Manager, Communications and Media Relations

**Schedule**
Monday to Friday, 35 hours/week

**Education Level**

**Career Level**
7 years related work experience including 3 to 5 years relevant managerial experience and relevant experience including media relations, partnership support and editorial oversight

Ranked as one of the world’s top 100 universities, McMaster University is devoted to the cultivation of human potential, realized through our innovative educational programs, cutting-edge research, and the diverse students, faculty, staff and alumni who make up the McMaster family. Dedicated to creating a Brighter World, we recognize that our people are our most valuable resource.

McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) has a global reputation for innovation and excellence in education and research.

The FHS communications team oversees internal and external communications to enhance the Faculty’s profile and its local, national and global reputation for excellence in education, research, and patient care. The team is expanding and optimizing communications channels to deliver innovative digital content that engages key audiences, amplifies the Faculty’s amazing stories and collaborative culture, and enhances the FHS reputation.

**Job **Summary**:
The _Manager, Communications and Media Relations_ will build and preserve the Faculty's reputation through a variety of external communication techniques, with a focus on editorial and news content oversight and execution. This position is responsible for managing/supervising staff, while planning and executing proactive communications and media relations. This role routinely deals with confidential and highly sensitive information, issuing a variety of communications on behalf of the Faculty of Health Sciences. The Manager, Communications and Media Relations is a dynamic and experienced communicator, responsible for managing our editorial news, content, media engagement and strategic partnerships on behalf of the Faculty.

This position is responsible for helping to enhance the Faculty’s profile and its local, national and global reputation for excellence in education, research, and patient care.

**Accountabilities**:

- Accountable for developing, implementing and maintaining efficient and effective communications campaign strategies, specifically related to news and media relations for FHS
- Responsible for evaluating communications as it relates to traditional and new media and shifting strategies based on the evaluation
- Oversees editorial lineup including editing and writing content (news stories, media releases and advisories)
- Develops and implements communication strategies that support Faculty of Health Sciences initiatives involving access to, and understanding of, confidential material including from the Office of the Dean of Health Sciences, budgets and finances and various other areas
- Works in a complex environment with multiple functions including examining, reviewing and assessing long-term goals as well as immediate needs for communications and media relations including supporting announcements and events
- Build effective communication projects by linking and working with other units, departments and leaders within the Faculty and the University
- Applies an EDI lens to communication strategies and tactics, including collaborating with EDI partners on such strategies
- Direct, supervise, hire and performance manage staff and workplace students
- Responsible for the creation of project budgets within project scope
- Supervise and deliver media relations and news content for the Faculty
- Identify emerging communication trends and tools and position the Faculty for success in these appropriate channels e.g., new media
- Plays a key role supporting issues management, consulting, planning and issuing communications to help build and preserve the Faculty and University's reputation. Requiring a high level of confidentiality

**Qualifications**:
**Education**:

- A university degree (A McMaster degree is an asset)

**Experience**:

- 7 years related work experience including 3 to 5 years relevant managerial experience and relevant experience including media relations, partnership support and editorial oversight

Knowledge/Skills:

- Demonstrated success in areas of strategic communications and media relations, traditional and new media, earned and owned media
- Understanding of new media, media strategy, content strategy and evolving media environment
- Demonstrated exceptional research and writing skills, including presentations, speeches
- Experience with media monitoring and reporting, content syndication networks, newswires, existing media relationships
- Proven ability to create budgets and understand financial documents
- Excellent oral communication skills
- Proven ability to maintain confidentiality
- Sound judgment and independent decision-making abilities
- Ability to lead, supervise and direct staff
- Ability to lead project teams and/or effectively contribute