An exciting Senior Leadership Opportunity
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
Island Health, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
As one of BC’s five health authorities, with over 20,000 employees and 1,700 physician partners, Island Health provides a comprehensive range of progressive health services to the 765,000 residents of Vancouver Island and adjacent coastal communities. Four years running, Island Health has been selected as one of BC’s and Canada’s Top 100 Employers.
The Vice President (VP), Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, serves as a key strategist working closely with the Board, the President and CEO, the Executive Team, senior leadership and key stakeholders to proactively identify community engagement and communications opportunities and risks. This position provides strategic direction on all matters that impact corporate reputation and position within the health sector and in the public sphere. This includes: Creating communications and engagement strategies for key stakeholders including staff, physicians, patients, communities, government and other agencies; crisis and issues management; media relations; reputation management, branding and marketing and digital communications (social, web and media engagement). The Vice President also coordinates our strategic engagement with community organizations to promote health and wellness, and supports effective government relations as it relates to the communication portfolio in collaboration with members of the Executive Team.
Key Responsibilities include:
- Creating a best-in-class communications and engagement function by developing a short-term, mid-term and longterm roadmap for evolving existing communications programs, initiatives, approaches and measure metrics;
- Providing strategic counsel to the Board Chair, the President and CEO and senior leadership within the organization on all matters related to communications and stakeholder engagement;
- Focusing on engaging the internal Island Health community including staff, physicians, volunteers and learners working holistically across all of Island Health to obtain relevant information and to disseminate communication expertise, tools and content across multiple channels;
- Serving as the key liaison for Foundations and Auxiliaries with the organization and the executive;
- Fostering ongoing relationships with local, regional and provincial government bodies;
- Leading and engaging a team of professionals to deliver communication strategies related to key organizational change initiatives, for example those associated with IHealth and Primary Healthcare strategies.
Qualifications
As a seasoned communications professional preferably with experience in a healthcare setting you have a broad understanding of health issues and how they impact diverse communities. You have successfully helped teams manage change strategically and proactively and you possess a demonstrated ability to build consensus within multidisciplinary groups. You have a Master’s Degree in Communications, Public Relations with at least 15 years’ experience in progressively more complex roles. These should include involvement, at an executive leadership level, in strategic communications, planning and delivering of a range of corporate communications and stakeholder engagement within a large, complex, multi-site organization, delivering service throughout several locations with multiple partners and stakeholders. You have excellent writing, public speaking and presentation skills. A Certified Health Executive designation would be an asset as would a designation from an internationally recognized Public Relations professional organization (IABC/CPRS).
For more information and to apply:
For direct inquiries or questions, please contact the Office of the President and CEO at 250.370.8692.
To apply for this exciting opportunity at Island Health, please forward your CV by email, in confidence, by 12 p.m. on March 1, 2017 to Carol Fuller, Director, HR Client Services at carol.fuller@viha.ca.
Thank you for your interest in this position. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. For more information about Island Health, visit our website: www.viha.ca
