Public Relations Associate

VACANCY:
Public Relations Associate

REPORTS TO:
Director, Communications & Public Relations

LOCATION:
Toronto, Ontario (hybrid working model)

STATUS:
Full-time Permanent Employment

No. of VACANCIES:
This posting is for an existing vacancy for which we are currently undertaking recruitment

SALARY RANGE: $60,000 - $65,000 per annum

Please note:
This range reflects the expected compensation for the candidates who meets the stated qualifications. Actual pay may vary based on experience, education, and internal compensation practices.

ABOUT UHN FOUNDATION

Part of University Health Network (UHN), Canada's #1 hospital, UHN Foundation raises funds for research, education and excellence in patient care at Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals, Toronto Rehab and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. Our donor community is UHNITED to help us change the status quo of healthcare – helping recruit and train the brightest medical minds from around the world, develop new treatments for disease, and advance bold medical research.

UHN's Toronto General Hospital has been ranked the #3 hospital in the world on Newsweek's 2024 World's Best Hospitals list, citing our leadership in transplantation, cardiac and vascular care, and surgical innovation. UHN is the only publicly funded hospital in the top five – also making us the world's #1 publicly funded hospital.

The Foundation´s vision and mission is to enable global leadership and innovation in health by developing strong relationships with UHN stakeholders. We are committed to supporting UHN's vision to create a healthier world by embodying our values of integrity, accountability, collaboration and inclusion.

Together with our donors, we are helping Canada's #1 hospital reimagine healthcare.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Public Relations Associate supports the Foundation's growing communications and public relations needs, and will provide executional support on a wide variety of projects. This role will play a critical part in telling UHN's story to build awareness, expand reach and set the stage for donor acquisition. The Associate works closely with the Public Relations Manager, and teams across the Foundation and within the hospital, to support media outreach, storytelling, research, ambassador program, event-related PR and corporate communications, as well as select daily administrative tasks.

This role sits within the Communications & Public Relations team within the Foundation's Marketing & Communications department, and reports directly into the Director, Communications & Public Relations with work also assigned by the Public Relations Manager. The ideal candidate is a highly talented and passionate storyteller with strong communication skills who will help us deliver on our public relations strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Earned and Paid Media Storytelling

• Support the Foundation's media relations (earned media) efforts as well as the development and project management of sponsored content and advertorial stories via media partnerships
• Build and maintain media contact database
• Draft press releases, media advisories, media pitches, briefing materials, backgrounders, bios and key messages
• Support in scheduling, logistics, on-site media management (as required) and preparing spokespeople for media interviews
• Research potential media targets and help compile information for outreach
• Earned media pitching to journalists and news outlets as required
• Collaborate cross-functionally to identify and develop compelling stories that support fundraising and events efforts, highlighting UHN's impact, breakthroughs and donor-supported initiatives

Media Monitoring and Reporting

• Track media coverage and produce weekly, monthly and quarterly reports
• Conduct proactive daily media scans to track trends, identify potential opportunities as well as emerging issues
• Compile press clippings and coverage reports
• Support evaluation of PR efforts by organizing data, metrics, and insights

Ambassador Program

• Support the administration of the Foundation's Ambassador Program including updating program materials, consent form management, bios/backgrounders/story abstracts, and building and maintaining story bank/ambassador database
• Work closely with the PR Manager to support PR and cross-functional ambassador engagement opportunities, story development, celebrity promo, etc.
• Conduct media monitoring and social listening to actively bring forward new patient story opportunities
• Assist with grateful patient and donor ambassador screening and onboarding
• Co-ordinate schedules and logistics for social media/video content capture, celebrity visits, etc.

Corporate Communications

• Support with multi-touchpoint communications planning and rollout for announcements, new initiatives, gift announcements and issues
• Work closely with UHN Communications & Brand Strategy team for internal communications and staff engagement opportunities
• Develop key messages, FAQ, written email communications as needed
• Support with Foundation thought leadership as needed

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Post-secondary education in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or a related field
• Minimum two to three years of experience in PR or communications, ideally in health care, non-profit, agency or media environments
• Strong writing, editing, and research skills with a deep understanding of digital and social media content
• Journalistic mindset to be able to identify, pitch and pursue stories, interview subjects as needed
• Strong organizational skills with high attention to detail and quality
• Ability to work on multiple projects at once and meet tight deadlines
• Familiarity with media monitoring and social media tools is an asset

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Fast-paced, service and results oriented environment
• May have some activity outside of the office to support meetings
• The Foundation has a hybrid work model. Staff will be required to have a safe home office set-up 3-4 days per week and will be in office for 1-2 days per week, (specifics to be planned with your manager.)
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues in all positions throughout the Foundation
• Shared commitment and support of the overall Foundation goals

Alongside competitive salaries, we offer an extensive benefits package, flexible work arrangements, growth and development opportunities, defined benefits pension plan, birth parent/parental leave top-up, extended long weekends around statutory holidays and more.

University Health Network thanks all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. UHN has a diverse workforce and is an equal-opportunity employer.

Please note:
All applicant screening and evaluation for this role are carried out manually by our recruitment team. We do not leverage AI in any part of the hiring process.