Chief, Strategic Communications

Chief, Strategic Communications
Policy and Public Affairs Division
Full-Time Permanent

The Position

The Chief, Strategic Communications will report to the Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs, but will work closely with the President & CEO.  In addition, this position will collaborate with and advise senior leadership across the OHA and Board members. This new role is being created to provide integrated and proactive leadership for a broad range of communications activities: external and internal corporate communications, graphic design and brand promotions, member communications, as well as ensuring alignment with government relations and advocacy strategies.  The successful candidate will lead a team of approximately 6-8 people.

The primary responsibilities for the Chief, Strategic Communications are:

• Integrate and elevate the OHA’s corporate communications. The position will lead the creation of a new corporate communications department responsible for all related activities, including media relations, issues management, social and digital media, graphic design and brand promotions, and internal communications. Through the integration and expansion of the OHA’s corporate communications activities, the Chief, Strategic Communications will help to grow the OHA’s brand and reputation with its key audiences: member institutions, government policymakers and health system stakeholders.  Related, the Chief, Strategic Communications will be accountable for ensuring the highest possible standard of the OHA’s communications.

This is a new position that will bring together team members from two different parts of the organization.  The new team will support every division in the organization including the President & CEO, Policy and Public Affairs, Learning and Engagement, Labour Relations and Business Planning and Strategy.

Further, the successful candidate is responsible for developing an ambitious strategic corporate communications plan that will articulate clear objectives, strategies to achieve those objectives and performance metrics to ensure accountability.

• Enhance the OHA’s social and digital media impact. New, innovative approaches are required to connect the OHA’s audiences, especially its members, with the organization’s significant amount of rich content. The Chief, Strategic Communications will lead the integration and a comprehensive expansion of the OHA’s capabilities in this regard, developing comprehensive and leading-edge digital communications and social media strategies. A key deliverable for this role will be to enhance the OHA’s capabilities on a variety of social media channels and develop an associated proprietary digital platform that will become the information hub for the OHA and its members.
• Drive uptake of OHA thought leadership. The OHA aspires to be a leader in shaping the dialogue around the future of health care to support its members, strengthen its organizational brand and improve health care in Ontario. To that end, the OHA’s Strategic Plan commits the organization to leading a bold, future-focused discussion on what the “hospital of the future” will look like.  The Chief, Strategic Communications will be responsible for developing breakthrough communications to ensure that the ideas the OHA and its partners develop have impact with key audiences.
• Help build upon the OHA’s strength in government relations. The Chief, Strategic Communications will support the OHA’s ongoing excellence in government relations by providing leadership to ensure that government relations is integrated and fully aligned with corporate and strategic communications.

The Candidate

This is a role for an accomplished strategic communications professional.  The successful candidate will have proven him/herself capable of providing candid but diplomatic insights and recommendations to senior leadership, including the President & CEO and Board members.  Experience in the health care sector or at a large professional association is preferred.

The Chief, Strategic Communications will be a very strong people manager, experienced in all relevant forms of communications, politically sophisticated and a team-player.

He/she will have the following aptitudes:

• Strategic communications expertise. The successful candidate will have significant experience in many aspects of modern corporate communications including: media relations, brand marketing, digital communication and social media. The Chief, Strategic Communications will be a strategic thinker, capable of organizing resources to achieve communications goals.  A strong communicator, he/she will be able to lead the growth of the organization’s communications efforts through collaboration with leadership, staff and members and by navigating the complexities of health care policy and hospital operations.
• Experience in regulated environments. The Chief, Strategic Communications will have experience working with government, including knowledge of Ontario politics and policy development.  Supporting team members and senior leaders across the OHA, the successful candidate will ensure the integration of advocacy and communication strategies.
• A trusted advisor to senior executives. The successful candidate will have a track record of building respectful and honest relationships with other senior executives and Board members to improve organizations’ overall public reputation.  He/she will be consultative while also being comfortable as the senior leader responsible for the timing, means and substance of the OHA’s corporate communications.
• Excellent people manager. The successful candidate will have proven talent at building and developing collaborative, high-performing teams capable of partnering across the organization.  He/she will have mentored teams and coached individuals to achieve and improve levels of performance and will also be adept at assessing, hiring and developing staff.

The Ontario Hospital Association

The OHA is a not-for-profit Association. Our purpose is serving Ontario’s hospital to build a better health system. At the OHA, our members are at the heart of everything we do. Through advocacy, learning and engagement, labour relations and improved access to data and analytics, the OHA is enhancing the direct services it provides to members.

Interested in helping the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) build a better health system?

We can offer you a fulfilling role, an inspiring and creative place to work, and the chance to change the health care system (for the better) – and oh yeah, have a lot of fun in the process.  As you may know, employee engagement is key in the success of any business, and the OHA is proud of our 98 percent employee engagement rate.

Need more proof the OHA is a great place to work? Well, how about this… we’ve been recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Canada, five times, as well as Best Workplaces in Canada for Women.

In serving Ontario’s hospitals to build a better health system, the OHA is a dynamic organization offering innovative education, tools, and practices that enable people to deliver effective, safe and efficient health care. For more information visit www.oha.com.

To Apply:

Potential applicants are invited to submit a resume and covering letter by February 18th, 2018. To apply for this position, please visit the OHA Application Portal.

If contacted for an interview, please inform us should accommodation be required.