SENIOR DIRECTOR, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS - Duke Nursing and Patient Care Services

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

The Senior Director of Marketing Communications is the strategic communications lead for Duke University Health System's (DUHS) Division of Nursing and Patient Care Services (NPCS). This high-impact role is responsible for elevating the reputation, visibility, and influence of Duke Nursing and its leadership team. The successful candidate will shape and execute communications strategies that engage internal teams, amplify executive voice, and connect Duke Nursing stories to broader Duke Health business objectives.

This individual will report directly to executive leadership and serve as a trusted advisor to the Chief Nurse Executive (CNE), with a portfolio that includes brand storytelling, executive positioning, thought leadership, internal engagement, and cross-channel campaigns.

• Design and implement division-wide communication strategies that position Duke Nursing as a national leader in clinical excellence, workforce development, health equity, and academic practice.
• Develop narrative frameworks that clearly ladder back to enterprise strategy and business goals-ensuring communications are purposeful, measurable, and aligned with institutional priorities.
• Translate high-level vision into actionable campaigns that reach and resonate with a wide range of stakeholders-from bedside nurses to system executives to national media.
• Bring a strong understanding of healthcare, business, and academic environments to frame messaging that drives reputation, recruitment, and results.

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Chief Nurse Executive (CNE) and other senior NPCS leaders, helping them articulate vision, voice, and leadership priorities across all platforms.
• Draft executive speeches, presentations, op-eds, talking points, and leadership messages.
• Develop and manage an executive visibility strategy including media outreach, conference speaking, and high-profile recognition opportunities.
• Ensure leadership communication reflects Duke's values and positions nursing as a driver of transformation and innovation.

• Lead surround-sound storytelling that ensures key messages are amplified across all internal and external channels-including intranet, email, town halls, social media, press releases, events, and digital content.
• Drive narrative consistency and timing across platforms to maximize engagement and impact.
• Coordinate with DUHS and Duke University communications teams to maintain message alignment and capitalize on enterprise-wide campaigns or national moments.

• Oversee development of strategic content for internal and external audiences, including newsletters, publications, digital messaging, video scripts, and social content.
• Lead brand voice for the division, ensuring content is engaging, inclusive, and aligned with Duke's standards.
• Champion best practices in health literacy, inclusive language, and audience engagement.

• Create communication strategies that drive employee engagement, team alignment, and culture-building within the NPCS workforce.
• Lead campaigns that connect staff to purpose, celebrate excellence, and reinforce organizational priorities like DEI, well-being, and patient-centered care.
• Provide messaging and change communication support for strategic initiatives, HR priorities, and operational updates.

• Act as a bridge between Nursing, DUHS Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, and other stakeholder groups to ensure consistent messaging and strategic alignment.
• Serve as a key partner to academic leadership within the Duke University School of Nursing.
• Build relationships with media, vendors, associations, and agencies to support storytelling and content development.

• Supervise communications staff and/or agency partners, fostering a high-performance team culture.
• Use data to assess campaign performance, track KPIs, and optimize strategy based on impact.
• Manage tools, templates, and workflows that support scalable and repeatable communications success.

Education:
Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, business, or healthcare administration required.
Master's degree strongly preferred.

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic communications, executive visibility, or brand leadership.
• Experience in a healthcare, academic medical center, or large matrixed organization preferred.
• Demonstrated success in both internal and external communications strategy.
• Corporate or agency experience is strongly preferred, especially in high-stakes or executive-level environments.
• Track record of advising senior leaders, crafting high-impact messaging, and building communications plans that drive business outcomes.

• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect communications to broader organizational goals.
• Mastery of executive messaging, speechwriting, and thought leadership.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional campaigns and multi-platform storytelling.
• Sophisticated understanding of content strategy, employee engagement, and reputation management.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity, shifting priorities, and multiple stakeholders.
• Collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven with high emotional intelligence.

This is a transformational leadership role for a seasoned communications strategist who understands the power of storytelling in driving visibility, engagement, and outcomes. The ideal candidate brings executive-level judgment, corporate-level polish, and a deep understanding of healthcare culture. They will play a vital role in connecting Duke Nursing's story to the broader impact Duke Health makes on the world.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends onthe robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.