Houston Dose
Position Summary
The Director, Media Relations leads Empower Pharmacy’s earned media strategy, positioning the company as a trusted authority in personalized and compounded medicine. This director-level role is responsible for building Empower’s reputation, shaping narratives, and managing relationships with national, trade, and local media across healthcare, business, technology, trade, and policy outlets.
Reporting to the Vice President, Corporate Communications, this role serves as Empower’s primary steward of earned media, proactive storytelling, and issues management. The Director combines strategic counsel, strong editorial judgment, and a deep understanding of healthcare communications risk to ensure Empower’s voice is credible, accurate, and impactful in a highly regulated environment.
As a key member of the communications team, the Director partners closely with executive leadership, legal, compliance, clinical, marketing, and internal communications teams to ensure consistent narratives across earned, owned, and internal channels while protecting and strengthening Empower’s reputation.
Duties and Responsibilities
Develops and executes a comprehensive media relations strategy that advances Empower’s brand, mission, and business priorities across earned media channels.
Serves as the primary media strategist and spokesperson advisor, shaping narratives, messaging frameworks, and story angles that position Empower as a leader in personalized and compounded medicine.
Builds and maintains strong relationships with key national, trade, healthcare, policy, and business journalists, editors, and producers.
Leads proactive media pitching, thought leadership placement, and announcement strategies, including corporate news, executive visibility, innovation stories, and industry commentary.
Oversees reactive media inquiries, issues management, and crisis communications, partnering closely with legal, compliance, and executive leadership to manage risk and protect Empower’s reputation.
Develops and maintains media playbooks, spokesperson guidelines, crisis response frameworks, and escalation protocols.
Collaborates closely with content, social, internal communications, marketing, and clinical teams to ensure consistent narratives across earned, owned, and internal channels.
Uses media monitoring, analytics, and AI-enabled tools to track coverage, sentiment, message pull-through, and competitive positioning, translating insights into strategic recommendations for leadership.
Prepares executives for media engagements through briefing materials, message development, and interview coaching.
Manages agency partners as needed, setting clear objectives, performance expectations, and accountability standards.
While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to remain in a stationary position for a significant amount of the workday and frequently use their hands and fingers to handle or feel in order to access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee is regularly required to move about the office and around the corporate campus. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
Knowledge and Skills
Proven track record of securing high-quality earned media and managing complex narratives in regulated or high-scrutiny environments.
Strong understanding of healthcare compliance, claims sensitivity, misinformation risk, and regulatory considerations in public communications.
Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific or technical topics into clear, accurate narratives.
Experience leveraging media monitoring platforms, analytics tools, and AI-powered insights to inform strategy and measure impact.
Demonstrated ability to counsel senior leaders and operate effectively in fast-moving, high-stakes situations.
Key Competencies
Strategic Thinking: Sees media relations as a long-term reputation- and trust-building function.
Judgment and Composure: Exercises sound judgment under pressure and maintain credibility in sensitive situations.
Influence and Executive Presence: Provides confident counsel to senior leaders and represents Empower with authority and clarity.
Collaboration: Works effectively across communications, legal, marketing, analytics, and business teams.
Manages Complexity: Navigates nuanced regulatory, scientific, and reputational considerations with precision.
Ensures Accountability: Sets clear expectations, measures outcomes, and holds self and partners accountable.
Communicates Effectively: Delivers clear, compelling messaging tailored to diverse audiences and media contexts.
Values
People: Our people define who we are as a company, and we believe that understanding and addressing the needs of our team, clients, and community is fundamental to fostering a culture of support and growth.
Quality: Quality stands at the core of our mission, reflecting our commitment to excellence in every medication we produce.
Service: We are here to serve others. Every interaction with our patients, providers, employees and other stakeholders comes from a place of service.
Innovation: By continuously exploring new methodologies and embracing technology, we ensure that every solution we offer is at the forefront of pharmaceutical care.
Experience And Qualifications
Minimum of 10 years of experience in media relations, public relations, or strategic communications, with at least 5 years of experience in healthcare public relations, either in-house or agency.
Required experience leading crisis management in healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or another highly regulated industry.
Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
Benefits We offer comprehensive benefits to support your health, well-being, and future, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, 401(k) matching, wellness perks, IV therapy, and compounded medications. Learn more: https://careers.empowerpharmacy.com/benefits/
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Reporting to the Vice President, Corporate Communications, this role serves as Empower’s primary steward of earned media, proactive storytelling, and issues management. The Director combines strategic counsel, strong editorial judgment, and a deep understanding of healthcare communications risk to ensure Empower’s voice is credible, accurate, and impactful in a highly regulated environment.
As a key member of the communications team, the Director partners closely with executive leadership, legal, compliance, clinical, marketing, and internal communications teams to ensure consistent narratives across earned, owned, and internal channels while protecting and strengthening Empower’s reputation.
Duties and Responsibilities
Develops and executes a comprehensive media relations strategy that advances Empower’s brand, mission, and business priorities across earned media channels.
Serves as the primary media strategist and spokesperson advisor, shaping narratives, messaging frameworks, and story angles that position Empower as a leader in personalized and compounded medicine.
Builds and maintains strong relationships with key national, trade, healthcare, policy, and business journalists, editors, and producers.
Leads proactive media pitching, thought leadership placement, and announcement strategies, including corporate news, executive visibility, innovation stories, and industry commentary.
Oversees reactive media inquiries, issues management, and crisis communications, partnering closely with legal, compliance, and executive leadership to manage risk and protect Empower’s reputation.
Develops and maintains media playbooks, spokesperson guidelines, crisis response frameworks, and escalation protocols.
Collaborates closely with content, social, internal communications, marketing, and clinical teams to ensure consistent narratives across earned, owned, and internal channels.
Uses media monitoring, analytics, and AI-enabled tools to track coverage, sentiment, message pull-through, and competitive positioning, translating insights into strategic recommendations for leadership.
Prepares executives for media engagements through briefing materials, message development, and interview coaching.
Manages agency partners as needed, setting clear objectives, performance expectations, and accountability standards.
While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to remain in a stationary position for a significant amount of the workday and frequently use their hands and fingers to handle or feel in order to access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee is regularly required to move about the office and around the corporate campus. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
Knowledge and Skills
Proven track record of securing high-quality earned media and managing complex narratives in regulated or high-scrutiny environments.
Strong understanding of healthcare compliance, claims sensitivity, misinformation risk, and regulatory considerations in public communications.
Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific or technical topics into clear, accurate narratives.
Experience leveraging media monitoring platforms, analytics tools, and AI-powered insights to inform strategy and measure impact.
Demonstrated ability to counsel senior leaders and operate effectively in fast-moving, high-stakes situations.
Key Competencies
Strategic Thinking: Sees media relations as a long-term reputation- and trust-building function.
Judgment and Composure: Exercises sound judgment under pressure and maintain credibility in sensitive situations.
Influence and Executive Presence: Provides confident counsel to senior leaders and represents Empower with authority and clarity.
Collaboration: Works effectively across communications, legal, marketing, analytics, and business teams.
Manages Complexity: Navigates nuanced regulatory, scientific, and reputational considerations with precision.
Ensures Accountability: Sets clear expectations, measures outcomes, and holds self and partners accountable.
Communicates Effectively: Delivers clear, compelling messaging tailored to diverse audiences and media contexts.
Values
People: Our people define who we are as a company, and we believe that understanding and addressing the needs of our team, clients, and community is fundamental to fostering a culture of support and growth.
Quality: Quality stands at the core of our mission, reflecting our commitment to excellence in every medication we produce.
Service: We are here to serve others. Every interaction with our patients, providers, employees and other stakeholders comes from a place of service.
Innovation: By continuously exploring new methodologies and embracing technology, we ensure that every solution we offer is at the forefront of pharmaceutical care.
Experience And Qualifications
Minimum of 10 years of experience in media relations, public relations, or strategic communications, with at least 5 years of experience in healthcare public relations, either in-house or agency.
Required experience leading crisis management in healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or another highly regulated industry.
Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
Benefits We offer comprehensive benefits to support your health, well-being, and future, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, 401(k) matching, wellness perks, IV therapy, and compounded medications. Learn more: https://careers.empowerpharmacy.com/benefits/
#J-18808-Ljbffr