External Relations & Communications AVP

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Responsible for leading the organization’s external communications, executive communications, and public affairs strategy to strengthen corporate reputation, stakeholder trust, and enterprise positioning within a highly regulated healthcare environment. Responsible for overseeing external messaging, media relations, executive presentations, thought leadership initiatives, government and community relations, and strategic stakeholder engagement, ensuring a consistent and differentiated corporate voice across external audiences. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Leads the organization’s external communications, executive communications, and public affairs strategy, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities, regulatory requirements, and corporate reputation objectives within a highly regulated healthcare environment. • Serves as a strategic advisor to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) by developing executive messaging, presentations, briefing materials, talking points, and strategic communication frameworks for high-level initiatives and stakeholder engagements. • Directs media relations, public relations, crisis communications, and reputation management strategies to protect organizational credibility and ensure consistent, timely, and effective external messaging. • Leads public policy and external affairs communication efforts by monitoring legislative, regulatory, healthcare, and industry developments and translating insights into strategic communication initiatives and organizational positioning opportunities. • Establishes and maintains strategic relationships with government entities, industry associations, community organizations, media representatives, and external stakeholders to strengthen organizational visibility, influence, and stakeholder trust. • Ensures alignment between enterprise brand strategy, external communications, thought leadership initiatives, and corporate positioning across all external communication channels. • Monitors communication effectiveness, media coverage, reputation trends, and stakeholder engagement metrics to identify risks, opportunities, and continuous improvement initiatives that support enterprise objectives. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS: • Supervises, monitors, trains, evaluates, and corrects personnel among others to comply with his/her role as a supervisor, to assure that his/her personnel fulfill their work plan and comply with their essential functions and that they behave according to the policies, standards, norms, and procedures of the Company. • Must comply fully and consistently with all company policies and procedures, with local and federal laws as well as with the regulations applicable to our Industry, to maintain appropriate business and employment practices. • May carry out other duties and responsibilities as assigned, according to the requirements of education and experience contained in this document. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Education and Experience: Master’s Degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Public Affairs, Business Administration, or a related field required. Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in external communications, executive communications, public affairs, media relations, or corporate reputation management, preferably within healthcare, health insurance, or other regulated industries. Experience supporting executive leadership communications, public policy initiatives, and strategic stakeholder engagement is highly preferred. Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience required. OR Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Public Affairs, Business Administration, or a related field required. Minimum of nine (9) years of progressive experience in external communications, executive communications, public affairs, media relations, or corporate reputation management, preferably within healthcare, health insurance, or other regulated industries. Experience supporting executive leadership communications, public policy initiatives, and strategic stakeholder engagement is highly preferred. Minimum of four (4) years of supervisory or leadership experience required. “Proven experience may be replaced by previously established requirements.” Certifications / Licenses: Puerto Rico Public Relations License preferred. Other: N/A Languages: Spanish – Advanced (comprehensive, writing and verbal) English – Advanced (comprehensive, writing and verbal)