Mgr, Media Relations & Influencer Engagement

Job title

Manager, Media Relations & Influence Engagement

Department

Brand, Storytelling & Communications

Reports to

Senior Director, Strategic Storytelling & Communications

Salary range

$77,000 to $88,000

Job type

Full-Time, Permanent, Hybrid working 2-3 days per week

Location

Toronto, Ontario

Posting period

2026-02-24

The opportunity

Are you motivated by the chance to help ensure all young people in Canada can access mental health support and Feel Out Loud? Kids Help Phone (KHP) is Canada’s Unlock The Hope Youth Charity. We’re the first and only 24/7 e-mental health service in the country and a global leader in innovation for youth and their well-being.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Strategic Storytelling & Communications, the successful candidate will lead Kids Help Phone’s media relations, influencer engagement, and thought leadership efforts to strengthen our public profile and impact. This role is responsible for building and managing national media relationships, identifying and engaging influencers who align with our mission, and positioning Kids Help Phone and Kids Help Phone Foundation as trusted experts and innovators in youth mental health.

Through proactive storytelling and strategic partnerships, the Manager helps amplify our brand, programs, and services—ensuring our voice reaches young people, supporters, and communities across Canada. It’ll take courage, collaboration, innovation, resilience and trust. If you’re interested in transforming e-mental health solutions with KHP, you can explore this opportunity today!

The responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all incoming media inquiries, assessing opportunities and potential risks and determining appropriate responses and spokespersons
• Lead proactive and reactive media relations, including pitching stories, writing press releases and thought leadership content, coordinating interviews, and preparing briefing materials for spokespeople
• Build and maintain strong, strategic relationships with journalists, media outlets, and influencers to elevate Kids Help Phone’s public profile
• Develop and execute media relations plans for key programs, announcements, campaigns, and milestones, including media monitoring, reporting, and impact measurement
• Lead influencer engagement strategies that align with organizational priorities and amplify key messages across relevant channels
• Support and coordinate speaking opportunities, external events, and press conferences, including conference and webinar participation
• Provide media training and guidance to staff and leaders across the organization
• Monitor emerging issues, trends, and current affairs, activating internal teams as needed to respond to opportunities or risks
• Support crisis communications planning and response, as required
• Track and report on media and influencer impact through regular updates and performance reporting

The qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience
• Proven experience in media relations and public relations, with strong national media relationships or the ability to quickly build them
• Demonstrated experience executing influencer campaigns, media announcements, and proactive PR initiatives
• Strong media judgment with the ability to assess opportunities, manage risk, and advise on appropriate responses
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling messages for diverse audiences
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• A strategic thinker who can develop plans, execute effectively, and pivot as needed
• Collaborative by nature, with strong relationship-building skills and experience working cross-functionally
• Ability to remain calm and focused under pressure, including during time-sensitive or high-profile situations
• Post-graduate education in corporate communications and/or French language skills are considered assets

Don’t meet every qualification listed? Studies often report equity-deserving people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every requirement. KHP is dedicated to building a more diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your experience doesn’t align with every qualification, we welcome you to apply anyway. You may have the qualifications / experience for this role or other opportunities at KHP!

The application process

To apply for this opportunity, you can tap the “Apply” button on this page and follow the on-screen instructions.

About KHP, Canada’s Unlock The Hope Youth Charity

Kids Help Phone (KHP) is Canada’s only free, national, 24/7, multilingual and confidential e-mental health service for youth to get help and Feel Out Loud. Since 1989, KHP has been the empowering, trusted changemaker giving young people’s feelings, big and small, a non-judgmental place to go through personalized well-being solutions. A made-in-Canada, global leader, KHP continually evolves by blending data, innovation and technology with real human support and clinical knowledge to unlock the hope young people need to thrive in their world. Explore help for all the feelings at KidsHelpPhone.ca.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)

KHP has a role to play in effecting social change and advancing equity. This is why the practice of IDEA is critical to us. KHP has a long history of celebrating and advancing IDEA through our tailored programs, services, policies, initiatives and task forces with contributions and leadership from teams across the organization. We will not waver on these commitments and will continue leading the way in making the workplace, and the world young people live in, more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible.

We believe it’s critical that our services empower everyone who interacts with us to bring their authentic selves to an environment of mutual respect. An open and diverse community can foster the inclusion and amplification of voices that have been, and continue to be, underrepresented.

As such, we welcome applicants from equity-deserving communities (e.g. Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, etc.). We strongly believe that alleviating the underrepresentation of equity-deserving groups will help create a stronger KHP and help us better support the needs of youth from coast to coast to coast.

To learn more about how we are committed to advancing IDEA, you can explore KHP’s IDEA 2023–2027 Strategy and Action Plan.

Accommodations

KHP welcomes applications from people living with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request during any phase of the application / hiring process. If you’re contacted about an opportunity, you can reply and let us know if you require accommodations at any time.

Compensation and benefits

Salaries at KHP are determined by candidate experience, qualifications and specific skill sets, as well as market and operational considerations. Potential additional benefits at KHP include:

• Hybrid work model
• Comprehensive Employee Benefits Program
• Emergency Travel Assistance
• CAAT Pension Plan
• Wellness programs
• Recognition awards
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)

Candidate verification

The successful candidate for this opportunity will be asked to complete a background screen, which may include criminal, credit, employment and educational checks. All offers of employment are conditional on the receipt of satisfactory results of any applicable check.

Privacy

KHP cares about your privacy! We’re required to save select information about opportunities, applications and interviews for set periods of time. To learn more, you can explore KHP’s Privacy Policy or contact us using our general form.

Message to agencies

KHP doesn’t accept unsolicited phone calls, referrals and / or resumes from any source other than directly from candidates. KHP won’t consider unsolicited phone calls, referrals and / or resumes from vendors including and without limitation, search firms, staffing agencies, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies. The submission of unsolicited referrals and / or resumes by anyone other than a candidate directly to KHP is deemed gratuitous. KHP won’t be obligated or bound in any way to pay a referral or any other fee if a person referred to us from a source other than a direct candidate is subsequently hired.