Position Title
Senior Manager, Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Department/Unit
Communications, Marketing & Creative Services
Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Duration of Contract (if applicable)
Two (2) years
Employment Type
Full Time
Full-time Equivalency (FTE)
1.0 FTE
Salary
$66,445 - $89,012 per annum
Provisional Statement
This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.
About Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.
Job Summary
The Communications, Marketing and Creative Services (CMC) team is responsible for stewarding and enhancing the reputation and awareness of Dalhousie University through brand leadership, communications, marketing, public relations, community and stakeholder relations, creative services, media relations, issues management and crisis communications. Reporting to the Director, Strategic Communications & Media Relations, the Senior Manager, Strategic Communications & Media Relations will proactively prepare for issues to ensure the university is sharing cohesive and transparent messaging on events and situations that could have the greatest impact on Dalhousie, and will deliver strong advice, research, communications plans, and media strategies and materials.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist the university, and CMC leadership team, in coordinating institutional issues management and crisis communications responses through an integrated proactive message management process under the Director’s leadership. Initiate appropriate activity to address issues or realize opportunities.
- Handle and respond to media requests. Provide media training. Serve as Dalhousie’s media spokesperson when required. Provide media event management including supervision of news conferences.
- Develop media relations plans, set targets, and measure results, while ensuring alignment with Dalhousie’s strategic plan, corporate priorities and overarching objectives. Manage and utilize media monitoring metric measurements including conducting analysis and compiling and sharing summaries.
- Supervise and conduct media monitoring activities to ensure that university messages are being depicted in a high quality and accurate manner, and to ascertain and address with CMC colleagues potential communication opportunities and risks in a timely manner.
- Support improved communications around Dalhousie’s Environment, Social and Governance practices, working with experts across the university, in a variety of areas.
Note
The incumbent will be required to regularly work outside normal work hours.
The successful applicant will be eligible for hybrid work (combination of in-person work on campus and remote work) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and university guidelines.
Required Qualifications
- University degree in public relations, journalism, communications, planning, business or other related discipline plus approximately seven years’ progressive experience in communications, public relations, or related discipline (or equivalent combination of training and experience).
- Demonstrated skills in issues and reputation management, media relations, and strategic communications plans, programs and initiatives including demonstrated experience in managing issues in a high stress, crisis or critical situations.
- Superior communications (written and verbal) with demonstrated experience in public relations writing and editing.
- Strong interpersonal skills including experience working collaboratively with people of different backgrounds and managing sensitive issues in a discreet, strategic, and respectful manner.
- Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility principles.
- Highly strategic analytical and problem-solving skills with the proven ability to work in an extremely complex environment where demands shift frequently and the ability to react quickly when required.
Assets
- Experience in a post-secondary educational, government or other large, complex organization setting.
- Experience as a spokesperson.
Job Competencies
The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s core and leadership competencies (https://www.dal.ca/dept/leaders.html), in particular:
- Self-Awareness & Professionalism
- Integrity
- Respect & Inclusion
- Thinking and Acting Strategically
Additional Information
Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.
Application Consideration
Applications from current university employees and external candidates are assessed concurrently. Current university employees will be given special consideration.
We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or Human Resources.
Diversity Statement
Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community.
