Directeur ou directrice, communications stratégiques (contrat 12 mois) / Director, Strategic Co[...]

Make-A-Wish Canada; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nonprofit organization in Ottawa seeks a strategic communications leader. The role involves developing comprehensive communications strategies and overseeing regional and internal communication efforts. The ideal candidate has over 10 years in strategic communications and is bilingual in French and English. This position offers a hybrid work environment with 2 days in-office weekly, alongside competitive engagement in public relations efforts.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in strategic communications, public relations or integrated marketing; nonprofit experience is an asset.
• Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills are essential.
• Experience with media relations, social media strategy, and content creation.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated communications strategies to support organizational priorities.
• Provide executive counsel on strategic messaging and reputational risk.
• Oversee internal communications to build alignment and engagement.

Skills

Bilingual in French & English

Strategic thinking

Relationship-building skills

Excellent written communication abilities

Experience with media relations

Education

Post-secondary education in communications, PR or marketing

Job description

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Strategic Communications & Messaging
• Develop and lead integrated communications strategies that support organizational priorities, including increasing brand awareness and deepening stakeholder engagement.
• Provide executive counsel on strategic messaging, reputational risk, and organizational positioning.
• Oversee the president / CEO communications, positioning the CEO as a thought leader and aligning public messaging with organizational goals.
• Serve as liaison with Make-A-Wish International on shared messaging, content coordination, and international visibility.
• Media relations, awareness & thought leadership
• Lead national and regional earned media strategies to increase brand awareness, visibility, and trust.
• Strategically direct paid media investments to support campaigns, aligned with fundraising and mission goals.
• Develop thought leadership strategies that elevate the organization’s voice in public conversations about children’s health, philanthropy and hope.
• Provide strategic oversight of media monitoring tools (Meltwater, Cision) and ensure reporting informs decisions.
• Manage media and technology budgets for cost-effective investments.
• Regional communications & social media strategy
• Oversee regional social media and PR execution to align with national goals.
• Develop toolkits, training and frameworks to support regional teams in storytelling and brand-consistent content.
• Foster collaboration between national and regional teams to ensure consistent voice and timing.
• Evaluate regional performance and optimize engagement and storytelling.
• Content leadership & communications planning
• Lead the Center of Excellence for content development, translation and storytelling.
• Oversee signature communications assets, including the Annual Impact Report and regional reports.
• Manage national communications planning processes and calendar of activity.
• Collaborate with Creative, Digital and Fundraising teams to ensure alignment.
• Internal communications, issues management & systems
• Direct internal communications to build alignment, clarity and engagement.
• Oversee sensitive issues and ensure timely, transparent messaging aligned with values.
• Oversee digital asset management systems for efficient access to approved messaging and assets.
• Champion adoption of communications tools across the organization.
• Other duties as required.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bilingual in French & English (required).
• 10+ years in strategic communications, public relations or integrated marketing; nonprofit experience is an asset.
• Post-secondary education in communications, PR or marketing, or equivalent experience.
• Strong leadership, strategic thinking and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation communication abilities.
• Experience with media relations, social media strategy, content creation and communications technology.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Criminal background check required.

YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Hybrid work environment, 2 days in office per week and 3 days remote.
• Occasional travel for team gatherings.

PHYSICAL / MENTAL EFFORT

• Work under pressure to meet tight deadlines with high-volume workload and changing priorities.

HOW TO APPLY

If this sounds like you, apply now. The deadline is September 21, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.

To apply, please visit: https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-CA/makeawishca/CANDIDATEPORTAL/jobs/1101

Make-A-Wish Canada provides equal opportunity in employment and welcomes qualified candidates. Reasonable accommodations are available on request at any stage of the hiring process.

OUR COMMITMENT TO IDEA

Make-A-Wish Canada is committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. We believe a diverse workforce reflecting the communities we serve strengthens our mission. We encourage applications even if you do not meet every listed requirement.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Our process moves quickly: we contact shortlisted candidates, conduct a phone screen and one or two interviews, check references, and complete a criminal background check for the successful candidate.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working with us!

ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH CANADA

Since 1983, Make-A-Wish Canada has granted over 38,500 wishes across the country, including >1,000 last year. We are an independently operating affiliate of Make-A-Wish International, part of the world’s leading wish-granting network. We serve children in Canada and in 50+ countries.