Director, Media Relations & Social Media

Ontario Medical Association; Toronto; On-site; CAD 117,480 - 124,395; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range CAD 117,480–124,395

Pension plan

Bonus program

Healthcare benefits

Hybrid work

Job summary

The Ontario Medical Association is seeking a Director of Media Relations and Social Media to lead a team of earned and social media professionals and deliver a results-driven strategy that protects and enhances the OMA’s reputation and brand. The role requires an undergraduate degree in journalism, communications, or related fields and 10+ years in media relations and leadership.

The position offers a hybrid Toronto-based schedule with a salary range CAD 117,480–CAD 124,395, plus a bonus program

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in journalism, political science, public policy, communications or marketing disciplines with above Diploma or Certificate.
• 10+ years media and/or media relations experience.
• 10+ years of communications, interpersonal, leadership, coaching and conflict resolution skills.
• Compassionate leader capable of developing and growing team members.

Responsibilities

• Leading all media activities, including developing media relations strategies and overseeing effective implementation and evaluation as well as managing external vendors.
• Working with the team to ensure effective relationships with media representatives, journalists and reporters, bloggers are maintained responding to requests and initiating contacts, managing the delivery of information, building rapport to facilitate favorable exchanges and attention, and providing background information, monitoring social media for response requirements, developing key messages and responses, drafting news releases, letters to the editor, statements, and emails and organizing media briefings.
• Overseeing coordination of OMA spokesperson media training in preparation for interviews and news conferences, gathering detailed background information, developing key messages and statements, ensuring spokespeople are properly prepared, and scheduling and attending interviews.
• Working collaboratively with peers and ACM colleagues to develop integrated media relations including social media strategies that advance OMA’s strategic priorities. Identify and implement a social media strategy to increase OMA’s media footprint and to ensure OMA’s positions are included in social conversations.
• Leading the development of best‑in‑class media research practices to learn, apply and share insights as well as integrate with other methodologies available within ACM and the organization.
• Monitoring health care and political issues in media across the province, determining potential impacts on OMA business activities and strategies, and identifying opportunities for media coverage and proactive news releases.
• Leading and coach direct reports to effectively position the OMA as the voice of Ontario’s Doctors and the go to source of information on the system and the role of doctors.
• Hiring, training, motivating and coaching employees as they provide attentive, efficient service to members, assessing employee performance and providing constructive feedback and training opportunities.
• Highly collaborative and take the initiative to work with others across the organization while building a culture of positivity, collaboration, and cross‑functional teamwork among the media team to ensure a best‑in‑class media approach is well understood and delivered by the team. Evaluates progress against planning and delivery of departmental objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Media relations

Crisis communications

Team coaching

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism / communications

Job description

Are you looking to join one of Greater Toronto’s Top 2026 Employers?

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) advocates for and supports doctors, seeking to strengthen their leadership role in caring for patients. We continually seek to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario’s health‑care system by courageously pursuing best practices, new ideas, solutions, and opportunities to improve.

Job summary

The Director of Media Relations and Social Media, position plays a key role in directing and delivering an effective media relations strategy to both advance and protect the OMA’s reputation and brand.

Specifically, the position is responsible for:

• Leading and inspiring a team of earned and social media professionals in the development and execution of results-driven strategies that tell compelling stories and cut through with powerful editorial coverage and content.
• Leading the organization’s focus on strengthening the organization’s media footprint and further advancing Ontario doctors as important voices in patient care and health system transformation.
• Leading best‑in‑class issues and crisis communications activities on behalf of the OMA.

How you will make a difference

• Leading all media activities, including developing media relations strategies and overseeing effective implementation and evaluation as well as managing external vendors.
• Working with the team to ensure effective relationships with media representatives, journalists and reporters, bloggers are maintained responding to requests and initiating contacts, managing the delivery of information, building rapport to facilitate favorable exchanges and attention, and providing background information, monitoring social media for response requirements, developing key messages and responses, drafting news releases, letters to the editor, statements, and emails and organizing media briefings.
• Overseeing coordination of OMA spokesperson media training in preparation for interviews and news conferences, gathering detailed background information, developing key messages and statements, ensuring spokespeople are properly prepared, and scheduling and attending interviews.
• Working collaboratively with peers and ACM colleagues to develop integrated media relations including social media strategies that advance OMA’s strategic priorities. Identify and implement a social media strategy to increase OMA’s media footprint and to ensure OMA’s positions are included in social conversations.
• Leading the development of best‑in‑class media research practices to learn, apply and share insights as well as integrate with other methodologies available within ACM and the organization.
• Monitoring health care and political issues in media across the province, determining potential impacts on OMA business activities and strategies, and identifying opportunities for media coverage and proactive news releases.
• Leading and coach direct reports to effectively position the OMA as the voice of Ontario’s Doctors and the go to source of information on the system and the role of doctors.
• Hiring, training, motivating and coaching employees as they provide attentive, efficient service to members, assessing employee performance and providing constructive feedback and training opportunities.
• Highly collaborative and take the initiative to work with others across the organization while building a culture of positivity, collaboration, and cross‑functional teamwork among the media team to ensure a best‑in‑class media approach is well understood and delivered by the team. Evaluates progress against planning and delivery of departmental objectives.

Requirements that are important to us

• Undergraduate degree in journalism, political science, public policy, communications or marketing disciplines with above Diploma or Certificate
• 10+ years media and/or media relations experience.
• 10+ years of communications, interpersonal, leadership, coaching and conflict resolution skills.
• An experienced compassionate leader who is capable of developing and growing team members.

The OMA has moved to a permanent hybrid work environment. As such, the individual in this position will be required to work a minimum number of days in our Toronto office.

What we have to offer you

• A work environment whose values are to be respectful, bold, responsive, and transparent in our work and our behaviours
• A fantastic opportunity to grow with the team and help shape the strategic direction of the OMA, its members and the health‑care system
• An organization that is committed to the equity, diversity and inclusion principles of humility, accountability, collaboration, courage and integrity
• A commitment to growth and development through paid professional development and continuous in‑house learning
• A friendly and flexible hybrid work environment
• Competitive total rewards package including a hiring salary range of $117,480 - $124,395 plus pension plan and a bonus program
• Exceptional group benefits package, including a spending account and a robust wellness program.
• An organization that has been recognized as a Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for six consecutive years.

As a condition of employment, OMA conducts background checks and reference checks for all open positions.

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The Ontario Medical Association is strongly committed to diversity within its community and welcomes applications from racialised persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. In accordance with the AODA Act, accommodation will be provided throughout the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities.