Director, Strategy & Strategic Communications - Strategy & Strategic Communications

Women's College Hospital•Toronto, ON

1d•CA$87 - CA$107•Onsite

About The Position

Women's College Hospital (WCH) is seeking a Director, Strategy and Strategic Communications for an exciting, fast-paced, full-time, permanent leadership role. This position is responsible for planning and implementing WCH’s transformation agenda, focusing on strategic alignment, corporate planning, and the Office of Project Management. The Director will also oversee internal/external communications, brand reputation, public affairs, and government relations. Reporting to the Vice President, Strategy, Quality, Risk and Corporate Privacy Officer, and collaborating with the senior leadership team, Foundation, and Board of Directors, the Director will drive strategic planning, prioritization, implementation, and aligned communications and project management processes. They will manage the Office of Project Management to develop and execute strategic business and project plans that support WCH's organizational objectives. The Director will serve as a key strategic advisor, develop organizational capacity for strategic approaches with health system impact, and foster strategic partnerships across WCH.

Requirements

7-10 years of progressive experience in healthcare strategy, strategic communications and planning roles.
Experience across the continuum of corporate strategy including leading communications, strategy optimization, project management and overall performance improvement of the organization.
Master’s degree in Health Administration, Business or relevant discipline required.
Minimum seven to ten (7-10) years of related experience in progressively responsible leadership and project management roles in dynamic, complex work environments.
Minimum five (5) years supporting/working directly with executives and/or senior leadership.
Strong understanding of healthcare strategy, strategic planning and strategic communications alongside demonstrated experience and success facilitating and implementing corporate and system -wide initiatives.
Deep understanding of the Ontario health care system strategies, policies, stakeholders, and key issues.
Superior presentation and writing skills to successfully engage and collaborate with a wide variety of partners, including executive, leadership, clinicians, and public audiences.
Demonstrated effectiveness at leading and working with high performing clinical, academic, communications and project management teams.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal and management skills, influence others and establish credibility with individuals at all levels of the organization.
Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to self-manage while supporting multiple, often competing priorities.
Demonstrated ability for critical and strategic thinking.
Superior analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Proactive with an ability to anticipate needs and provide strategic analysis and advice.
Demonstrated high-caliber judgement, decision-making and triaging ability to support executives.
Excellent attendance and punctuality.
Professional behaviour and communication that meets the standards of the professional regulatory college or association, as applicable, and the standards of Women’s College Hospital.
Reside and be legally eligible to work in Ontario.

Nice To Haves

The ideal candidate might be described as dynamic, positive, collaborative, persuasive, resilient, driven and results-oriented.

Responsibilities

Position, communicate and advance WCH strategic priorities with internal and external partners, supporting strategy formulation, development and implementation.
Influence and design organizational frameworks for strategy and corporate and departmental planning across multi-year goals and priorities incorporating effective performance measurement, monitoring and reporting.
Work with government and other funding partners to propose and achieve funding for priority strategic and system initiatives.
Act as a key trusted advisor to senior leadership and facilitate cross -functional team collaboration in developing business strategies and project initiatives.
Oversee the development and evolution of the Office of Project Management, mentoring a small team of high performing strategy project management staff.
Oversee planning, workflows, and resource allocation to ensure effective execution of strategic initiatives and operational excellence.
Monitor changing priorities, trends, legislative requirements and/or other internal and external emerging issues, analyzing the potential impact on organizational goals, priorities, and activities and recommending and/or implementing appropriate strategies to achieve desired results.
Contribute to corporate efforts and initiatives, as appropriate, to enhance WCH’s vision, mission, values, and goals, including operational effectiveness and patient, physician and staff satisfaction.
Lead the development and delivery of integrated communications strategies that advance organizational priorities across patient care, research, and education, strengthening reputation and engagement with partners.
Provide strategic communications counsel to senior leadership, programs, and institutes, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, brand, and direction.
Oversee internal and external communications programs that inform, engage, and align staff, clinicians, researchers, learners, and partners.
Drive internal communications and engagement strategies that support culture, transparency, change management, and organizational alignment.
Work closely with senior leaders to support government relations and public affairs strategies, including engagement plans, that advance the Hospital’s short-term and long-term priorities.
Lead proactive media strategy and relations, reputation and brand management, and issues response, positioning the organization as a trusted voice in healthcare and health equity.
Advance modern, data-informed communications functions and social media presence by integrating digital strategy, analytics, audience insights, and emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools.
Identify and leverage opportunities to elevate organizational leadership and thought leadership at local, national, and global levels.
Collaborate with internal and external partners, including foundations, to align communications with strategic and philanthropic priorities.
Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing communications team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Participate actively as a Director and leader, keeping the executive leadership team fully informed on the status of initiatives and important factors influencing priority initiatives.