Media & Public Affairs Advisor

Ontario Hospital Association; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 92,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Pension plan

Employee assistance program

Performance pay

Home office stipend

Wellness account

Tuition assistance

Job summary

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) seeks a Media & Public Affairs/Communications Advisor to join its Policy and Advocacy Division in a full-time hybrid role. You will lead media relations, issues management and government relations to advance hospital priorities.

Reporting to the Director, Public Affairs, you will provide strategic counsel to the CEO and senior staff, manage media inquiries, support member hospitals, and help develop proactive communications and social media strategies.

Qualifications

• Degree in political science, journalism, or communications (or equivalent).
• 4–6 years of progressive experience in public affairs and strategic communications.
• Experience dealing with national news agencies is required.
• Knowledge of government decision-making processes at federal and provincial levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead the OHA’s media relations and issues management initiatives.
• Provide strategic counsel to CEO and senior staff on media handling and messages.
• Advise senior leadership and members on public affairs matters.
• Support member hospitals with media requests and key messages.
• Lead development of proactive media relations strategies to support public affairs and corporate communications.
• Develop and execute government relations campaigns advancing health priorities.
• Collaborate with Labour Relations to manage media inquiries during negotiations.
• Support development of the OHA’s social media strategy.

Skills

Media relations

Issues management

Public affairs

Government relations

Strategic communications

Education

Political science degree

Journalism degree

Communications degree

Job description

Media & Public Affairs Advisor

Policy and Advocacy Division

Full-Time Permanent (Replacement)

Hybrid: 2 days/week in office, 3 days/week WFH

Target hiring range: $92,111 to $103,625

Background:

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) serves Ontario’s hospitals and is committed to building a better health system for patients and families. We support our member hospitals by forming strong relationships with government stakeholders, hospital leaders, and other partners that cultivate a mutual understanding of and shared commitment to a high-performing health system. Within this stimulating context, the OHA is seeking a Media & Public Affairs/Communications Advisor to join its Public Affairs team to assume responsibility for a diverse portfolio of responsibilities.

The OHA is looking for a communications professional with strong writing skills and political acumen. You will bring to this position a strong understanding of the media landscape in Ontario and Canada, and a knowledge of government decision-making processes at the federal and provincial levels.

You will have a thoughtful and confident communication style that is conducive to building and maintaining positive relationships. You thrive in a fast-paced environment and have a strong sense of accountability for your work and the service that you provide to your colleagues, the organization and its members. You’re curious, a self-starter and you have a strong sense of pride and ownership of your work.

Your organizational, communication and relationship skills, coupled with your pragmatic and creative approach to identifying opportunities to advance health system priorities will be key to your success.

The Position:

Reporting to the Director, Public Affairs, you will:

• Lead the OHA’s media relations and issues management initiatives;
• Serve as a corporate communications resource to the CEO and senior OHA staff on issues as they arise, including providing strategic counsel on handling media as required, preparing key messages, advice to OHA members, and communications to government and health care stakeholders;
• Provide communications advice to the OHA’s senior team and to OHA members on a wide variety of public affairs matters involving Ontario’s hospitals and the health system;
• Support member hospitals with media requests and key messages;
• Lead development of proactive media relations strategies to support not only the OHA’s public affairs strategies, but also those of its corporate communications and other key areas of focus;
• Develop and execute on government relations strategies, including campaign and engagement plans, that advance the OHA’s and its member’s short-term and long-term health system priorities;
• Work directly with senior leadership on the OHA’s Labour Relations team to manage media inquiries and communications efforts related to negotiations and arbitration of the OHA, on behalf of the hospital sector, with major unions; and
• Support the development of the OHA’s social media strategy, content, and responses.

The Candidate:

This position requires a degree in political science, journalism, or communications (or equivalent) and knowledge of and/or experience in public affairs and media relations, including no less than four to six years of progressive experience in public affairs and strategic communications. Experience dealing with national news agencies is required. Issues management and knowledge of the legislative process/public policy environment is required; an understanding of the health care sector, hospitals and familiarity with current health care issues is an asset.In addition to having outstanding oral and written communication skills, the successful candidate will have strong issues management skills and experience interacting with the government officials, external consultants, stakeholders and the media. An excellent project manager, the successful candidate will also be detail-oriented, intuitive, team-oriented, able to meet tight deadlines, and accustomed to working in a dynamic, high-pressure environment.

dynamic, positive, collaborative, persuasive, resilient, driven and results-oriented.

Why Join the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA)?

Join us in serving Ontario’s hospitals to build a better health system. As a not-for-profit association, the OHA offers you a fulfilling role supporting our members through advocacy, knowledge translation and member engagement, labour relations, and data and analytics.

An inspiring and creative place to work, the OHA is your opportunity to change the healthcare system for the better, while having a lot of fun. You’ll also be welcomed into a supportive and inclusive environment built on our core values of:

Humility – we listen to and respect the view of others

Discovery – we explore new ideas and possibilities

Passion – we bring energy and enthusiasm to what we do

Our Culture

The OHA is committed to fostering a climate that values equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We welcome those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding these values and will assist us in realizing the benefits of embedding these values into the work at every level and department at the OHA. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada and to bring lived experiences to the work, we encourage applications from Black individuals and Persons of Colour, Indigenous Peoples, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2+ persons, and others who may contribute to the diversity of ideas within our organization. We are committed to the fair assessment of each candidate’s abilities, and consider their range of experience, including non-traditional career paths.

Employee engagement is key to the success of any business, and that’s why the OHA is proud of our 100% employee engagement rate. We consistently survey staff to ensure we can respond to their needs and engage in meaningful conversations to improve our corporate culture. It’s why we’ve been recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Canada (five times!). Our 2022 Best Places to Work award from Human Resources Director demonstrates our commitment to a culture that upholds diversity, equity, inclusion, mental health, wellness, and compassionate leadership.

As we search for qualified candidates to join our team, their fit with our culture and values are just as important.

Our Perks

Joining the OHA gives you access to a multitude of benefits including:

• The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan where the OHA matches your contributions.
• Fully paid extended health and dental benefits, including travel insurance.
• Access to a comprehensive Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• A performance management program that provides an annual performance pay on top of your base salary.
• Coverage up to $1,000 for home office expenses for new staff.
• A Personal Wellness Account with $600 to spend on care and wellness.
• Tuition assistance and professional development support ($2,000 for general education or $5,000 for a master’s program).
• Flexible work schedule – work from home 3 days per week, onsite hours (10am to 4pm), and summer hours with alternate Fridays off.
• Start with 3 weeks of vacation which increases based on years of service.
• Extra time off including corporate office closure during the December holiday season, 4 life days and 1 anniversary day.
• Peer-to-peer recognition programs where we celebrate each other’s successes.
• Fun staff events and activities to support engagement and team building.

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

Application Process and Requirements:

All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. The successful applicant must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (as defined by the Government of Canada) or have a valid vaccination exemption pursuant to the Human Rights Code. Further, they must provide proof of vaccination (or a valid exemption) prior to the start date, provide updated information as necessary, and comply with any ongoing vaccination-related requirements. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

WE ARE AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER.

Job Criteria

• Seniority level: Associate
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Public Relations
• Industries: Non-profit Organizations