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Senior Communications Director - OHP

The Office of Health Partnerships (OHP) is the coordinating body for Michigan State University’s external health relationships dedicated to strengthening, coordinating and advancing systemwide partnerships, including, but not limited to, Henry Ford Health, Corewell Health, McLaren, and UM Health-Sparrow.

OHP unifies the university’s academic, clinical, research, and community health partnerships under a single enterprise strategy, anchored by the Henry Ford Health + MSU partnership, the most significant external health relationship in the university’s history.

The Senior Communications Director leads the communications and marketing function for OHP. This is a senior, hands-on role responsible for advancing visibility and effectiveness of MSU’s priority partnerships, establishing OHP’s institutional identity and leadership within the university and beyond, and supporting the Senior Vice President for Health Partnerships. The position carries primary accountability for communications supporting the Henry Ford Health + MSU partnership and the broader portfolio of clinical, research, and community partners, and directly supervises the Communication Specialist dedicated to the Henry Ford Health + MSU partnership along with the team and external resources required to deliver that work.

Job Duties

Serve as primary communications lead for the Henry Ford Health + MSU partnership and other priority external partnerships. Develop and execute partnership narratives, announcements, milestone communications, and joint materials. Coordinate messaging with partner institutions using clear attribution and careful brand and legal framing. Support communications tied to the Henry Ford Health + MSU Research Center and the growing portfolio of clinical, research, and community partners.

Build awareness, understanding and effectiveness of OHP within the university and recognition among key external audiences of the role of MSU’s health partnerships in advancing a national model for sustainable health. Establish the office as a recognized, credible voice in MSU’s academic health enterprise. Develop positioning frameworks, lead enterprise narrative coordination across health units and colleges, and ensure consistent messaging that distinguishes OHP’s role and value and advances positive perceptions of MSU’s brand.

Serve as principal communications counsel to the Senior Vice President for Health Partnerships. Prepare executive communications, talking points, presentations, and briefing materials. Support office and committee communications and meeting preparation. Advise office leadership on messaging, reputation, and stakeholder engagement.

In partnership with channel and strategic content leadership in UACM, oversee OHP’s digital presence, public relations, content development, and channel strategy, including web, internal communications, and partnership-facing materials. Manage production of one-pagers, overview decks, FAQs, and announcement packages. Ensure consistency across all OHP communications.

Support issues management and crisis communications for the health partnership enterprise in coordination with UACM. Provide senior judgment on sensitive and reputationally significant matters.

This position reports to the Senior Vice President for Health Partnerships and works in close coordination with university communications, partner institution communications teams, and health sciences and college communications leads.

The Senior Communications Director provides direct supervision to the Communication Specialist supporting Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences. This specialist manages and coordinates partnership storytelling, internal communications, the partnership e-newsletter, and web content, and reports to the Senior Communications Director as part of the OHP communications function. As the lead Marketing and Communications liaison for the Henry Ford Health + MSU partnership, this position works to set priorities for the specialist and ensures alignment with partnership messaging and brand and legal framing.

The role provides indirect supervision and support to the Event and Sponsorship Coordinator and to MSU Healthcare Employee Communications and Markeing Manager. This role may also direct work of additional university team members focused on health, contractors, and agency resources in support of the OHP communications portfolio, as outlined in service level agreements with UCAM.

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, marketing, public relations or a related field; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive professional work experience in marketing communications, public, social and media relations and publication production; demonstrated expertise in developing and executing strategic marketing communications plans; significant experience in creative services, web communication, web-site development and maintenance, list serve creation and management, presentation software and creation and development of public presentations; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience in academic health, an R1 university, or a major health system communications environment.

Background supporting major institutional partnerships, affiliations, or joint ventures.

Experience advising senior leaders and managing executive-level communications.

Familiarity with health care, research, or higher education brand and legal considerations in joint communications.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Cover Letter

Resume

This position requires on site work in East Lansing at least 2 days per week.

STANDARD 8-5

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.