VACANCY: Director, Communications & Public Relations

REPORTS TO: Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications

LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario (hybrid working model)

STATUS: Fulltime Permanent Employment

No. of VACANCIES: This posting is for an existing vacancy for which we are currently undertaking recruitment

SALARY RANGE: $153,000 - $158,000 per annum

Please note: This range reflects the expected compensation for the candidates who meets the stated qualifications. Actual pay may vary based on experience, education, and internal compensation practices.

ABOUT UHN FOUNDATION

Part of University Health Network (UHN), Canada’s #1 hospital, UHN Foundation raises funds for research, education and excellence in patient care at Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals, Toronto Rehab and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. Our donor community is UHNITED to help us change the status quo of healthcare – helping recruit and train the brightest medical minds from around the world, develop new treatments for disease, and advance bold medical research.

UHN’s Toronto General Hospital has been ranked the #3 hospital in the world on Newsweek’s 2024 World’s Best Hospitals list, citing our leadership in transplantation, cardiac and vascular care, and surgical innovation. UHN is the only publicly funded hospital in the top five – also making us the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital.

The Foundation´s vision and mission is to enable global leadership and innovation in health by developing strong relationships with UHN stakeholders. We are committed to supporting UHN's vision to create a healthier world by embodying our values of integrity, accountability, collaboration and inclusion.

Together with our donors, we are helping Canada’s #1 hospital reimagine healthcare

POSITION SUMMARY

As a senior member of the Marketing & Communications leadership team, the Director, Communications & Public Relations plays a critical role in shaping and protecting UHN Foundation’s reputation, strengthening its public profile, and advancing trust with key audiences.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, the Director provides strategic leadership across corporate communications, public relations, media relations, issues management, social media, ambassador programs, and executive communications. This role serves as the Foundation’s subject-matter expert and decision owner on reputation management and external narrative, proactively advising senior leadership on media strategy, issues anticipation, and positioning.

The Director works in close partnership with the Directors of Strategic Content and Creative to ensure communications efforts are fully integrated across campaigns, storytelling, and brand strategy, and aligned with organizational priorities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Public Relations and Media Relations

• Lead the Foundation’s proactive and reactive media relations strategy to protect and enhance the organization’s reputation.
• Serve as the primary decision owner for media response, positioning, and reputational risk assessment.
• Manage media monitoring and reporting, coordinating with the Prospect Research team to identify amplification opportunities and emerging risks.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with media partners, journalists, and influencers.
• Develop and lead media partnerships to amplify Foundation visibility, including oversight of advertising strategy, execution, and spend.
• Provide strategic content direction for media-facing assets, including video storytelling projects.
  

Issues Management and Corporate Communications

• Lead issues anticipation, scenario planning, and response strategy, proactively advising the CEO and executive leadership team on emerging reputational risks.
• Develop and maintain crisis communications protocols, FAQs, and stakeholder engagement plans for major initiatives and sensitive issues.
• Lead communications planning for major organizational announcements, including CEO communications to the Board, The Senate, Partners for Discovery, and UHN/UHNF staff.
• Prepare executive briefings and messaging guidance to ensure clarity, alignment, and confidence in external communications.
  

Storytelling and Sponsored Content

• Oversee the intake, development, and production of grateful patient and donor stories for use across public relations, media, and fundraising initiatives.
• Build and manage a centralized story bank to support storytelling needs across multiple departments.
• Oversee sponsored content strategy and execution with external media partners to elevate Foundation visibility and credibility.
  

Thought Leadership and Executive Communications

• Support the CEO and executive leadership team with thought leadership initiatives, including op-eds, speechwriting, and external positioning.
• Position UHN Foundation as a trusted and authoritative voice in healthcare philanthropy and innovation.
• Manage executive social media presence on occasion to support public engagement, visibility, and thought leadership objectives.
• Develop and maintain messaging frameworks for strategic organizational priorities and campaigns.
  

Social Media Strategy and Execution

• Lead the Foundation’s social media strategy, ensuring alignment with PR initiatives, marketing and fundraising campaigns, and storytelling priorities.
• Oversee day-to-day management, content planning, and optimization of owned social media channels.
• Ensure social media practices uphold brand integrity, accessibility standards, and reputational risk guidelines.
  

Ambassador and Influencer Programs

• Lead the development and management of the Foundation’s ambassador program and influencer partnerships to increase reach, engagement, and visibility.
• Ensure ambassador and influencer relationships are values-aligned, mission-driven, and reinforce the credibility and integrity of UHN Foundation.
• Align ambassador storytelling with organizational campaigns and fundraising priorities.
• Recruit, manage, and direct celebrity, talent, and influencer partnerships, including providing storytelling direction and oversight.
  

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with the Directors of Strategic Content and Creative to align communications strategy, storytelling, and design execution.
• Participate actively in Marketing & Communications planning and project prioritization to ensure visibility of communication deliverables across teams.
• Provide direction and guidance on external messaging, including advertising and paid media, as required.

Team Leadership

• Lead, supervise, and mentor the Communications and Public Relations team.
• Set clear performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and professional development support.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, responsiveness, proactive thinking, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Build bench strength and support succession planning within the Communications and PR function.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Post-secondary education in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or a related field; an advanced degree is an asset.
• 8–10+ years of progressive experience in communications, public relations, or media relations, with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
• Proven experience leading media relations, issues management, and reputation strategy within a complex, high-profile organization.
• Strong judgment and experience advising senior executives on sensitive communications, reputational risk, and external positioning.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with media, journalists, influencers, and external partners.
• Experience developing executive communications, including speeches, op-eds, and thought leadership content.
• Strong understanding of digital and social media platforms and their role in reputation management and storytelling.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing teams.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment under pressure, and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Fast-paced, service and results oriented environment
• May have some activity outside of the office to support meetings
• The Foundation has a hybrid work model. Staff will be required to be in office a minimum of 2 days per week and will be required to have a safe home office set up for the remainder of the working days (specifics to be planned with your manager).
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues in all positions throughout the Foundation
• Shared commitment and support of the overall Foundation goals

Alongside competitive salaries, we offer an extensive benefits package, flexible work arrangements, growth and development opportunities, defined benefits pension plan, birth parent/parental leave top-up, extended long weekends around statutory holidays and more.

University Health Network thanks all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. UHN has a diverse workforce and is an equal-opportunity employer.

Please note: All applicant screening and evaluation for this role are carried out manually by our recruitment team. We do not leverage AI in any part of the hiring process.