About this Senior Director, External Communications & Thought Leadership role at Lyrahealth
About the Role:
Lyra Health, a leader in evidence-based mental health care, is looking for a senior, strategic communications professional to run external communications. In this role, you will oversee media relations, thought leadership, and corporate messaging. This is an exciting leadership opportunity to drive the communications engine of a mission-driven organization tackling one of the greatest problems of our time.
We need a cross-functional operator who excels at coordinating high-level strategy alongside senior stakeholders then thrives in on-the-ground execution. Because you will work closely with our leadership team, it is imperative that you can build trust quickly with executives, drive alignment across functions, and master nuanced, effective messaging. You will help Lyra clearly articulate how its commitment to clinical rigor, following the science, and responsible innovation sets it apart to deliver the best care possible.
You will report to the VP of Communications and Corporate Affairs, working with a collaborative team to help connect the dots across brand, corporate affairs, executive communications, marketing, and multiple business verticals. Part of this role will be building out the platforms of our clinical experts, so a background in the health sector and understanding of evidence-based mental health care is preferred.
Responsibilities
Strategy & Execution: Create and execute communication plans in close partnership with the executive team while guiding the broad strategic communication plan and narrative for the company.
Executive Support: Act as a trusted partner to executives, preparing and coaching spokespeople for media interviews, speeches, and internal events.
Storytelling: Build corporate messaging, themes, and storylines that increase brand awareness and protect our reputation.
Thought Leadership: Drive thought leadership programs, particularly for our clinical team, that resonate deeply with our customers, members, and partners.
Content Creation: Write and oversee original content, including press releases, bylined articles and presentations.
Media & Analyst Relations: Establish and maintain strong relationships with key media outlets and industry analysts.
Operations & Metrics: Establish clear communication processes to help our teams work more effectively, and measure program impact to refine our ongoing strategy.
Talent Development: Manage and develop the media relations and executive communications teams.
Qualifications
Experience: 15+ years of communications experience including media relations and executive communications, preferably with a background in health care
Network building: Track record of building and maintaining a network of external media relationships and internal trust among executives
The "Strategic Doer" Mindset: A proven ability to think critically about big-picture strategy while remaining highly hands-on with execution.
Executive Presence: Strong emotional intelligence and a rapid grasp of nuance, allowing you to earn trust with senior leaders.
Clear Communication: Exceptional writing skills and a talent for turning complex, technical, or sensitive topics into clear, compelling stories.
Industry Track Record: Experience building successful thought leadership programs, preferably within the technology or healthcare sectors.
Agility: The organizational skills to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and thrive in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.
Collaboration: A culturally responsive approach to communication and a history of working well across different internal departments.
