Senior consultant, communications

Salary

The salary range for this position is CAD $46.37 - $66.66 / hour
Job Summary

Fraser Health is responsible for the delivery of range of health services from Burnaby to Fraser Canyon on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations. It is home to six Métis Chartered Communities.

Our team of 50k+ staff, medical staff and volunteers is dedicated to serving people, families and communities and delivering on our vision: Better health, best in health care. Learn more.

Join an experienced and collaborative team of health communicators who love what they do. We are seeking a seasoned and highly motivated senior communications consultant who thrives in a complex health care environment. You will provide strategic and tactical communications support for internal and external audiences. You’ll bring strong writing skills, strategic thinking and planning as well as sound judgment. Compassion, poise under pressure and a dedication to teamwork will be central to your success.

This is an opportunity to take on meaningful work alongside knowledgeable colleagues who support one another and bring energy and pride to their work.

This position is located at the Fraser Health Central City Office in Surrey, BC. This relief full-time position is available until October, 2027 or until return of incumbent.

What you bring

• Exceptional professional writing and editing skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, accurate and engaging content for a range of audiences and channels.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple communications projects, manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work within tight timelines.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams and provide guidance and supervision to colleagues and partners.
• A thorough understanding of communications principles and practices as well as experience communicating in a public-sector, health care or other large, complex organization
• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement and measure strategic communications plans, including consultation with a variety of internal and external partners.
• Sound judgment with the ability to identify emerging issues, assess communications risks and provide clear, practical advice.
• A calm, responsive and solutions-focused approach

To join our team, you will have

• A bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing or a related discipline.
• Five to seven years of progressively responsible communications experience, preferably in public sector, health care or another large, complex organization.
• Experience in engagement and change management would be an asset.

Come work with us

Joining Fraser Health means becoming part of a team of talented and experienced communicators who are committed to their craft and to one another. You will work on meaningful and varied assignments, learn from colleagues with deep health care communications expertise and help shape communications that support better care and stronger communities.

Fraser Health offers a competitive compensation package, including four weeks of vacation to start, comprehensive health benefits and a pension plan, and the rewarding opportunity to make a difference every day.

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Detailed Overview

Supporting the Vision, Values, Purpose and Commitments of Fraser Health including service delivery that is centered around patients/clients/residents and families:

Provides consultation to internal stakeholders such as Executive Directors, Medical Directors and other Fraser Health (FH) leaders in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of strategic communication strategies that support regional and Fraser Health-wide internal/external programs and initiatives; plans and coordinates communications-related projects, special events, proactive media publicity, advertising and external speakers; writes/produces various internal/external communications materials; ensures overall quality, consistency and effectiveness of complex and/or confidential communication materials. Provides supervision and work direction to assigned staff.

Responsibilities

Provides consultation to internal stakeholders such as Executive Directors, Medical Directors and other Fraser Health leaders and conducts appropriate supporting communication research and analysis; assesses media reports and develops, implements and evaluates current communication strategies to engage internal and external audiences to facilitate an open dialogue and understanding of important issues, challenges, opportunities and strategic directions; recommend and implements changes to communication strategies to better meet communication objectives.

Collaborates with other members of the Communication & Public Affairs team to engage employees, physicians, volunteers, patients/clients/residents and the community to support cultural renewal and promote a positive corporate image.

Develops and recommends strategic communications and/or promotional plans for FH-wide and/or local programs based on effective situational analyses; carries these plans forward from the goal-setting through to the creative solution including the implementation and evaluation stages by considering factors such as audience characteristics, corporate vision and strategy, industry best practices, available budget/technology and resources and potentially sensitive or confidential issues.

Provides supervision and work direction to assigned employees. Participates/leads in selection, hiring, orientation, performance management, and termination processes where appropriate. Assigns, evaluates, and monitors work assignments, authorizes leaves of absences, and approves overtime as necessary where appropriate in consultation with Director, Communications.

Coordinates and evaluates external and internal suppliers involved in communications-related projects including writing, language translation, graphic design, web design, printing, photography, video production, signage and site maps; oversees assigned project budget and deadlines.

Selects and ensures suppliers and internal clients adhere to corporate graphical standards and other standards and requirements; ensures overall quality, consistency and effectiveness of communication materials; provides recommendations to the Director, Corporate Communications regarding related project expenditures.

Collaborates with other Communications team members to plan and coordinate media publicity for local and Fraser Health-wide activities, events and programs to promote a positive corporate image and organizational strategies in health service delivery; provides work direction to other staff, as required.

Plans and coordinates regional speaking opportunities, community displays/exhibits, social media and advertising to promote a positive corporate image and organizational strategies in health service delivery; develops community action plans including setting objectives, coordinating appropriate internal speakers and community display/exhibit opportunities and evaluating results.

Attends and participates on various regional, local and program-related committees to provide strategic communications counsel and support, as required.

Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of departmental goals, objectives, policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

University degree in Communications, Public Relations and/or related discipline, supplemented with five (5) to seven (7) years’ recent related experience in a communications or public affairs role in a large public sector, health care and/or similarly complex organization, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Competencies

LEADS Capabilities:
Demonstrates the leadership practices of the Fraser Health Leadership Framework of Clear, Caring and Courageous and creates the conditions for people to succeed.

Professional/Technical Capabilities:

• Sound knowledge, understanding and application of communications concepts, strategies and technical skills required in the planning, execution and evaluation of communications plans.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic counsel to others.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and write a broad range of copy in a variety of media.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current trends in writing, graphic arts, photographic arts, display/exhibit development and electronic communications such as social media.
• Ability to manage projects on budget and on deadline.
• Demonstrated understanding of the essence and subtleties of communication.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Ability to plan and coordinate effective media publicity and special events.
• Demonstrated ability to problem-solve and resolve conflicts.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain rapport and effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to operate related equipment including applicable software applications.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.

About Fraser Health

Fraser Health is the heart of health care for over two million people in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and is home to 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region.

People - those we care for and those who care for them - are at the heart of everything we do. Our hospital and community-based services are delivered by a team of 50,000+ staff, medical staff and volunteers.

We are committed to planetary health and value diversity in the work force. We strive to maintain an environment of respect, caring and trust. Fraser Health’s hiring practices aspire to ensure all individuals are treated in an inclusive, equitable and culturally safe manner.

Together, we are the heart of health care.

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