The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), located in Alexandria, VA, is the leading organization of scientists and health care professionals committed to preventing and curing liver disease. They are seeking a Vice President of Marketing & Communications to provide strategic vision, leadership, and oversight of all communications, marketing, public relations, and brand management to support AASLD’s mission. This position is remote with regular travel to AASLD headquarters required. AASLD offers a competitive benefits package, including a 35-hour workweek and generous vacation/holiday leave. As a prospective and/or new employee, you will be required to comply with the association’s vaccination protocol.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Vice President of Marketing & Communications oversees, manages, and translates AASLD’s strategic plan into operational priorities and goals for the association’s marketing and communications programs. This position is responsible for meeting these goals by engaging and motivating staff through accountability, supported by clear metrics and timelines. The Vice President also keeps staff directed and focused on serving members, delivering on revenue objectives, and the mission of the association.

The Vice President is responsible for the brand management of key assets including AASLD, AASLD Foundation, the annual meeting, scientific journals, and the AASLD family of websites to elevate the market position of the association. This position fosters a growth mindset and drives new market development through market intelligence, including market segmentation for membership, annual meeting, and other AASLD products and services. The Vice President oversees multichannel communications strategies, with a focus on digital and outreach to external audiences including the scientific media, consumer media, and other stakeholders.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

Provide strategic vision, leadership, and oversight of all communications, marketing, public relations, and brand management to support AASLD’s mission.
Work collaboratively with executive and senior leadership to ensure communications, marketing, and membership programs build, sustain, and support AASLD’s strategic plan.
Contribute to the development of AASLD’s strategic plan and work plans, as well as the overall leadership and management of the organization.
Serve as AASLD’s primary point of contact with the media.

Team Management (Human Resources)

Build, manage and mentor a team of dedicated marketing professionals.
Effectively manage a high performing staff team responsible for AASLD meetings programs.
Serve as a strategic advisor to the AASLD CEO on personnel matters related to the association.

Budget

Oversee the annual marketing and communications budget development processes.
Monitor and manage the organization’s resources within budget parameters.

Marketing

Maintain responsibility for the organization’s marketing, branding, media and promotion, market research, issues management, crisis communication, and marketing-related customer relationship and engagement activities.
Conduct environmental assessments and build out new marketing processes that sync across the organization and with the strategic plan.
Provide process transparency through timely and complete communication and engagement with other executive team members and appropriate staff.

Communications

Oversee the design and implementation of strategic communications plans, processes, and products including message development, editorial content, digital and video production, graphics and data visualization, web content, and social media.
Develop and maintain a crisis communication plan; lead responses to crisis situations and evaluate to create future strategies.
Provide guidance to other departments, the leadership team, and board members on effective communication strategies that include effective talking points, speeches, press releases, and presentations to ensure there is a consistent message for AASLD.

Public Relations

Oversee all public and media relations.
Develop and implement a public relations strategy that increases positive exposure for the organization and its programs and initiatives.
Maintain existing relationships and cultivate new ones with relevant journalists, editorial boards, and other appropriate outlets to generate broader coverage of AASLD’s mission, programs, and priorities.
Facilitate media interviews with appropriate spokespersons and prepare appropriate briefing memoranda, talking points, and Q&A documents.
Manage the development and execution of all public relations campaigns.
Refine core messaging to ensure organizational consistency in all aspects of communication including development, organizing, and education.

Senior Leadership Team

Serve as a key member of the AASLD Senior Leadership Team, managing the success of AASLD towards the goals, objectives, and metrics of the strategic plan.
Provide staff leadership in advancing the association’s staff culture and accountability.
Support and drive AASLD’s goals around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Other

Serve as the staff liaison to the Governing Board’s Communications and Technology Committee.
Up to 20% travel that includes meetings, team development, and headquarters visits.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Strong leadership skills
Ability to communicate complex information effectively in writing to all levels of staff, management, and external audiences
Skill and expertise in forming and maintaining external partnerships and networks
Outstanding communication, public speaking, and advocacy skills
Ability to act as the company spokesperson, as needed
Demonstrated success in crafting a substantive and cohesive set of messages that have been successfully communicated to key audiences and resulted in a measurable difference (e.g., elevated profile, broader visibility, increased funding or donor support) to the organization
Excellent writing and editing abilities with extensive experience in all forms of corporate and executive communication, from corporate news releases to executive talking points
Ability to lead and manage change in a positive and inclusive manner, working effectively with a diverse membership
Excellent organizational and project management skills, with expertise in working under and meeting tight deadlines while managing multiple projects simultaneously
Ability to exhibit and implement project management best practices
Proven management skills in establishing a team- and goal-oriented environment that empowers staff, fosters professional development, and celebrates achievements
Ability to lead by example, bringing out the best in team members and yielding pride, ownership, and a sense of team effort
High-level interpersonal skills and the ability to work with staff and volunteers at all levels
Ability to travel up to 20%

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in marketing, communications, business, or related field
Minimum of 10 years in a senior management role, including progressive experience in marketing and communications
Association marketing experience, including experience marketing the full suite of association products, with a particular focus on events
Proven experience in the design and execution of marketing, communications, and public relations activities
Experience servicing as a company spokesperson
Experience with and strong understanding of research methodologies, analytics tools, and marketing optimization
Experience with performance management
Experience in developing and managing budgets
Demonstrated record of translating strategic thinking into action plans into results
Knowledge of and experience with digital marketing, social media, and content marketing
Broad understanding and willingness to stay abreast of digital and traditional technologies, applications, and processes
Proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and marketing and communications tools (e.g., web content management systems, analytics tools, social media tools, and other key communication metrics and tools)

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Advanced degree
CAE

HOW TO APPLY

If you believe you meet the requirements, please submit a resume, cover letter, and two writing samples to the Apply button below.

Salary range: $162,400 - $203,000

Additional inquiries and questions can be emailed to Beth Cessna at jobs@cessnasearch.com or contact 202-232-1765.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF LIVER DISEASES (AASLD)

AASLD is the leading organization of scientists and health care professionals committed to preventing and curing liver disease. The organization fosters research that leads to improved treatment options for millions of liver disease patients and advances the science and practice of hepatology through educational conferences, training programs, professional publications, and partnerships with government agencies and sister societies.

AASLD recognizes that each employee’s experiences and perspectives are unique and add value to its ability to serve the membership and community. AASLD is committed to building a fully inclusive, collaborative, and respectful workplace that reflects all the communities it serves. The organization offers a competitive benefits package, including a 35-hour workweek, generous vacation/holiday leave, and retirement contribution.

AASLD is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

AASLD requires prospective and/or new employees to comply with the association’s vaccination protocol.

ABOUT CESSNA & ASSOCIATES, LLC

Cessna & Associates, LLC is a boutique HR consultancy partnering with mission-driven nonprofit organizations. Our goal is to identify the best potential candidates that the market has to offer.

The Power of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fuels Success

Cessna & Associates embraces and celebrates the strength that diversity brings to our organization. Just as we are deliberate in our own pursuit of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, our efforts support our clients' DEI success. We drive every search with an unyielding focus to create an even playing field for all candidates and assess their ability to be "culture adds," not merely "fits" for our clients. Our team builds and nurtures this rich tapestry of diversity for ourselves and for our clients.

Vice President, Marketing & Communicati...