Media and Public Affairs/Communications Advisor

Media & Public Affairs/Communications Advisor

Policy and Advocacy

Full-Time

Target hiring range: $76,323 to $85,863

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 an energetic professional with political acumen and outstanding communications skills. You will bring to this position a strong understanding of government decision-making processes and a broad network of political and governmental contacts.

You will have a thoughtful and confident communication style that is conducive to building and maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders and government in particular. 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.

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:

• 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;
• 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; and
• Support member hospitals with media requests and key messages.
• 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.
• Support the development of the OHA’s social media strategy, content, and responses.

The Candidate:

This position requires a degree/diploma in political science, journalism, or communications (or equivalent) and knowledge of and/or experience in government relations. Four to six years of progressive experience in public affairs and strategic communications. Experience at Queen’s Park as well as 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 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 creative, intuitive, team-oriented, able to meet tight deadlines, and accustomed to working in a dynamic, high-pressure environment.

The ideal candidate might be described as 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 of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We welcome 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 Lifestyle Spending 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 2pm), and summer hours with 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.

To Apply:

Potential applicants are invited to submit a resume and covering letter by June 5, 2023. If contacted for an interview, please inform us should accommodation be required.

Application Requirements: 

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.