Marketing and Communications Associate

The mission of Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) is to radically improve how Washington residents secure health insurance through innovative and practical solutions, an easy-to-use customer experience, our values of integrity, respect, equity and transparency, and by providing undeniable value to the health care community.

The Exchange is a public-private partnership that operates Washington Healthplanfinder, the eligibility and enrollment portal used by one in four Washington residents to obtain health and dental coverage. Through this platform, and with support from a Customer Support Center and statewide network of in-person navigators and brokers, individuals and families can shop, compare and enroll in private, qualified health plans (as defined in the Affordable Care Act) or enroll in Washington Apple Health, the state Medicaid program.

The Exchange embraces the following equity statement adopted by our Board of Directors:

Equity is fundamental to the mission of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. The process of advancing toward equity and becoming anti-racist is disruptive and demands vigilance to dismantle deeply entrenched systems of privilege and oppression. While systemic racism is a root cause of many societal inequities, we must also use an intersectional approach to address all forms of bias and oppression, which interact with and often exacerbate racial inequities. To be successful, we must recognize the socioeconomic drivers of health and focus on people and places where needs are greatest. As we listen to community, we must hold ourselves accountable to responding to recommendations to remedy inequitable policies, systems, or practices within the Exchange s area of influence. Our goal is that all Washingtonians have full and equal access to opportunities, power and resources to achieve their full potential.

SUMMARY

The Marketing and Communications Associate reports to the Associate Director of Digital Brand Marketing. They will support the work of the Communications department which includes marketing, strategic communications and internal communications. The Marketing and Communications Associate will be responsible for content management including posting to websites, social media, marketing emails, documents and asset management and internal communications resources. This is a project funded position with an anticipated end date of June 30th, 2027.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Internal communications support

• Communicate the Exchange’s mission and adhere to operating principles in internal communications.
• Meet with Communications leadership to identify internal communication needs, build trust and gather first-hand information to support and promote staff projects and successes.

Support web, SEO and content

• Update our websites’ content and campaign pages using a content management system (CMS). Apply search engine optimization (SEO) best practices to improve visibility.

Execute integrated campaigns

• Use a marketing mindset to spot story ideas, pitch ideas and develop persuasive messaging to support the Exchange’s work.
• Launch multi-channel campaigns across email, SMS, web and social media through coordinated timelines, assets and execution.
• Analyze, report and improve impact of multi-channel campaigns by tracking performance using dashboards and analytics tools.
• Create social media content that garners new customers and retains existing customers by dispelling misinformation.
• Respond to customers’ comments, complaints or questions on social media by providing online resources or connecting consumers to in-person assistance.

Media, legislative and outreach materials support

• Maintain press lists through updates and research of new reporters.
• Send press releases to media, external partners, staff and authorizing environment.
• Ensure materials are distributed and readily accessible on digital platforms and print.
• Support the Exchange's legislative and outreach priorities in partnership with subject matter experts on design and content.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications or related field (Note: Qualifying experience may substitute year-for-year of the education requirement).
• Two (2) years of experience providing customer service in professional or public-facing environments, including communicating clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Two (2) years of experience aligning campaign materials to be consistent and optimized across platforms.
• Two (2) years of experience with Google Analytics/Ads, Meta Ads or other analytics tools.
• Demonstrated experience communicating organizational mission, values and operating principles through internal communications, consistent with established guidelines and standards.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with leadership and/or project teams by using active listening and a team-oriented approach to gather information and support communication needs.
• Ability to build and maintain internal and external customer focus and respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner.
• Understanding of historical, current, and ongoing changes in the health care industry and barriers.
• Proficiency within content management systems.
• Experience with SEO optimizations.
• *Required education and experience may be gained concurrently.

Desired:

• Two (2) years of demonstrated experience creating and managing social media in a professional setting, including developing content to engage audiences and address or correct misinformation.
• Demonstrated experience identifying, developing and pitching relevant story ideas and persuasive messaging to engage diverse audiences.
• Strong writing skills including the ability to communicate clearly and at a 5th grade level, meeting the governor’s plain talk initiative.
• Experience maintaining professional contact lists, including researching and updating reporter or stakeholder information, with attention to detail and the ability to establish and maintain professional rapport.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating and distributing press releases or external communications to media, partners and internal audiences in accordance with established approval processes and guidelines.
• Demonstrated experience distributing and maintaining communications materials is accurate, accessible and up to date.
• Familiarity with the legislative process, state government and the budget process.
• Knowledge of Washington state media markets and landscape.
• The ability to communicate messages to different audiences with different needs.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

This position will be open until we find a suitable number of candidates to review. If interested, please submit an application with a cover letter as soon as possible. The Exchange reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time.

***Please note: A cover letter is a required component for this recruitment, please make sure to include one with your application.***

SALARY INFORMATION

Full Salary Range: $55,791.00 to $83,687.00 annually, with midpoint at $69,739.00.

Hiring Range: $64,160.00 and $69,739.00 annually. This is an estimate of where a qualified candidate can expect to receive an offer.

The actual salary offer will consider candidate experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and the market. Our compensation policy reserves the salary range above the midpoint for employees who are meeting and exceeding expectations and for growth and development, up to the maximum.

BENEFITS

Take a peek at our benefits package.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Core business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are times where irregular hours will be required. The preferred duty station is our Olympia, Washington headquarters. The nature of this role relies heavily on remote and in-person collaboration. While a hybrid remote and on-site schedule may be considered, the position will require flexibility to allow for in-office availability as business needs dictate. Travel requirements will be limited, however there may be occasions where an employee is required to travel and work irregular hours to attend meetings or trainings. Duties of this position require the use of standard office furniture and equipment, including setup for remote work. The employee is responsible for providing and maintaining a safe, ergonomic, and secure workspace at their remote location.

The working conditions and physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

A criminal background screen will be conducted for candidates under final consideration, and if hired, every five years of employment where highly sensitive data is processed or maintained by the position. The result of this background screen must meet the Exchange s eligibility standards.

OTHER INFORMATION

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills of personnel so classified.

This is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

We participate in E-Verify. You can view the Department of Justice's Right to Work poster here.