City : CAN-ON-Ontario

Category : Communications

Industry : Civil and Social Organizations

Employer : Canadian Red Cross

Title: Director - Communications

Employee Working Location: Remote/Virtual (Ontario,Canada)

Employment status: Permanent full time

Salary band: $88,688- $110,860 / year

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) – one of the most inspirational not-for-profit organizations on this planet and an awardee on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers 2022 - is seeking a Director - Communications to join our Communications team.

We are guided by our Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. We help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience.

Starting with the hiring process, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment where everyone can reach their full potential. We encourage all qualified persons who share our values and want to contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace to apply.

The incumbent will be working with the Senior Director, Corporate Communications and the Vice President for Ontario, the Director, Communications, Ontario is responsible for developing, directing and executing external communications strategy in support of Canadian Red Cross operations in Ontario, as well as support of external communications priorities within a national scope.

In this role, you will:

Responsibility 1. Strategic Communication Planning and Implementation    

• Leads the development and execution of communication strategies in support of strategic and operational priorities to further the positive reputation of the Canadian Red Cross in Ontario
• Leads Ontario based communications team. Manages, develops, and holds the team accountable to deliver results and to scale and grow their skills and impact
• Participates as a member of the Leadership Team in Ontario to keep the team informed of communication strategies, issues and priorities and provide communications advice
• Anticipates, mitigates and manages issues affecting the reputation of the organization, with various stakeholders including government, beneficiaries, internal/external clients, and the general public
• Leads or supports the development and execution of proactive and reactive strategies in consultation with the Senior Director, Corporate Communications, to manage reputational risk
• Leads the development and execution of proactive strategies to drive positive traditional media coverage, as well as further engagement via digital and social media
• Works closely and collaboratively with the Senior Director, Communications Media and is responsible for secondary markets outside GTA and smaller outlets within GTA
• Drives the development of timely and newsworthy content, relevant editor/producer pitches and social media content that are consistent with Red Cross objectives and brand voice
• Oversees the creation and dissemination of messaging to support media requests as well as development and training of Society spokespeople
• Acts as a spokesperson for the Society when appropriate
• Leads the planning and execution of media events targeted at key stakeholders such as news conferences, media tours, and ceremonies
• Plays a lead role in branded social media channels and where appropriate, incorporates digital/social tactics in overall strategy to engage with media, stakeholders and new audiences
• Liaises with provincial and municipal government communications counterparts to ensure the alignment of public messaging of Red Cross work, as needed
• Provides leadership to the Ontario communication team and national digital team on identifying and developing integrated strategies
• Oversees internal stakeholder engagement in Ontario, including employees, volunteers and advisory committees, and provides support to national internal communications lead as needed

Responsibility 2: Emergency Communications  

• During a provincial disaster response, acts as Provincial Disaster Communications Team (PDCT) Lead in developing and disseminating appeal messaging and other communications tools to deliver accurate public information in a timely fashion
• Provides strategic communications guidance and support to the Provincial Operations team with communications requirements, as required, including all aspects of reactive and proactive media relations
• In collaboration with the Senior Director, Communications, Operations, provides support for emergency response operations on-site or remotely for crisis management, content gathering, high level field visits, communications training, media relations, as required 

What we are looking for: 

• University degree in Communications, English, Public Relations, Journalism or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum 10 years experience in public relations/communications
• Established and relevant media relationships, particularly in the Ontario market, a definite asset
• Experience in strategic communications, issues management
• Experience adapting effectively to change in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience providing strategic communications advice to senior leaders
• Comprehensive understanding of the needs and workings of TV, print, on-line and radio media on national, regional and local levels
• Demonstrated experience in meeting tight deadlines and balancing multiple priorities simultaneously, while executing against key deliverables with excellence
• Strong understanding of current and emerging social media channels and the relevance of digital/social channels to media and stakeholder relations
• Understanding of Indigenous audiences and relationships
• Exceptional presentation skills.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Strong skills of persuasion.
• A “team player” who can lead by example, with high accountability for his/her actions.
• Outstanding judgment, with a balance of confidence, maturity, professionalism, and high energy.
• Ability to handle highly confidential and sensitive information.

  Working Conditions:

• Ability to work non-traditional and longer hours, often on short notice, especially during times of emergency response
• Ability to assume on-call duties on a periodic basis outside of business hours; regular participation in National/Ontario Media Line schedule and available to provide coverage for provincial media and surge capacity in emergencies
• Eligibility to work in Canada: At this time, we welcome applications from candidates eligible to work in Canada. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, we encourage you to carefully review your visa to find out whether you are eligible to work in the job you are considering applying for. Refer to our FAQ for more information.
• If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC).
• At this time, the CRC has temporarily suspended our Covid-19 vaccination policy and does not require but continues to strongly encourage full vaccination of all our personnel.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible - those who apply after the selection process has started may be held for a second review if needed OR reviewed for alternative roles. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to apply and thank you in advance.

If you require accommodation measures during any phase of the hiring process, please notify us as soon as possible. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential. 

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