Carex is partnering with a healthtech startup partner to hire a VP of Communications based in Washington, DC. This is a hybrid role requiring two days per week in the DC office, and we are seeking candidates with experience working in a healthtech startup environment. This senior leadership role will shape the company narrative, build the CEO’s thought leadership platform, and establish Behavioral Intelligence as a recognized category across healthcare, technology, policy, and research audiences. The VP of Communications will build and lead the communications function while remaining highly hands-on. This individual will set communications strategy while personally developing pitches, op-eds, executive messaging, media materials, and other high-impact content. The role will work closely with senior leadership, research and behavioral science teams, and product marketing to ensure company and product narratives remain aligned.
What You'll Do
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Own and evolve the company-level narrative, messaging, and voice as the organization grows.
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Lead the communications strategy for establishing Behavioral Intelligence as a distinct category and positioning the organization as a reference point in the space.
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Ensure consistent messaging across teams, channels, and spokespeople, providing stakeholders with current messaging and communications materials.
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Partner closely with product marketing to ensure product positioning supports and reinforces the broader company narrative.
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Build and execute a thought leadership strategy for the CEO and senior executives across bylines, op-eds, keynotes, podcasts, panels, social media, and other high-impact opportunities.
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Develop compelling executive perspectives on healthcare, AI, human behavior, and other relevant industry issues.
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Prepare executives for interviews and speaking engagements through talking points, briefing documents, key messages, and media training.
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Partner with research, program, and behavioral science leaders to identify newsworthy findings and translate them into compelling communications.
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Turn complex research, behavioral findings, and data into clear, accurate stories for media, social channels, conferences, executives, and other stakeholders.
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Develop summaries and communications materials that make technical findings accessible to executive and board-level audiences.
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Build and execute a proactive earned media strategy spanning healthcare trade and business press, AI and technology media, health policy outlets, and mainstream health media.
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Develop story angles, pitch journalists, draft press releases, and cultivate strong relationships with relevant reporters.
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Monitor the news cycle and identify timely opportunities to contribute data, research, and expert perspectives to public conversations.
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Support leadership communications with partners and other key stakeholders.
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Set the strategy for corporate and CEO social media channels and oversee content designed to strengthen engagement and increase visibility.
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Advise on company-level website and owned-channel content in partnership with marketing.
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Identify high-value conferences, speaking engagements, and other external opportunities and develop supporting content.
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Build the communications function from the ground up, balancing long-term strategy with hands-on execution.
What You'll Bring
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10+ years of communications experience, including senior-level responsibility for earned media, executive thought leadership, and corporate narrative.
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Experience working in a healthtech startup environment, with an understanding of the pace, ambiguity, and hands-on nature of a scaling organization.
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Experience in digital health, health data, AI, or a closely related field strongly preferred.
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Demonstrated success building, evolving, or repositioning a company narrative, ideally including experience establishing a new market category.
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A strong track record of securing meaningful earned media coverage across healthcare trade and business publications as well as health, policy, and technology outlets.
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Established relationships with relevant journalists are a strong plus.
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Experience developing a CEO or senior executive thought leadership platform and preparing leaders for high-stakes media and speaking engagements.
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Exceptional ability to translate technical, research-heavy, and data-driven information into compelling and accessible stories without sacrificing accuracy.
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Strong commitment to evidence-based communications, including validating statistics, sourcing claims, and maintaining accuracy across materials.
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Experience with issues management or crisis communications, ideally involving AI, data privacy, healthcare, or other sensitive topics.
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Exceptional writing and editing skills with the ability to maintain a clear, consistent, mission-driven voice across media, executive, stakeholder, and public-facing communications.
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Ability to collaborate effectively and iteratively with subject-matter experts across research, product, behavioral science, and leadership teams.
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Genuine interest in improving health outcomes; interest or experience in maternal health, women’s health, or youth mental health is a plus.
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Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, mission-driven startup environment while operating as both a strategic leader and hands-on communications practitioner.
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Ability to work a hybrid schedule with two days per week in the Washington, DC office, with some travel as needed.
$185,000 – $205,000 base salary + ISOs. If the range doesn’t align with your needs, please still apply! Carex values transparency in all steps of the recruiting process. The range listed above is dependent on skills and experience as it relates to the role. New roles arise every day, and we want you to be the first to know when the right role pops up for you.
Carex Consulting Group is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.