At Oceans Healthcare, we are passionate about helping adults and seniors attain the best possible quality of life. As a nationally recognized provider of behavioral health services, we treat patients experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, behavioral changes related to medication management or substance abuse and other behavioral issues.

Through our inpatient behavioral services and intensive outpatient programs, Oceans Healthcare offers comprehensive behavioral and mental health services to help patients at every stage of the healing process. Our staff is committed to caring for patients and their families with dignity, honesty and compassion.

***Position is located onsite in Plano, TX***

Reporting to the Executive Vice President of Marketing & Communications, the Manager, Communications develops and executes an integrated communications program aligned with the annual marketing and communications plan. The role balances internal communications, external communications, media relations, social media management, and content strategy to strengthen employee alignment, protect the organization's reputation, and build the Oceans Healthcare brand across the enterprise and it’s multi-site, multi-state operation.

This position serves as a hands-on communications partner to executive leadership, operations, human resources, clinical leadership, recruiting, business development, and facility teams. The Manager researches, writes, edits, curates, and distributes timely content for employees, leaders, media, community partners, digital audiences, and other stakeholders across email, intranet, website, social media, presentations, news releases, and related channels. 

Externally, the Manager serves as the primary day-to-day contact for media relations and social media, responds to inquiries, monitors coverage and online conversations, and escalates emerging issues as appropriate. The successful candidate is an exceptional writer and editor who understands AP style, exercises sound judgment, and can move effectively between strategy and hands-on execution. 

Essential Functions:

1. Develop and execute an integrated annual communications strategy and editorial calendar that aligns internal and external communications with organizational priorities and the marketing and communications plan. 
2. Lead enterprise internal communications that keep employees informed, connected, and aligned, including executive messages, organizational announcements, newsletters, intranet stories, presentations, FAQs, talking points, scripts, leader toolkits, and change communications. 
3. Partner with executive leadership, operations, human resources, clinical leadership, recruiting, business development, and facility teams to identify communications needs and translate complex information into clear, concise, audience-appropriate messages. 
4. Manage communications for organizational changes, leadership transitions, new programs, acquisitions, integrations, policy updates, operational initiatives, and other enterprise priorities, with appropriate stakeholder review and approval. 
5. Serve as the primary day-to-day media relations contact for the organization and its 50-plus facilities; receive and respond to inquiries, coordinate interviews, develop statements and background materials, and prepare spokesperson briefing materials. 
6. Monitor media activity, coverage, and emerging issues; promptly alert appropriate leaders to reputational risks, opportunities, or inquiries requiring escalation and support coordinated response planning. 
7. Develop and manage the enterprise social media strategy and content calendar, including writing, scheduling, publishing, and curating content across organizational and facility channels. 
8. Monitor social media sites, comments, messages, reviews, and mentions; respond or route inquiries in accordance with approved protocols and escalate sensitive, clinical, privacy, or reputational matters. 
9. Research, interview, write, and edit compelling content that builds the Oceans Healthcare brand and promotes facilities, programs, services, leaders, employees, clinical expertise, community partnerships, and patient-centered outcomes, while protecting privacy and confidentiality. 
10. Produce and distribute targeted email communications and campaigns, segmenting audiences when appropriate and coordinating message timing across email, intranet, website, social media, media outreach, and leader cascades. 
11. Write and edit external materials, including news releases, media statements, executive biographies, award submissions, website content, community announcements, thought leadership, feature stories, and social media content. 
12. Maintain communications standards, editorial processes, approval workflows, templates, messaging frameworks, enterprise voice and tone, and AP style and brand guidelines across internal and external channels. 
13. Collaborate with privacy, compliance, legal, clinical, and operational stakeholders to help ensure communications are accurate, appropriately approved, and aligned with healthcare regulatory, confidentiality, and reputational requirements. 
14. Measure communications effectiveness using email, intranet, website, social media, media coverage, readership, engagement, survey, and stakeholder feedback data; use findings to improve channel and content performance.
15. Manage communications projects from intake through delivery, coordinate external agencies or freelancers when needed, monitor communications trends and emerging channels, and perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Education / Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, or a related field required. 
• Five-plus years of progressive experience in news media, corporate communications, internal communications, public relations, employee communications, or a related field. 
• Significant experience developing internal communications for a complex, multi-location, or distributed workforce strongly preferred. 
• Healthcare, behavioral health, hospital, or other regulated-industry experience is a plus. 
• Demonstrated portfolio of executive communications, employee communications, organizational announcements, feature writing, media materials, or comparable work products required. 

Skills / Abilities:

• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and message-development skills, with demonstrated ability to adjust tone and complexity for executives, employees, managers, media, and community audiences. 
• Strong working knowledge of grammar and AP style required. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop internal communications strategies, editorial calendars, channel plans, message cascades, executive talking points, FAQs, and change communications. 
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential, sensitive, time-critical, or potentially reputational information. 
• Strong interviewing and information-gathering skills, with the ability to synthesize complex clinical, operational, financial, or organizational topics into clear communications. 
• Working knowledge of external communications, media relations, news release development, spokesperson preparation, social media, and reputation management. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint; experience with intranet, email distribution, employee communication, or content management platforms preferred. 
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, stakeholders, deadlines, reviews, and approvals. 
• Ability to build trusted relationships, influence without direct authority, and provide thoughtful communications counsel to leaders at all levels. 
• Knowledge of healthcare privacy, regulatory, and reputational considerations preferred, including appropriate protection of confidential and patient-related information.

Work Environment:

Subject to many interruptions. Occasional pressure due to multiple calls and inquiries. This position can be high paced and stressful; must be able to cope mentally and physically to atmosphere. Work requires spending approximately 90% or more of the time inside a building that offers protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.  Travel required, including via automobile, planes and/or trains, as required.