Senior Communications Manager contract

POSITION: Senior Communications Manager
REPORTS TO:  Director, Strategic Communications & Public Relations
LOCATION: Toronto, ON
STATUS: 14 month maternity leave replacement (June 2016 to August 2017)

CONTEXT:
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is a national community-driven charity. As the largest charitable funder of breast cancer research in Canada, CBCF’s vision is to create a future without breast cancer. Since its inception in 1986, the Foundation has invested over $360 million in breast cancer research, funding more than 1,400 scientific and community grants. CBCF’s investments in vital research, education, health promotion, support and information programs have led to progress in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Senior Communications Manager is responsible for all communications in support of Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation programs and priorities. This role delivers evidenced-based communications planning, implementation and evaluation and has a deep understanding of public relations, media relations, issues management, earned, digital, social and paid media.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for integrated communications including but not limited to PR, corporate communications, earned and paid media, issues management and media relations
• Responsible for writing content and other messaging to support integrated communications strategies
• Develop, execute and evaluate public and media relations strategies.  This includes collaborating with the other Foundation teams to proactively promote initiatives, research findings, calls for proposals, and other mission-related work, including collaborating to develop and disseminate news releases, fact sheets, backgrounders, social media releases, and creating content for the organization’s digital properties
• Serve as a trusted advisor to other departments and program areas, bringing communications expertise/input to the strategy, approach and feedback loop pertaining to documents, materials and correspondence for stakeholders
• Provide evaluation and recommendations to improve communications to meet quality standards and support the organization’s positioning, reputation and brand
• Develop key communications and collateral pieces to support CBCF communications with all key audiences and set the standards for high impact, high quality and on brand communications
• Manage the crisis communications protocol working in partnership with teams across the Foundation
• Develop issue backgrounders and key messages to assist with issues management and crisis communications
• Manage and maintain the Issues Book with key messages, backgrounders and external sources on all “hot button” issues, so that Foundation spokespeople are best supported in handling requests from media
• Liaise with donors and other key stakeholders on communications-related matters (e.g. conducting interviews for newsletter articles)
• Update templates and write briefing notes used for speeches; develop forms and procedure documents to assist in speaker and speaking note requests.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND ABILITIES:

• University degree or equivalent in related subject area
• Five or more years management experience in communications
• Demonstrated experience in communications strategic and operational planning
• Demonstrated experience in digital communications, social media and website management
• Strong management skills in a team-based working environment
• People management experience
• Exceptional oral and written skills, including presentation skills
• Superb organizational skills and multi-tasking ability
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build and sustain good relationships
• Proven negotiation skills
• Strong customer service orientation and professionalism
• Ability to collaborate with various stakeholders
• Strong attention to detail
• Bilingual in French and English an asset