Manager Strategic Communications

Position Details

• Location: Thorold
• Department: Partnerships and Communication
• Hours of Work: 35.00 / week
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Work Location: Hybrid

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs, the Strategic Communications Manager provides strategic leadership and oversight for corporate communications, media relations, public engagement, and executive communications across the organization. The Manager, Strategic Communications, is accountable for the successful delivery of communications services across the corporation. They do this by serving as strategic partners to departments, triaging and prioritizing work, leading and developing people, and directly taking carriage the organization's most sensitive or complex communications initiatives.

The role leads the development and implementation of internal and external communication strategies that support Regional priorities, foster public trust, and ensure the delivery of timely, accurate, and accessible information to residents, invested parties, and employees while ensuring a consistent and coordinated corporate voice across all departments and initiatives.

The position currently falls within a hybrid model, allowing the employee to typically work a minimum of your time at your regular work location and the other 50% of time at home. As an employer of choice, Niagara Region offers competitive salaries and benefits, a defined benefit pension plan, a corporate wellness centre, access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), mentorship and training programs, employee recognition programs, and more.

In addition, the Region recognizes the value of having flexible work arrangements to support better work-life balance for our employees. Hybrid work arrangements may vary from one employee to another and may also differ in the number of remote workdays. These opportunities remain subject to the alignment of operational needs, business requirements, and customer service expectations.

Education

• Post-secondary degree in communications, public relations, journalism or related discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Professional accreditation in Public Relations or other communications-based professional organization is preferred.
• Eight (8) years’ professional experience in issues management, internal communications, public relations, public affairs/relations, social marketing, community consultation and media relations; experience in a public sector/municipal environment is preferred.
• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in leading people in a large, complex organization is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in managing relationships with elected officials at various levels (municipal, provincial and federal).
• In-depth knowledge of communications technologies and practices, social media, web and multi-media approaches.
• Knowledge of a full range of current communication, media relations, public involvement and public opinion research strategies, tactics, techniques, formats and platforms and how to apply them in a municipal environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead the development of strategic communications functions including issues management, crisis management, public relations, media relations, etc.
• Excellent judgment and use of discretion, astute political awareness, and ability to assess and manage matters requiring confidentiality.
• Excellent written communication skills to prepare materials for diverse audiences with a demonstrated ability to communicate strategically and in a manner that builds understanding and commitment.

Responsibilities

Strategic Department Partnership and Executive Advisor: Provides strategic communications leadership and serves as the primary communications partner to Commissioners, Directors and departmental leadership, ensuring communications activities are aligned with Regional priorities, enterprise objectives and organizational standards. Builds trusted working relationships across the organization while providing strategic advice, consultation and communications leadership on initiatives of varying complexity. (25% of time)

• Serves as the primary point of contact for assigned Regional departments, providing strategic communications leadership, consultation and ongoing relationship management for Commissioners, Directors and senior leaders.
• Provides strategic communications advice throughout the planning, implementation and evaluation of departmental and corporate initiatives, ensuring communications considerations are integrated early into business planning and decision-making.
• Builds strong collaborative relationships with departmental leadership to understand emerging priorities, identify communications risks and opportunities, and proactively support organizational objectives.
• Advises senior departmental leadership on communications strategies, stakeholder considerations, organizational impacts, reputational risk and appropriate communications approaches for complex initiatives.
• Ensures departmental communications activities are aligned with corporate priorities, enterprise messaging, accessibility requirements, corporate standards and best practices.
• Represents Strategic Communications on corporate committees, project teams and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring communications expertise informs organizational decision-making.

Internal Communications Portfolio: Provides strategic leadership for organizational change communications, employee engagement, executive communications and internal communication planning. Advises senior leaders on employee communications strategies that strengthen organizational culture, transparency, and employee connection.