Director, Public Affairs and Regional Lead

About us

At NATIONAL, we are driven by purpose, creativity, and connection. For 50 years, our teams across Canada have been delivering strategic communications expertise that helps organizations shape conversations that matter.

NATIONAL is seeking a senior communications leader for Newfoundland and Labrador. While this opportunity is currently posted at the Director level, we welcome interest from experienced communications professionals and seasoned executives, with level, scope, and title to be considered based on experience, capability, and market presence.

This is a rare opportunity for someone who knows the province, understands how decisions are made, and can move confidently between public affairs, government relations, corporate communications, and marketing conversations.

Our Newfoundland and Labrador presence is an important part of our Atlantic and national network. We work with clients across sectors, regions, and issues, helping them navigate complex environments, build trust, and communicate with clarity. With a strong local and regional foundation and access to the full strength of NATIONAL’s offices across Canada, this role offers the opportunity to help shape what comes next in one of the country’s most distinctive and strategically important markets.

The role

This is a hands-on, senior market-building opportunity for someone who wants to be both strategic and practical, visible and grounded, independent and deeply connected to a national team. We are looking for an entrepreneurial leader who can help grow NATIONAL’s presence in Newfoundland and Labrador while contributing to client work across Atlantic Canada and the broader NATIONAL network. Whether you’re currently living in the region, or looking to return home, the ideal candidate is deeply connected to the province. They understand the local business, political, and community landscape, and they bring the judgment, presence, and credibility to advise executives, engage stakeholders, and represent NATIONAL in the market.

Our office is located within the Board of Trade in St. John’s, offering a strong connection to the local business community and an energizing space for client work, collaboration, and growth.

What you will do

As a key member of the Atlantic and Canadian Advisory and Public Affairs practice team, you will provide senior counsel to clients navigating complex communications, public affairs, and reputational challenges. Our roster of clients are closely connected to the biggest opportunities and challenges NL is facing. You will bring a strong understanding of government, business, community, and media environments in Newfoundland and Labrador, with particular interest in sectors such as energy, defense, economic development, healthcare and other areas shaping the future of the province. Ideally, your experience and skillset can contribute to client needs outside of NL and outside of Atlantic Canada.

You will help lead and grow client relationships, identify new opportunities, and connect clients with the right expertise from across NATIONAL. You will be expected to work independently, think strategically, and manage mandates with confidence, while also knowing when and how to bring in colleagues from other offices and practice areas.

You will represent NATIONAL in the Newfoundland and Labrador market, helping to strengthen our visibility, relationships, and reputation. You will be comfortable in a boardroom, at a community event, in a government relations discussion, or in a marketing strategy conversation. You do not need to be a specialist in every discipline, but you should be an integrated thinker who understands how public affairs, communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement, and reputation intersect. In this role, you will be part of the broader.

What you bring

You are someone excited about local and regional connectivity and are a trusted advisor with strong judgment, sound instincts, and the ability to build relationships across sectors. You are self-motivated and credible with executives, comfortable with elected officials and senior public servants, and able to speak naturally with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

You likely bring:

• Senior experience in public affairs, government relations, strategic communications, crisis communications, public relations, or a related professional services environment
• Strong knowledge of Newfoundland and Labrador’s political, business, community, and media landscape
• Experience or strong familiarity with sectors such as energy, defense, infrastructure, natural resources, economic development, or other regulated or high-profile industries
• The ability to lead client relationships, provide wise counsel, and manage complex mandates with limited day-to-day oversight
• A practical understanding of marketing and integrated communications, with the ability to contribute meaningfully to broader brand, reputation, and campaign conversations
• Strong writing, presentation, facilitation, and relationship-building skills
• An entrepreneurial mindset and interest in helping grow NATIONAL’s presence in Newfoundland and Labrador
• The ability to collaborate across offices, especially with Atlantic Canada, Ottawa, and other teams across the NATIONAL network
• A degree or equivalent experience in communications, public relations, political science, business, public policy, journalism, marketing, or a related field

How you work

You are strategic, but not removed from the work. You can see the larger picture, identify what matters, and turn advice into action. You are calm under pressure, clear in your counsel, and comfortable working in situations where the path forward is not always obvious. You have good judgement.

You build trust easily. You are good in a room, thoughtful in your approach, and able to move between senior executives, community leaders, public officials, colleagues, and clients with confidence and respect. You are a good writer and easily adjust to different mediums and audiences. You are collaborative, but highly self-sufficient. You can build something without needing a large local team around you, and you know how to draw on the strength of a national network when clients would benefit from additional expertise.

You are values-driven, discreet, adaptable, and committed to excellent client service.

What we offer

• The opportunity to help shape NATIONAL’s value as a consultancy in Newfoundland and Labrador
• A senior, market-facing role with room to grow based on experience, capability, and ambition
• A connected national platform with strong Atlantic Canadian collaboration
• Exposure to meaningful client work across public affairs, government relations, corporate communications, marketing, and reputation
• A dynamic, entrepreneurial environment with the support of one of Canada’s most respected communications consultancies
• Competitive compensation, commensurate with level and experience
• Hybrid flexibility with an expectation of meaningful presence in the St. John’s market
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do

How to apply

Qualified candidates are invited to apply by submitting a resume and a brief cover letter outlining their interest in the role, connection to Newfoundland and Labrador, and relevant experience.

NATIONAL is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Should you require accommodation during the selection process, please inform us.

Please note that only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. As part of our recruitment process, we use artificial intelligence tools to assist with the screening, assessment, and selection of applicants for this role. Thank you for considering a career with NATIONAL.

NATIONAL Public Relations provides creative communications solutions that move people in thought and actions. We bring together a team of 300 seasoned professionals, who are committed to helping organizations of all sizes and in all sectors understand their challenges and opportunities and solve the issues they are facing. For 47 years, NATIONAL has been at the center of issues and industries that matter, leading change for today and tomorrow.

NATIONAL is Canada’s leading public relations firm, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax and St. John’s. Its network includes Time & Space, a leader in media strategy, data analysis, planning and execution.

NATIONAL Public Relations is an AVENIR GLOBAL company, the largest Canadian-owned global communications firm, ranked among the 25 largest in the world with offices in 23 locations across Canada, the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. For more information about NATIONAL, please visit ourwebsite or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

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