on communications during organizational, operational, clinical, labor, regulatory, legal, or reputational risk.
• Coordinate internal and external communications and stakeholder engagement during emergencies and significant events.

External Affairs, Government Relations and Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and lead Brown Health’s external affairs strategy, aligning public policy, reputation, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement priorities.
• Provide strategic oversight to Government Relations, Communications, and Marketing to ensure coordinated messaging and advocacy.
• Advise senior leaders on public policy, political, regulatory, reimbursement, workforce, community, and healthcare transformation issues.
• Ensure Brown Health presents a consistent voice with policymakers, business leaders, community organizations, academic partners, employers, and other stakeholders.
• Support executive-level relationship and engagement strategies for the CEO, physician leaders, and other senior executives.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead and develop an integrated team across marketing, communications, government relations, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement.
• Set clear priorities, accountabilities, and performance expectations aligned with strategic objectives.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, service-oriented culture grounded in Brown Health’s Ways of Wowing: See the Whole Person, Lend a Hand, License to Learn, Own the Next, and Make Space for Joy.
• Recruit, coach, retain, and develop talent while supporting professional growth and succession planning.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, public affairs, business, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in marketing, communications, public affairs, government relations, or external affairs, including significant executive-level responsibility.
• Healthcare provider organization experience required; academic experience preferred.
• Experience leading integrated teams and advising CEOs, boards, or senior executives on complex, sensitive, or high-profile matters.
• Strong expertise in brand strategy, reputation management, crisis communications, public policy, stakeholder engagement, and change communications.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, leadership, judgment, and collaboration skills, with a commitment to Brown Health’s mission and values.
• Proven ability to build, integrate, and develop high-performing teams while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, accountable, and service-oriented culture.
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to translate complex issues into clear and compelling communications.
• All senior leaders are expected to have strong skills in interpersonal interaction, public speaking, knowledge of budgets and healthcare finance, and high integrity, good judgment, attention to detail, and teamwork.

EEO Statement:

Brown University Health is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and maintaining a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

Location:

Corporate Headquarters - 15 LaSalle Square Providence, Rhode Island 02903

Work Type:

M-F 8:00am-5:00pm

Work Shift:

Day

Daily Hours: 

8 hours

Driving Required:

No