Communications Lead

Organization: St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake
Position Title: Communications Lead
Reports to: Manager, Staffing and Volunteer Services
Location: Elliot Lake, Ontario

Click here for the full job description.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Should you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact the following:

Human Resources Department – [email protected]

We offer competitive salary and vacation, extended health, dental benefits, and a pension plan through HOOPP.

RECRUITMENT NOTICE

This posting represents a current vacancy and will remain active until filled. Please note that our recruitment team does not use AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants.

ACCESSIBILITY

SJGHEL is an equal opportunity employer and provides accommodations upon request in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH’S GENERAL HOSPITAL

St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake (SJGHEL) is a patient focused, community driven, and quality-oriented healthcare organization dedicated to providing safe, high-quality care to the communities we serve. We are committed to advancing healthcare excellence across rural Northern Ontario, strengthening interprofessional collaboration, enhancing quality and safety, and ensuring accessible, patient centered care for all.

` Communications Lead Location: Elliot Lake, Ontario Salary: $89,784 - $103,183 Join St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake as our Communications Lead Shape the Message. Tell the Story. Strengthen Community Connection. St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake (SJGHEL) is a patient focused, community driven, and quality oriented healthcare organization dedicated to providing safe, high-quality care to the communities we serve. We are committed to advancing healthcare excellence across rural Northern Ontario, strengthening interprofessional collaboration, enhancing quality and safety, and ensuring accessible, patient centered care for all. SJGHEL is seeking a dynamic and highly skilled Communications Lead to guide and deliver all internal and external communications across the organization. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic thinker and strong storyteller to elevate the hospital’s voice, strengthen community engagement, and support organizational priorities through clear, consistent, and impactful messaging. Please note: this position requires full-time on-site presence at St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake in Elliot Lake, Ontario. Remote or hybrid work arrangements are not available for this role. Reporting to the Manager, Staffing and Volunteer Services, the Communications Lead is responsible for planning, developing, and executing comprehensive communication strategies across multiple platforms, including media relations, digital channels, and stakeholder engagement. As the organization’s sole communications resource, this role leads content creation, supports leadership messaging, manages media inquiries, and ensures communications are timely, accurate, and aligned with SJGHEL’s mission and brand. The role also plays a key part in crisis and issues communications, internal communications, and organizational storytelling that highlights the impact of care delivered at SJGHEL. The successful candidate will bring post-secondary education in Communications, Public Relations, or a related field, along with a minimum of five years of experience in a complex, fast-paced communications environment. Experience in healthcare, not-for-profit, or public sector settings is considered an asset. They are an exceptional writer and editor with sound judgment, proven experience in media relations and crisis communications, and the ability to translate complex information into clear, engaging content for diverse audiences. Collaborative and adaptable, they bring a passion for meaningful communication that drives community impact. At SJGHEL, where your work directly supports better care for our community, set against a culture of compassion and purpose. This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on healthcare in Northern Ontario while enjoying the exceptional quality of life found in Elliot Lake and surrounding communities. To view the full job description and apply please go to our careers website at Current Openings - St. Joseph's General Hospital Elliot Lake. Please note that our recruitment team does not use AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants. This posting represents a new vacancy and will remain active until filled; however, the search committee will begin to review resumes August 31, 2026. We offer competitive salary and vacation, extended health and dental benefits, a pension plan through HOOPP! SJGHEL is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer. We are committed to meeting the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Accommodations are available upon request. JOB DESCRIPTION JOB TITLE: Communications Lead DATE PREPARED: June 1, 2026 DEPARTMENT: People and Corporate Affairs DATE REVISED: PROGRAM: Staffing and Volunteer LOCATION: SJGHEL Services AFFILIATION: Non-Union PAYBAND: Grade 5 KEY FUNCTION: This role is responsible for leading, planning and delivering all internal and external communications for St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake (SJGHEL), supporting organizational priorities, programs, and public awareness. As the sole communications resource, the position is responsible for planning, developing, and executing strategic communications across multiple channels, including media relations, digital platforms, and stakeholder engagement. The role ensures consistent, clear, and timely messaging that reflects the hospital’s mission and brand, while effectively managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Working closely with departments, leadership and external partners, this role also contributes to enhancing the hospital’s profile within the community. As part of a small collaborative team this position also provides cross-coverage and operational support to the Foundation Strategist. Both roles are expected to maintain a strong understanding of each other’s portfolios to ensure continuity of operations during absence and peak periods. REPORTING: Under the general direction of the Manager, Staffing and Volunteer Services. DUTIES: 1. Develops and delivers core communication materials such as communication plans, speaking remarks, key messages, social media content, reports, and presentations 2. Manages the creation and delivery of strategic communications, including content development, community engagement, and brand representation across all media platforms. 3. Supports the management of relationships with media outlets, including drafting media advisories and coordinating responses to media inquiries. 4. Maintains and updates the hospital’s intranet and publishes social media posts to ensure timely, relevant, and consistent communication. 5. Facilitates the development and dissemination of information during emergencies or critical incidents. 6. Builds strong relationships with hospital partners, including staff, physicians, volunteers, patients, etc. to gather insights and relevant content to inform and drive communication activities. JOB DESCRIPTION 7. Leads and supports the evolution of the organization’s brand, advancing consistent branding across all platforms while establishing and maintaining clear brand and writing standards. 8. Researches, writes, and edits engaging and compelling content that advances SJGHEL’s profile through storytelling. 9. Oversees and supports the planning and execution of corporate communication campaigns. 10. Provides a full range of communications support including writing, media relations, issues management, event planning, crisis communications, and internal and external communications. 11. Supports the execution of communication plans that are aligned with and in support of SJGHEL’s strategic and operational plans. 12. Acts as the organizational and subject matter expert on key communication functions within the organization, including, providing strategic oversight and management of Media relations, social media, website/intranet, or e-newsletters. 13. Oversees communication campaigns and assists with event logistics, including liaising with external vendors, as required. 14. Develops and manages social media content and conducts ongoing evaluation and performance of campaigns using relevant metrics and data. 15. Supports the development and implementation of internal communications plans and materials, including e-bulletin content, memos, FAQs, briefing notes, presentations, etc. 16. Creates compelling content tailored to targeted audiences and optimizing for distribution across multiple platforms. 17. Occasional evening and weekend work is required to support events, campaigns and organizational priorities. 18. Participates in management on-call coverage within a rotation of leaders as required. QUALIFICATIONS EDUCATION AND TRAINING: 1. Post-secondary education in Communications, Public Relations or related field. EXPERIENCE: 1. Minimum of 5 years of experience working in communications in a complex, fast-paced organization. 2. Experience in healthcare, not-for-profit or public sector environments is considered an asset. 3. Proven ability to support senior leadership with key messaging, briefing materials and public facing communications. 4. Demonstrated expertise in managing media relations, issues management, and crisis communications. JOB DESCRIPTION KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES: 1. Knowledge of, and willingness to support SJGHEL’s Mission, Vision & Values of Compassion, Humility & Harmony, Respect, Integrity, Social Responsibility and The Sacredness of Life 2. Strong time management, prioritization, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities effectively. 3. Well developed analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, with sound decision making skills. 4. Leadership capability, including the ability to take initiative, work independently, and drive results. 5. Strong attention to detail to produce content that is accurate and error-free. 6. Proficiency in social media platforms and digital engagement tools. 7. Effective project management and multitasking skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple initiatives simultaneously. 8. Outstanding written communications skills, including the ability to appropriately tailor messages for identified target audiences. 9. Ability to exercise discretion, sound judgment, and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive information. 10. Proven ability to identify issues, implement improvements, and evaluate outcomes to support continuous improvement. 11. Demonstrated excellent computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook) and patient information systems. 12. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build strong relationships. 13. Tact, diplomacy, and professionalism in managing sensitive matters and stakeholder interactions. 14. Ability to comprehend and translate complex information into plain language for a lay audience. 15. Excellent proofreading and editing skills. PERSONAL SUITABILITY: 1. Flexibility to work varied hours as required. 2. Ability to develop partnerships and collaborative processes across the organization. 3. Works effectively both independently and as part of a team. 4. Commitment to ongoing professional development. 5. Maintains professionalism when handling confidential and sensitive matters. 6. Positive performance history with strong attendance. 7. Meets the physical and sensory demands of the position. 8. Ability to travel between local sites. OTHER: Bilingualism is an asset