External Affairs Coordinator III

We are so glad you are interested in joining Sutter Health!

Organization:

SHSO-Sutter Health System Office-Valley

Position Overview:

Coordinates community benefit initiatives, employee volunteer programs, Community Benefit Inventory for Social Accountability (CBISA) reporting, and community advisory board agendas. Coordinates initiatives that address community health needs as identified in the Community Needs Assessment while providing support to community benefit programs. Aids in the execution of community health program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Initiates and builds strategic collaborative relationships and programs with departmental managers, directors, physician leaders, and representatives from community-based organizations in order to enhance the health of the communities served by Sutter Health and its regional affiliates.

Job Description:

External Affairs Operations – Coordinator

The External Affairs Operations Coordinator provides comprehensive operational, financial, project management, reporting, and administrative support across the Valley and Bay Divisions External Affairs teams. This position works across Government Affairs, Community Relations, Community Health, and sponsorships to manage budgets, coordinate projects, organize information, and improve processes that support the work of the External Affairs team.

The Coordinator will oversee External Affairs operating budgets with support from a bookkeeper, including processing payments, tracking expenses, reviewing monthly budget reports, and working closely with Finance and External Affairs leaders to ensure expenses are accurate and appropriately managed. The position will also support Community Health grant and investment reporting, sponsorship operations, employee volunteer activities, and the collection and organization of information across External Affairs.

Working across both the Valley and Bay Divisions, this position will partner closely with External Affairs leaders and operations colleagues to gather information, manage projects, improve processes, and develop clear reporting for leadership. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, comfortable managing multiple priorities, and able to build effective systems and processes in a fast-paced and evolving environment.

Key Responsibilities

External Affairs Operations and Budget Management

• Oversee the Valley and Bay Divisions External Affairs budgets with support from a bookkeeper.
• Process payments and invoices related to Community Health, sponsorships, community relations, Government Affairs, Together We Give, and other External Affairs expenses.
• Track expenses and commitments to ensure spending is accurate and aligned with approved budgets.
• Review monthly budget reports, identify discrepancies or issues, and work with External Affairs leaders and Finance to resolve them.
• Serve as a key point of contact with Finance on budget questions, payment processing, forecasting, and other financial matters.
• Convene regular budget and operations meetings to review spending, upcoming commitments, priorities, and outstanding items.
• Develop and maintain systems, trackers, and processes that provide greater visibility into External Affairs budgets and expenses.
• Support leaders in understanding budget performance and making informed decisions about resources.

External Affairs Reporting and Information Management

• Coordinate the collection of information from Government Affairs, Community Relations, Community Health, sponsorships, Together We Give, and other External Affairs teams to support quarterly External Affairs reporting.
• Work across the Valley and Bay Divisions and with External Affairs operations colleagues to gather key accomplishments, community impact, upcoming priorities, metrics, and other information.
• Develop clear and concise quarterly reports that highlight key External Affairs activities, accomplishments, partnerships, investments, and community impact.
• Create and maintain reporting templates and processes that make information gathering consistent and efficient across divisions.
• Ensure information is accurate, timely, and presented in a way that is useful to External Affairs and organizational leadership.
• Support development of presentations, dashboards, briefing materials, and other reports as needed.
• Identify opportunities to improve how External Affairs collects, organizes, and communicates information.

Community Health Operations and Grant Management

• Support accurate tracking and reporting of recommended and actual Community Health investments.
• Assist with maintaining accurate Community Health investment data across the Valley and Bay Divisions.
• Support the development, implementation, and ongoing management of a grants management system, including reporting and dashboard functions.
• Serve as an operational resource for the grants management system and help ensure processes are consistently followed.
• Coordinate grant-related information, documentation, approvals, payments, and reporting.
• Work with Community Health leaders and internal stakeholders to ensure grant information is complete, accurate, and available for reporting and decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to improve grant management processes, data quality, reporting, and efficiency.
• Support Community Health regulatory and organizational reporting requirements as needed.

Project Management and Process Improvement

• Provide project management support for External Affairs initiatives and cross-functional projects.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, trackers, dashboards, and other tools to support execution.
• Coordinate meetings, agendas, follow-up items, and key deliverables across multiple teams.
• Monitor project timelines and identify issues, dependencies, or opportunities that may affect successful execution.
• Develop and implement processes that improve consistency, efficiency, communication, and accountability across External Affairs.
• Identify opportunities to simplify work, eliminate duplication, and improve the way information and projects are managed.
• Support the implementation of new systems, tools, and processes across External Affairs.

Cross-Divisional Collaboration

• Work closely with External Affairs leaders and operations colleagues across the Valley and Bay Divisions to coordinate shared processes and priorities.
• Build strong working relationships with Government Affairs, Community Relations, Community Health, sponsorship, Finance, and other internal partners.
• Coordinate information and processes across teams while recognizing the different needs and priorities of each division.
• Serve as a reliable operational resource who helps connect people, information, and processes across External Affairs.

Scope of Work

This position operates with a high degree of organization and independence and serves as a key operational partner to External Affairs leaders across the Valley and Bay Divisions. The Coordinator will manage multiple priorities simultaneously and must be comfortable working across a broad range of functions, from budget management and reporting to project coordination, grants management, sponsorships, and employee engagement.

Success in this role requires strong project management skills, exceptional attention to detail, financial and organizational discipline, and the ability to build and maintain effective systems and processes. The Coordinator should be comfortable working with data and management systems, identifying gaps, solving problems, and bringing structure to complex or evolving work.

The position requires someone who is proactive, collaborative, and able to work effectively with leaders and colleagues across multiple teams and locations. The Coordinator should be able to take information from multiple sources, identify what is important, organize it clearly, and turn it into useful tools and reporting for leadership. The role is an important part of ensuring External Affairs operates efficiently, communicates effectively, and can demonstrate the impact of its work.

Desired Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience providing operational, project management, or administrative support in a complex organization.
• Strong project management experience, including the ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, and priorities simultaneously.
• Experience working with management systems, databases, reporting tools, or other technology platforms.
• Experience with budgeting, expense tracking, financial reporting, or similar financial operations.
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to gather, organize, analyze, and communicate information from multiple sources.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, cross-functional teams, and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to develop processes, create structure, and improve how work gets done.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and proactively identify and resolve issues.
• Experience in healthcare, community relations, government affairs, community benefit, philanthropy, sponsorships, or a related field is preferred.
  
  
  EDUCATION:
  Equivalent experience will be accepted in lieu of the required degree or diploma.
  
  Bachelor's in Healthcare Administration, Political Science, Public/Government Relations, Public Health, Public Policy, Social Work, or related field
  
  TYPICAL EXPERIENCE:

5 years recent relevant experience


SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

Advanced skills in partnership development with diverse community stakeholders.

Advanced knowledge of reviewing and interpreting population health data and information.

General knowledge of public and community relations, and event coordination.

Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Set priorities which accurately reflect the relative importance of job responsibilities and prioritize assignments to complete work in a timely manner.

Verbal and writing skills to effectively communicate with diverse groups such as: executives, managers, and subject matter experts.

Make presentations to persuade others to accept a specific opinion or action, or to provide information and instruction.

Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with audiences across all areas and levels within Sutter Health as well as external organizations.

Negotiate or exchange ideas, information, and opinions with others to formulate policies and programs and/or to arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions, or solutions.

Job Shift:

Days

Schedule:

Full Time

Days of the Week:

Monday - Friday

Weekend Requirements:

Occasionally

Benefits:

Yes

Unions:

No

Position Status:

Exempt

Weekly Hours:

40

Employee Status:

Regular

Sutter Health is an equal opportunity employer EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans.

Pay Range is $97,032.00 to $145,558.40 / annual salary

The compensation range may vary based on the geographic location where the position is filled. Total compensation considers multiple factors, including, but not limited to a candidate’s experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, departmental equity, training, and organizational needs. Base pay is only one component of Sutter Health’s comprehensive total rewards program. Eligible positions also include a comprehensive benefits package.

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