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The Innovation and Value Initiative Foundation

Director of Marketing & Communications

The Opportunity

The Innovation and Value Initiative Foundation, Inc. (IVI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing the science of value assessment in healthcare. Since its creation, IVI has focused its mission on improving the science and practice of value assessment in healthcare. IVI is a membership organization with both organization and individual members. Revenues for 2020 were in the $3.2 million range.

IVI is working to raise the level of discussion of value in healthcare and is also working to find common ground in approaches to measuring value through research, method development, scientific communication, and engagement. The U.S health system is diverse, complex, and ripe for innovation in the value space, and IVI is uniquely positioned to challenge outdated thinking and methodologies.

In support of this mission, IVI is seeking a Director of Marketing & Communications to provide overall strategic planning and oversight for the organization’s communications functions. This includes leading media response and outreach, website planning, social media strategies and goals, and multiple scientific communication projects. This role will enforce consistency in messaging and branding across all platforms and will also develop a future framework for growth.

While IVI is headquartered in Bethesda, MD, it has embraced a virtual staffing model from the start. As such, this position can be based anywhere in the continental U.S. Currently, staff are located throughout the country.

IVI: An Overview

Founded in late 2016 as a project by academics associated with Precision Health Economics, IVI sought to influence health economics and outcomes research thinkers, academics, and value assessors through policy papers, commentary, and events that made the case for novel approaches to value assessment methodologies. In 2018, IVI published its first Open-Source Value Project (OSVP) model addressing Rheumatoid Arthritis, the same year that it began to transition to a nonprofit entity. In August 2019, it was granted 501(c)(3) status, and funding transitioned from sponsorships to an organized membership program. An initial Board of Directors was appointed and helped establish organizational bylaws and policies. Since then, the organization has grown further in membership, has built out its professional staff, and has initiated collaborative research with external research partners. 

About IVI’s Members  

IVI’s membership is comprised of three groups:

  • Organizational members: These are both nonprofit and for-profit stakeholders with interest in value assessment. Sectors represented include payers, employers, providers, technology and life sciences organizations, researchers, foundations, academics, patients, and families.
  • Innovators Circle members: These are organizations and individuals that have made significant investments or founding contributions in the mission and vision of IVI.
  • Individual members: These are individual researchers, patient/family members, or policymakers who choose to participate as unaffiliated individuals.

About IVI’s Work

IVI’s mission is to advance the science and improve the practice of value assessment in healthcare. In pursuit of this goal, IVI designs, conducts, and disseminates research reflecting five principles:

  • Scientific rigor: IVI uses contemporary scientific methods to rigorously derive actionable insights directly from both clinical and real-world evidence.
  • Transparency: IVI develops open-source tools to promote value-based decision making in healthcare. To facilitate the evaluation and replication of its work, IVI publicly releases research methods, assumptions, results, and external reviews.
  • Patient-centricity: IVI engages patients as active participants in value assessments. Its research attends to diversity across patients in their clinical characteristics, preferences, and other circumstances.
  • Innovation: IVI examines how new treatment interventions and government policies affect the well-being of society and its stakeholders. IVI promotes approaches that rapidly incorporate the latest scientific evidence in a changing healthcare landscape.
  • Market-based solutions: IVI aims to promote better value-based decision making in a decentralized marketplace, not to use centralized authorities to mandate prices through bureaucratic processes.

Structure of IVI

IVI is led by a nine-member Board of Directors (Board), which sets the organization’s vision and direction and provides guidance to the Executive Director. A nine-member Patient Advisory Council advises the Board on matters of patient focus and transparency. A 10-member Scientific Advisory Panel helps set IVI research priorities, steers the research agenda in collaboration with scientific leadership, and provides guidance on ongoing research efforts.

The Director of Marketing & Communications Role

The Director of Marketing & Communications will report to the IVI Executive Director and lead the development and execution of IVI’s marketing and communications program. The director will manage internal and external teams and have broad oversight for setting and maintaining IVI’s messaging and branding standards.

Key Responsibilities

Program Management

  • Lead a partnership with the Executive Director and Chief Science Officer to develop and execute a sustainable marketing and communications plan for the organization, including the identification of key audiences, messages, and channels.
  • Align marketing and communication efforts with the company’s financial and branding goals.
  • Directly manage the internal Scientific Communications and website/content experts.
  • Manage relationship and set deliverables for contracted public affairs firm.
  • Manage the communications budget and vendor contracts.

Messaging and Branding

  • Partner with the Executive Director and Chief Science Officer to develop and deploy consistent messaging across all channels and platforms.
  • Develop new avenues for communicating IVI’s message and brand visually.
  • Draft press releases on IVI research and events.
  • Develop Sponsorship prospectus.
  • Draft policy and issue briefs on emerging issues or learnings across IVI workstreams.
  • Review, refine, and manage timelines, content, quality, and version control on products. intended for public release, including press releases, social media, commentaries, web content, research briefs, and full reports.
  • Conduct final review broadly with an eye for accuracy, alignment with messaging, and consistent application of IVI’s visual branding standards.

Health Policy

  • Work closely with the Executive Director and Chief Science Officer to develop and implement health policy objectives.
  • Cultivate and maintain professional relationships with government entities, public service groups, and other organizations that help further IVI’s interests.
  • Stay abreast of legislation (including pending) that would affect policy around value assessment.

Outreach and Other Support

  • Partnering with public affairs firm, develop press releases/pitches and maintain relevant press contacts for both earned media and commentaries.
  • Partnering with colleagues, strategize ideas for and development of content for webinars, as well as collateral materials to support them.
  • Partnering with Chief Science Officer and Director of Scientific Communications, develop and maintain conference attendance opportunities and evaluate and prioritize external publication and presentation opportunities; assist with development of presentations, as needed.
  • Provide responsive support for IVI’s research projects, membership development efforts, and fund development.

Assessment

  • Set goals and objectives aligned with IVIs strategy.
  • Assess IVI’s current marketing and communications portfolio and its effectiveness in supporting organizational objectives; identify and recommend changes and additions to the program.
  • Develop and maintain metrics tracking the impact of all marketing and communications efforts. Understand the strategies and tactics that product the best results in market.
  • Leverage insights from metrics to improve IVI’s brand and reach in the marketplace through increasingly effective marketing and communications campaigns.

Candidate Profile

Professional Qualifications

  • Graduate-level degree or comparable years of experience in communications.
  • At least 5 years of experience as the leader of a communications team or department; proven experience with developing communication programs and overseeing their implementations.
  • Experience with healthcare communications highly desired; a background in non-profit, patient organization, or scientific organization communications a plus.
  • Experience managing a communications program budget, as well as overseeing the work of external vendors.
  • Experience developing—and ensuring consistency with—organizational messaging and visual branding standards.
  • Experience developing and tracking metrics to measure communication program performance.
  • A background in government affairs or public policy communications highly desired.

Personal Qualities

  • An entrepreneurial mindset and approach.
  • A flexible, enthusiastic, efficient, and diplomatic self-starter.
  • A commitment to customer service, both internally and externally.

Able to work both independently and as part of a small team.

Compensation

A competitive compensation package will be offered to attract an outstanding candidate.

To Apply

To apply, please send a cover letter and current résumé (Microsoft Word® format preferred) to Sterling Martin Associates. The cover letter should outline how your experience fits the requirements of the position as this will be an important factor in considering your candidacy.

IVI is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer committed to inclusion and cultural diversity in the workplace. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other protected class.

Additional Information 

For more information, contact:

Sterling Martin Associates
1025 Connecticut Avenue | Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036

David S. Martin | Managing Partner
[email protected]
(202) 257-1627

Karen Lombardo | Vice President
[email protected]
(540) 751-9612