Director Of Communications And Public Affairs

Looking for a career opportunity with an established and reputable national organization that makes a real difference in women’s health, values its employees and offers a comprehensive total compensation package including a hybrid working from home program?

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) is one of Canada’s oldest national specialty organizations. Established in 1944, the Society’s mission is to lead the advancement of women’s health through excellence and collaborative professional practice.

The SOGC has over 4,000 members, comprised of obstetricians, gynaecologists, family physicians, nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals working in the field of sexual reproductive health.

Since 1944, the SOGC continues to be a leading national and international authority on women’s reproductive health and on evidence-based training and education. The SOGC leads the development of 12-17 clinical practice guidelines per year and hosts 3 regional continuing medical education meetings and an Annual Clinical and Scientific Conference. These events attract a diverse group of delegates that include women’s health care providers, researchers, educators and policy makers, who have the opportunity to network, learn and share information and ideas. These events also facilitate the identification of critical gaps in the field through needs assessments that inform future curricula and program development.

The SOGC has recently launched its own online e-learning platform, which hosts accredited interactive courses, including virtual communities of practice, for members and non-members around the world.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

As Director of Communications and Public Affairs, you are a champion for the SOGC’s efforts as the guiding voice for women’s sexual and reproductive health in Canada. You are a communications strategist experienced in media relations. You will be communicating with the public, our members, government and industry partners. You will be responsible for driving a comprehensive mix of marketing and communications programs in support of the SOGC’s vision, education programs, events and advocacy campaigns. An important aspect of your role will be to lead communication streams on key projects in support of the Society’s priorities.

You are a leader with a willingness to embrace change, adapt strategies on the fly and creatively pitch new ideas. You are detail-oriented, well organized and can prioritize competing, critical deadlines. You have highly developed analytical skills, and aptitude for complex problem solving. You are an experienced project manager who can develop operational plans, work plans, budgets, and forecasts. Inspired by the work of the SOGC, you will lead and mentor the communications team to be successful and bring best practice in Communications to the SOGC.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, you will be responsible for planning and delivering internal and external communications strategies designed to positively impact the SOGC’s brand while effectively promoting the reputation and values of the organization. In addition, you will work closely with both the Director, Accreditation and Education and Director, Business Development, lending expertise and support for initiatives.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive the SOGC’s advocacy strategy, working with key internal experts to identify and execute proactive and reactive opportunities for media relations, industry consultations, government relations and public-facing education materials.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with members of the media and the SOGC spokespeople.
• Provide strategic advice and support to the senior leadership team on various communication tools and collateral.
• Develop marketing strategies for SOGC events and products.
• Develop communications strategies and work plans to support the SOGC’s vision, goals and branding.
• Lead in the development of an engagement strategy with members of the public
• Lead, manage and mentor the communications team.
• Develop and implement a communication strategy and related materials including press releases, briefing notes, speeches, web and digital content.
• Lead in the drafting of relevant policies and/or position statements
• Develop an annual strategic communications plan aligned with the overall SOGC strategic plan.
• Track the development of ongoing issues and prepare recommended responses for timely statements and announcements.
• Play a key role in team and corporate planning, supporting the development of the strategic plan, annual report to members, and setting and tracking departmental KPIs.
• Prepare and manage the Communications Department annual budget.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Ability to work in a fluid, evolving work environment.
• Team player who respectfully works with different resources throughout the organization, and can provide necessary leadership, management and strategic direction.
• An assertive, persuasive, and service-oriented personality.
• Ability to cultivate and maintain positive relationships with members and partners.
• Strong project-management skills.
• Relationships with media contacts in the medical/public education sectors.
• Demonstrated mastery of content development – from messaging to writing/editing and creative.
• A proven track record in developing marketing communications plans and delivering on stated objectives.
• Self-starter with the ability to identify and take ownership of complex tasks and large assignments and deliver quality results.
• High level problem-solving skills, and a strong initiative to resolve difficulties, identify and fix gaps in processes.
• Well versed in dealing with inquiries from the public, the press, and related organizations.
• Strong understanding of digital technologies, current and emerging, and demonstrated experience in social media optimization, web content and technology.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A passion and aptitude for writing and storytelling.
• Excellent communications skills in English and French (written and spoken).
• Experience working at a conceptual level with Senior Executives in the preparation of their materials, speeches, etc.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Experience leading a team.
• Eight to ten years of broad internal and external communications experience, preferably working in a multi-stakeholder environment in a senior role.
• Positive outlook, fun and flexible.
• Completion of a college diploma or university degree in Business, Marketing, English, Journalism, Communications, Public Relations or a related discipline.
• Willingness to travel (typically 2-4 times per year).
• Knowledge of physicians/medical profession and/or the Canadian Health Care Environment is considered an asset.

The SOGC is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age or disability. Accommodations are available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Should you be interested, please send your cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Please clearly demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the position in your application.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.