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Job Description:

Ottawa is built on un-ceded Algonquin Anishinaabe territory. The peoples of the Algonquin Anishinabek Nation have lived on this territory for millennia and we honour them and this land. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. CHEO also honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.

CHEO is one of the few stand-alone, global leaders in pediatric health and is home to more than 6,500 staff, clinicians, scientists and researchers, as well as volunteers – all of whom work together to help children and youth achieve their best lives. Within its own walls and through partnerships with community providers, CHEO has transformed from a 20th century acute care hospital into a 21st century integrated child and youth health system.

Ranked in the top 1% of Canadian hospitals for the digitization of its clinical infrastructure, CHEO combines excellence in clinical care, research, and education to advance seamless care that’s provided where, when, and how it is needed. CHEO’s Research Institute is dedicated to world-class clinical, translational, and basic science research covering a wide range of children’s health concerns. CHEO has been named Canada’s best health-care employer by Forbes in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and is ranked second among Canadian hospitals on its list of Canada’s Best Employers for multiple consecutive years. For the 14th consecutive year in a row, the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers has recognized CHEO as a top employer in the National Capital Region. Every year CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.

Position Summary

For more than two decades, the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions (the Knowledge Institute) has been bringing people and knowledge together to strengthen care for infants, children, young people, and families. As a trusted partner and advisor to several of Ontario’s ministries, we collaborate across sectors to drive high-quality mental health, substance use health and addictions care. We mobilize evidence, strengthen knowledge and skills, and accelerate system change to improve services for mental health, substance use health, and addictions across Ontario. We are seeking a dynamic and collaborative leader to fill a key role in our organization.

Reporting to the Director of Research and Knowledge Mobilization, the Manager, Strategic Communications works closely with the Director of Research and Knowledge Mobilization, the Manager of Knowledge Mobilization, as well as other members of the Executive and Leadership Teams to support the organization in achieving its strategic goals through the development, implementation and management of a comprehensive strategic communications strategy. The Manager, Strategic Communications contributes to this by driving effective and ongoing internal and external strategic communications with a variety of key partners and effectively leads a team of strategic communications professionals. The successful candidate is a strategic, big-picture thinker who will take ownership of our organization's public profile and expand our reach with our valued audiences.

Main Responsibilities

Oversees and leads the development, successful implementation and evaluation of effective communications strategies and processes across the organization to ensure proactive, timely and appropriate communication with partners (i.e. Knowledge Institute staff, child and youth mental health, substance use health and addictions sector partners, Ministry partners, advisory committees, CHEO, CHEO Research Institute, media, general public);
Reviews and measures outputs and analytics, manages multidisciplinary projects, aligns strategic communications team efforts, and improves systems and processes to ensure they meet the Knowledge Institute’s highest standards in both official languages;
Oversees strategic communications activities, including media and social media, that enhance the Knowledge Institute’s profile, visibility and value proposition;
Oversees the development, ongoing performance and maintenance of content for digital media, including the website and social media channels, to better inform the Knowledge Institute’s various audiences;
Leads a team of strategic communications professionals, fostering a positive and productive team environment to meet operational objectives and deliver best-in-class strategic communications for the organization;
Oversees the organization’s strategy for engaging with the media, including the development and fostering of relationships with media, story development and pitching, and supporting Knowledge Institute spokespeople;
Oversees the development and production of our annual Impact Report, including content development, graphic design and final production;
Leads the development of a strong content and campaign strategy, rooted in key audience metrics to ensure that the Knowledge Institute’s expertise remains at the forefront of its audiences;
Provides strategic communications and public relations counsel and support to the Executive Director and Directors, to further enhance the profile and visibility of the organization;
Leads procurement activities related to strategic communication needs (e.g. translation services, copyediting, WCAG, etc.) and oversees associated contracts;
Works with partners on joint projects and initiatives to ensure consistent messaging and mutual strategic communication goals are met; and
Performs other activities as assigned by the Director or in response to a dynamic and changing environment

Qualifications

University degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism or a related field (Essential)
Minimum five (5) years of related experience, with previous leadership experience preferred (Essential)
Demonstrated experience with public relations, media relations, and government relations (Essential)
Experienced in creating and executing comprehensive communications strategies (Essential)
Demonstrated experience with issues management and crisis communications (Essential)
Demonstrated experience using technology to support strategic communications projects, including knowledge of social media and other emerging technologies and communications practices (Essential)
Demonstrated experience in people and budget management (Essential)
Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to set and manage priorities, meet deadlines and work autonomously (Essential)
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and execute several projects concurrently, often with competing priorities and tight timelines (Essential)
High degree of interpersonal skills and proven ability to deal effectively with internal and external partners (Essential)
High degree of initiative and industry (Essential)
Understanding of Ontario’s child and youth mental health, substance use health and addictions sector and related issues (Preferred)
Fluently bilingual in English and French, with superior writing and oral communication skills in both languages (Essential)
Police Record Check (PRC) (Essential)

Compensation Pay Range:

$58.74-$69.12

Effective March 29, 2021, CHEO will conduct a more comprehensive pre-screening and evaluation process.  This process may include more varied and multidimensional testing such as a written test, practical exam, or other assessment. All candidates who meet the essential and preferred qualifications may be tested.  

Bilingualism (French/English) will be validated by a language proficiency assessment conducted by a third party provider. Candidates will be required to meet the minimum linguistic profile prior to the date of hire.

CHEO values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process and welcome interest from all qualified applicants.

Should you require accommodation during any phase in the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at TalentAcquisition@cheo.on.ca. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential and will be handled in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

We thank all those who apply, however, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.

CHEO jobs

Manager, Strategic Communications, Knowledge Institute