Strategic Projects Director
(Community, Medical, Political and Communications)

Doctors Council SEIU

Doctors Council SEIU is the nation’s oldest and largest union for physicians and dentists.  Doctors Council is affiliated with SEIU.  We represent doctors who work in public and private facilities.  Doctors Council SEIU’s long and rich history of advocating for union doctors was added to in recent years with organizing victories that led to many new first contracts.  With the successful conclusion of these contracts, we are now a union that is approximately half public sector and half private sector.  Our increased membership gives us greater strength to work together for our goals.  Doctors Council SEIU is also affiliated with the National Doctors Alliance (NDA), SEIU, whereby we represent doctors throughout the United States. 

Our national office is located in Manhattan, in the heart of New York City.  To learn more about us, please visit our website at http://www.doctorscouncil.com

POSITION AVAILABLE:

Strategic Projects Director (Community, Medical, Political and Communications):

We seek a dynamic, talented, highly motivated individual to get our message, vision and voices out, heard and understood, to increase our visibility and to effect positive change.  

You will be responsible for projects that strategically advance the mission and visibility of our union.  Run a strong program to support our members and organizing.  Direct a program to educate, empower and enable doctors to join Doctors Council.  This can include organizing through a first contract as well as membership that is not dependent on collective bargaining. 

In particular, you will lead our outreach and interaction with the communities we service, medical associations and groups, elected leaders/officials and candidates. Develop and implement a plan to build and sustain effective relationships around a shared vision for improving our communities and patients, the delivery of health care and protecting the rights of doctors.  You will also create and run our communications, including to our members and to the media.  Manage our communications and media work to support priorities for growth and political/legislative/advocacy campaigns.  Keep members and key audiences informed about critical issues and demonstrate the value of membership.  The ideal candidate will have experience in the application of communications technology to advance our goals, especially in representing our members, organizing and outreach.  The successful candidate will be one who can put our union at the top of the contact list on issues that involve doctors and health care.  This work will include members and the public in achieving these goals and branding Doctors Council SEIU as a national union for doctors and voice for patients. 

Responsibilities:

The qualified individual will be responsible for building the vision and strategy around outreach on a national, state and local level.  Areas focused on will be communities, medical associations/groups, politicians and communications.  Our union should become better known as the "go to" source of information on doctors.  Be proactive and creative in identifying opportunities and direction. 

You will be responsible for implementing organization objectives, plans, policies and procedures nationally.  Duties include but are not limited to:

• Create and foster meaningful long-term alliances and relationships with community partners, medical associations/groups, elected leaders/officials and other unions.
• Map identified areas and survey our members about existing relationships.
• Create and train committees.
• Help develop and lead joint campaigns and partnerships with allies to advance shared goals.
• Represent us at meetings and in dealings with outside organizations.

• Coordinate and work with national, state and local medical associations/groups, as well as medical societies and specialty organizations.

• Interface with contacts, including SEIU and other unions, news media, politicians, government officials, partners and allies.

• Lead our political program, including on COPE/PAC recruitment and member involvement.
• Draft legislation.
• Review relevant budgets and funding for implications upon our members and where we work.
• Gather background information on bills of interest.
• Develop support and opposition letters.
• Prepare and deliver testimony and communicate our positions.
• Set up and run advocacy meetings and days, as well as message materials.  Plan and organize political and legislative action programs and events.
• Initiate political strategy.
• Administer candidate outreach and recommend support assistance opportunities. 
 
• Manage strategy and implementation of communications, both internally to our members and externally.
• Develop, write, edit and distribute internal and external communications materials, such as sample letters to the editors, OP Eds and other materials.
• Implement a robust internal communications program. 
• Newsletters, e-blasts, brochures, videos, fact sheets, and e- or on-line activism and capacity.
• E-mail and text messaging program. 
• Utilize broad communications platforms, such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and other on-line social media, broadcast and print communications.  Assess the production of a mobile application (app) for our union. 
• Website copy, and maintain website as a reliable, up-to-date source of information 
• Produce regular reports on activity and background for internal and external use.
• Creating communications content.  Craft message development.
• Communications strategy for organizing growth and political/legislative/advocacy campaigns.

• Monitor literature, including medical and professional, and press coverage on doctors' issues and health care throughout the country and identify opportunities.

• External media relations strategy and implementation.
• Media relations, press releases, press kits, background pieces, fact sheets and contacting and building relationships with media/reporters.
• Stage press conferences and media events.
• Develop rapid responses around key issues as they develop.

• Manage campaign event communications- strategy, message, look and feel, materials, marketing, media outreach, event flow and agenda.

Qualifications:

Applicants for this position must possess a bachelor's/college degree or higher degree in communications or related field and have at least ten (10) years experience of relevant work experience developing and implementing strategy on a wide range of campaigns, including organizing, contract, political and legislative, community, field or grassroots campaigns, communications as well as experience working with allies and coalitions

You must also have:

• Superior strategic thinking combined with demonstrated ability to implement tactical activities that are matched to the strategy. 
• High level of judgment and ability to take the initiative.
• Experience running large campaigns, preferably in healthcare, or with professional employees.
• Knowledge of healthcare changes and reforms, issues facing doctors and patients as well as hospitals and health systems.
• Ability to relate, establish and cultivate meaningful relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent analytical, verbal and written communication skills and effective interpersonal skills.
• Skill set needed to administer a program to educate and mobilize doctors to encourage non-members to join and members to be involved.  Experience in providing training to and recruitment for involving members.
• Extensive experience working with coalitions.  Understanding the principles of coalition building.
• Demonstrated skill as a community, labor or political organizer.
• Experience in developing and executing written campaigns.
• Knowledge of the labor movement, including understanding the principles of union organizing.
• Ability to research issues.
• Ability to assess and analyze complex political situations and respond accordingly.
• Budgetary and fiscal experience.
• Work in speech writing, testimony, position papers and other visibility work.
• Proven ability to track medical and professional literature, legislation and policy initiatives on national, state and local levels relevant to our mission.
• Superior writing, editing and proofreading skills as well as experience blogging, writing for social media and, ideally, building a WordPress site.  Applicants must have an established digital footprint and be wired into the latest online trends, tools and platforms. 
• Thorough knowledge of media relations strategies.
• Strong time management skills.
• Ability to handle multiple priority projects simultaneously and set and meet deadlines.  Discern priorities and meet competing deadlines. 
• Thorough knowledge of electronic and print media systems, advertising techniques, and all aspects of literature, audiovisual and online production process.
• Superior computer skills, especially in professional-grade graphic design software.
• Advanced knowledge of and ability to use technology as a tool to advance organizing goals, and also with programs, databases, email, internet, social media and organizing methodology.
• A strong working knowledge of database programs.
• Computer proficiency is required; database/spreadsheet, internet, word processing, online social networking skills. 
• Be able to stay abreast of advances in communications technology for the purpose of making recommendations for improvements.
• Sensitivity to political nuances within a labor organization.
• Must be able to drive and maintain a valid driver's license, auto insurance and reliable car, as well as possess personal credit cards.  Be able to drive distances, and travel throughout the country to different states and cities.  Travel and work away from home. 
 
You need to have a belief in and commitment to the idea that doctors must have a voice in and be an integral part of the delivery of quality and safe patient care and that by striving to work together with our communities, patients, elected leaders and employers we can best achieve this. 

Lead staff and members by example, setting high standards in work ethic and professional approach to work.  Articulate a positive vision of our work and who we are and represent. 

             You must be a self-starter with the ability to work with supervision.   This position requires long and varied hours, including nights and weekends, with travel, especially to where we represent members and are looking to organize.  This position is based out of our national office in New York and reports to the Chief of Staff. 

Salary and benefits: Salary depends on experience.  Excellent full benefit package includes 100% employer paid self and dependent medical and dental, as well as 100% employer paid defined benefit pension plan.

To apply, please send a cover letter indicating why you want to work for Doctors Council SEIU, stating your interest and qualifications, a writing sample as well as campaign literature, a detailed resume with salary history, along with at least three (3) professional references and their addresses and telephone numbers to:

Kevin Collins
Chief of Staff
Doctors Council SEIU
50 Broadway, 11th Floor, Suite 1101
New York, NY 10004

Facsimile (212) 481-4137
e-mail:  kcollins@doctorscouncil.com