Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications

ORGANIZATION:

Nature Conservancy of Canada

POSITION:     

Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications

LOCATION:      

Flexible (major Canadian urban centre)

POSITION DETAILS:  

Full Time, Permanent

REPORTS TO:        

President & CEO

DIRECT REPORTS:

Director of Corporate Communications, Director of Media Relations, Manager of Government Relations, Manager of French Language Services, Manager of Digital Services, and Communications & Administrative Assistant

WEBSITE  

https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/

THE ORGANIZATION

Taking care of our environment has never been more important than it is today. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for a Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications to join a team committed to protecting our most important natural areas that sustain all life.

NCC is the country’s leading nongovernmental land conservation organization. As a non-profit, charitable organization we work in partnership with individuals, Indigenous communities, corporations, governments, and other non-profit groups to protect our most important natural treasures and deliver nature-based solutions. We take a collaborative and evidence-based approach to deliver our mission. Since 1962 NCC and its partners have helped to conserve more than 15 million hectares, from coast to coast to coast. NCC has its national headquarters in Toronto and regional offices across the country.

The Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications is responsible for the leadership and oversight of NCC’s external communications program across Canada.

THE POSITION

Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the leadership position of VP, Public Affairs & Communications (VP), is an integral member of the Senior Management Team (SLT). The VP will establish and drive NCC’s corporate and external communications strategy, operating with a high degree of independence and accountability. Working closely with executive leads, the VP will increase awareness, advance thought leadership and strategic positioning, while upholding NCC’s prominent corporate reputation. The VP is responsible for championing strategic, creative, and consistent articulation of NCC’s ambition as well as promoting its progress, achievements and impacts to targeted audiences including partners, donors, influencers, and the public, in order to grow support and deliver the goals of NCC’s Strategic Plan.

The VP defines NCC’s corporate voice, working in collaboration with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to uphold and promote NCC’s brand and reputation.  The VP is accountable for developing consistent messaging for all stakeholders that clearly communicates NCC’s purpose, progress, and impact, and resonates with all relevant audiences. The VP provides communications leadership and strategic direction and frameworks to all operating units including seven regionally based units, to align actions and messages across the country and amplify NCC’s reach and impact. A supportive collaborator, the VP will work closely with the Marketing and Development team and other business units to ensure alignment of communications messages, events, and projects.

As a strategic advisor to the President and CEO, the VP develops, implements, and monitors NCC’s profile and engagement strategy with key influencers in industry and government. The VP tracks emerging issues that may impact NCC’s business, advising executive colleagues of potential impact and appropriate response.

The VP is responsible for the development, integration, and implementation of a broad range of activities relative to positioning the organization and its leadership with key audiences. They are an ambassador for NCC and lead a powerful and proactive media relations program, a thought-leadership program, and a robust content development service to advance NCC’s reputation with relevant constituents, as well as drive broader awareness and donor support.

The VP leads a creative team that plans and executes communications activities including, but not limited to, a corporate content strategy, public relations/issues management, media relations, and production of high-quality communications materials that highlight NCC’s work.

The VP is responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing, and measuring communications output and results. They will translate objectives into plans and tactics that leverage multiple platforms and channels.

As a change agent, the VP will be instrumental in reflecting NCC’s commitment to equity and inclusion, by ensuring NCC’s voice, communications platforms and products reflect the rich diversity of our communities.  The incumbent will promote alignment, capacity-building and innovation while supporting a culture of transparency, accountability, and empowerment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Planning

• Designs and coordinates effective strategic communications programs in alignment with NCC’s Strategic Plan.
• Establishes leadership and oversight through developing a planned approach for external communications per audience channel, to advance Strategic Plan priorities. Direct accountabilities include:

1. Corporate narrative/ content strategy
2. Public Relations
3. Proactive media relations
4. Reputation/ Issues Management
5. CEO and executive profiles
6. Content production (digital and print)
7. Design, alignment, and functionality of NCC website properties
8. Measurement and reporting

• Translates strategy into plan(s) to deliver an integrated communications program that raises awareness of NCC’s impact, success, and results.
• Advances NCC business priorities by effective communications through engagement with key audiences including stakeholders, partners, influencers, and the public.
• Develops integrated public and media relations strategies to support NCC as a leader in conservation (and conservation science).
• Collaborates across organization (and with cross-functional teams), to leverage and promote key NCC initiatives.
• Provides strategic direction and drives alignment of messages across regional operating units to achieve “One Conservancy” voice in service of consistent brand expression.
• Proactively builds awareness and familiarity by consistently embedding impact into external facing materials.
• Ensures policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines (PPSGs), resource materials and planning tools required to support NCC communicators are up to date and continually improved.
• Strategic contributor to cross-functional teams.
• Key advisor to executive suite on emerging issues, to mitigate risk and protect NCC’s reputation and brand.
• Builds relationships to seek and leverage opportunities for NCC growth and collaboration.
• Creates effective, proactive, targeted organizational communications for a broad range of audiences (current and prospective supporters, opinion leaders, decision makers, management team, media, general public, and others), reflecting a deep familiarity with NCC’s mission and core business.
• Creates content for and produces publications, video, or other materials that provide in-depth information highlighting NCC’s work for key audiences including opinion leaders, decision-makers, and current or potential investors in NCC’s business.
• Identifies and secures profile opportunities for NCC representatives including editorial boards, community organizations, forums etc.

Performance Monitoring

• Establishes benchmarks, defines metrics, and measures awareness, familiarity, reach and affinity to chart achievement of Strategic Plan goals.
• Identifies metrics and KPIs related to plan implementation, reporting regularly, quarterly, and annual results.
• Leverages data to recommend changes to content strategy and communications planning (across business units).
• Provides updates to the Board with regards to communications performance and awareness/familiarity tracking.

Coaching & Team Building

• Oversees and manages members of the communications and creative team and encourages cross-functional collaboration.
• Challenges, coaches, and supports team members to develop to their fullest potential and improve their overall contribution.
• Provides functional guidance and leadership to the extended network of communications professionals in the regional operating units.
• Designs and delivers training to build capacity and effectiveness of NCC spokespeople (briefs and supports as needed), storytelling and content production.
• Communicates effectively to ensure each team member understands their role and contribution in relation to NCC’s vision and Strategic Plan.
• Regularly connects with direct reports on progress to goals, supporting mitigation strategies.
• Manages a community of practice of Communications practitioners across NCC.
• Manages development of talent and promotes opportunities for skills development.

Delivery Optimization

• Builds trusting relationships with the regional business unit teams, national departments, peers, and vendors.
• Recommends improvements and implements innovative strategies to optimize delivery of communications program and projects, in service of NCC’s Strategic Plan.
• Oversees delivery of a full suite of French translation/ transcreation and editorial review services.

Government Relations

• Oversight for relationships with communications staff at both political and public service levels, to effectively communicate the results of government partnership programs.
• Leads strategy to increase provincial and federal government’s awareness of NCC, the achievements of partnership programs and NCC’s position as a leading land conservation organization.
• Organizes /tracks/coordinates /and reports on NCC government relations outreach including lobbying efforts (nationally and provincially).

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS·

• Minimum 10 years’ relevant experience in leadership roles with a focus on creation and delivery of external communications programs. This should include 5 years’ experience as a team lead managing a variety of creative collaborators and content creators.
• Strong project portfolio that clearly demonstrates ability to design and implement a communications initiative with measurable outcomes and deliverables.
• Experience working in different locations across Canada is an asset.
• Sensitivity for Canada’s regional specificities.
• Bilingualism French/English (oral and written) strongly preferred.
• A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in a discipline relevant to the position, such communications, public relations, marketing, or related field. An advanced degree is preferred. Candidates with equivalent combination of education and work experience may be considered.
• Knowledge or relevant experience in the not-for-profit sector an asset.

CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES

• Innovator, with track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and output.
• Articulate and persuasive communicator, written and oral, and including formal presentations.
• Ability to synthesize and sell concepts, inspire confidence, and gain consensus.
• Creative and thoughtful, regarding utilization of media technologies, especially digital and social media.
• Ability to utilize effective project management skills and apply to multiple projects.
• Experienced managing vendors/ suppliers for on time/ on budget delivery.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills; interacts in meaningful way with colleagues, donors, and internal/external partners.
• Commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
• Humble team builder.
• Ability to scale up and down effectively between strategy and hands-on execution.
• Personal commitment to nature and conservation.

COMPENSATION

A competitive compensation package including base salary and benefits will be provided.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply by email with your cover letter and resume by no later than April 25th, 2023. Send to: NCC@searchlightpartnersgroup.com

NCC is an equal-opportunity employer and committed to fair and accessible employment practices. We strongly support and value diversity in the workplace. Applications from all qualified candidates are welcome, and individuals from equity-seeking groups are encouraged to apply.

We thank applicants for their interest, however; only those advancing in the process will be contacted.