Senior Advisor, Communications and External Relations

Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medavie Health Services that manages and operates ground ambulance, air medical transport and medical communications operations in Nova Scotia through a performance-based contract with the provincial government's Emergency Health Services (EHS) division and the Department of Health and Wellness. EMC also operates TeleHealth 811 Mental Health and Addictions for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island for the Department of Health.

EMC delivers a high-quality pre-hospital care program and Telehealth service to Nova Scotians every day. We achieve this through more than 1,400 employees, including highly-trained paramedics, nurses, medical communication officers, and support staff.

As an employee of EMC, we are accountable to our patients and coworkers by participating in and supporting all safety-related initiatives and acting in a manner that fosters a culture that focuses on patient safety and a healthy, safe and respectful workplace.

Job Title: Communications Advisor

Department: Talent & Communications

Competition: 87090

Internal/External: Both

Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent

Location: Dartmouth - Hybrid

Salary: Competitive Compensation

Reports To: Sr. Manager Communications & Public Affairs

The Senior Advisor, Communications and External Relations will contribute to the development of external communications and external relations strategies, aligning with Emergency Medical Care’s (EMC) strategic priorities, values and operational goals. This opportunity plays a key role in leading the development of public relations strategies focused on building trust and community impact, including developing and delivering audience engagement plans, building and strengthening relationships with health care partners and the communities in which we operate, supporting business activities, reputation/issue management.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs, the successful candidate will work collaboratively with all levels of EMC and Medavie Health Services (MHS). The Senior Advisor, Communications and External Relations will have a strategic approach to communications tactics and will excel in a collaborative fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will have experience in audience engagement and consistent message development to help maximize interest and understanding of EMC operations.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Lead the development and delivery of external communications strategies and tactics in support of EMC business objectives.
2. Deliver and report on our community engagement and impact activities.
3. Oversee writing and editing content for communications channels including (but not limited to) external communications (key messages, news releases, speaking remarks, Q&As, social media etc.) and liaising directly with internal and external business partners to obtain relevant detail/input.
4. Work collaboratively with Medavie and EMC communications colleagues to manage brand and reputation, creating a steady stream of relevant content that is suitable for target audiences.
5. Provide advice and support in counselling business partners on strategic communication strategies.
6. Deliver and evolve environment, social and governance strategy and program.
7. Manage and grow community engagement, strengthening EMC’s reputation in the communities it serves.
8. Develop and report on key performance indicators for communications and audience engagement activities.
9. Recommend/lead best practices for communicating organization change and innovations initiatives for key partners and the public.
10. Ensure external communication messages are consistent with internal messages and the communications strategies are complementary.
11. Develop and deliver effective communication strategies to support business initiatives and other operational announcements; creating relevant materials and liaising directly with internal and external business partners.
12. Supports design and translation requirements for communications and external relations needs, working with creative services and translation teams.
13. Day to day management of communications and external relations activities.
14. Provide support for issues and crisis communications, including on call coverage.

Requirements:

1. Minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in a strategic communications role and a post-secondary education in Communications or Public Relations field.
2. Able to work from the office 3 days a week.
3. Proven delivery of communications and audience engagement strategies in a fast-paced environment with tight timelines.
4. Experience in developing and implementing community engagement strategies to a variety of audiences.
5. Demonstrated ability to advise senior leaders and create approaches that address business demands/needs.
6. Ability to support highly confidential and sensitive subjects/issues in a professional manner.
7. Team player with a focus on supporting colleagues, trying new approaches and delivering results.
8. Exceptional written communication skills, including editing, proofreading and attention to detail.
9. A storyteller with an ability to take complex information and distill into digestible, engaging, informative pieces for employees; ability to modify writing tone and voice.
10. Solid time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities and produce materials to meet tight deadlines.
11. Strong interpersonal, project management and relationship-building skills with an ability to work with multi-partner teams in a fast-paced environment, across locations and operating companies; responds to requests quickly and professionally.
12. A self-starter and problem-solver who works well independently and as part of a geographically dispersed, virtual team.
13. Flexible to work outside of normal hours and open to occasional travel.
14. Bilingualism (French and English) is considered an asset, but not required, for this position.

EMC falls under the Nova Scotia provincial protocol for mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination. In accordance with this mandate, subject to any approved accommodation, all new employees hired or existing employees (applying for new positions) will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. For clarity, "fully vaccinated" means 14 days or more after receiving the number of doses or combination of doses of a vaccine approved by Health Canada or local public health agencies in the jurisdiction in which they will be employed.

Our goal is to be a diverse workforce representing the citizens we serve. We are committed to building an inclusive team that represents a variety of backgrounds, cultures, races, perspectives and skills. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including women, persons of any sexual orientations and gender identities and/or expressions, Indigenous persons, African Canadians, other racialized groups, and persons with disabilities. Candidates who identify as being from any of these groups are encouraged to voluntarily self-identify.

If you are interested in this position and would like to be a part of a high-performing organization, please submit your cover letter and resume.

We thank all applicants for applying, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.