Communications Specialist – CST Project

The Project

The Clinical & Systems Transformation (CST) Project is one of the largest health care projects in British Columbia’s history. It is a joint undertaking between Vancouver Coastal Health, the Provincial Health Services Authority and Providence Health Care to complete a significant transformation of clinical practices and systems. This is an exciting initiative that will deliver key benefits for our patients, health care providers and health organizations.

To learn more please visit www.cstproject.ca

The Role

Reporting to the Communications Director for the Clinical & Systems Transformation (CST) project, the Communications Specialist has a passion for delivering impactful campaigns and communications initiatives to meet communications objectives and support the successful delivery of the project.  The successful candidate is accountable for recommending approaches, planning, implementing and evaluating high-quality communications materials and strategic plans, as well as helping to build and protect the CST project’s reputation.

A strong critical thinker who is well-organized, deadline driven and able to effectively engage stakeholders at different levels, the successful applicant naturally enjoys identifying compelling stories to match audience interests; is an exemplary writer; and knows how to build and maintain content plans. Communicating with audiences across the three Health Organizations and within the project, this person is a flexible team-player who is able to understand the emerging communications needs of stakeholders and knows how to navigate through complexity.

Key Accountabilities:

• Delivering ongoing communications products, discrete campaigns and events from end to end (planning, implementation and evaluation) ensuring they are effective, on time and within budget.
• Identifying and writing compelling content and stories for a wide variety of audiences and channels.
• Building and maintaining content plans to support effective communications activities.
• Taking and writing effective briefs, and recommending approaches for new products to meet emerging needs.
• Providing high-quality support to the Communications Director and, as required, the project’s Leadership team, Change Management team and Transformational Learning team.
• Helping ensure all project partners, including intra-project audiences, have been effectively engaged.
• Identifying potential challenges and opportunities that could affect the success of the CST project as they arise and recommending approaches to address or capitalize on them.
• Using Visual Brand Guidelines and content standards to protect the project’s integrity.
• Engaging with a broad range of stakeholders both intra-project and across the three Health Organizations.
• Performing other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Education or experience equivalent to an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline such as Journalism, Communications, Marketing or Public Relations.
• A strong communicator with five (5) years’ recent, related experience.
• Experience planning and implementing integrated communications campaigns and measuring against objectives.
• Excellent writing, editing, proofreading and desktop publishing skills, with exemplary attention to detail.
• Excellent critical thinking skills coupled with the ability to produce effective products and campaigns and develop content plans.
• A solutions-focus, positive attitude, maturity and ability to engage a variety of busy stakeholders.
• Desktop publishing, basic design and video editing skills desirable, including Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Pro.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and coordinate events and forums for communications purposes.
• Demonstrated public sector experience and an understanding of complex change projects preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential and sensitive issues with skill, tact and diplomacy, and excellent decision making skills and flexibility to re-prioritize quickly to meet changing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and as a member of a team.
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to work well under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
• Strong supplier management experience with the ability to oversee the purchasing process.

To Apply

• Qualified applicants please submit a resume and covering letter quoting competition # 080676-obr.

Please Note:

• Hours of Work may vary due to project requirements
• Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for this posting
• Successful applicants may be required to complete a Criminal Records Review Check

Internal competition closes February 16, 2017. Internal applications received after this date will be considered as late applications.

***Employees of VCH must apply via the Internal Application Process. Refer to the staffpostings.vch.ca site for How to Apply instructions. Current VCH employees who apply to this posting using this external site will be considered as an external candidate. Seniority will not apply.***

Thank you for your interest in Vancouver Coastal Health.