Senior Communications Specialist, Storytelling and Public Affairs

Senior Communications Specialist, Storytelling and Public Affairs

Black Women’s Institute for Health

Employment: Full time

Location: Ontario, with travel across Ontario and Canada as required

Reports to: Executive Director

Salary: $88,000 CAD annually, plus full benefits and participation in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)

Application: Submit a résumé and cover letter to info@bwhealthinstitute.com. Applications will be reviewed as received.

About the Institute

The Black Women’s Institute for Health is a Black led national charity advancing health equity for Black women and girls across the social determinants of health. Our work brings together systemic change, advocacy, and liberation through knowledge and care. We build community led programmes, generate and share evidence, and work with partners and decision makers to change the conditions shaping Black women’s health.

We value community knowledge, collaboration, accountability, care, and action, and expect the Specialist to bring initiative, humility, follow through, and respect for Black women’s stories and expertise.

The Opportunity

BWIH is seeking a seasoned communications professional who can turn evidence, relationships, community knowledge, and lived expertise into campaigns that move people and systems. This senior, hands on role leads communications strategy and personally delivers the work, from shaping a campaign and interviewing participants to arranging a filming location, capturing and editing video, producing public facing materials, and publishing content.

The successful candidate will help curate and preserve the story of BWIH, while working closely with the Executive Director to elevate her public profile and thought leadership. They will document the organization’s programmes, events, partnerships, campaigns, and milestones through writing, photography, video, and accessible digital archives. Government relations work will be supported by an external consultant. The Specialist will help set internal priorities with the Executive Director, oversee the consultant’s work, coordinate organizational input, and keep communications and follow through aligned with BWIH’s policy goals.

What You Will Lead

Integrated campaigns from idea to impact

• Develop campaign strategies that connect a clear change goal with the audiences, partners, messages, evidence, and actions needed to advance it.
• Build complete campaign plans across video, social media, web, email, media relations, public education, thought leadership, events, and partner channels.
• Manage the full production process, including story development, interview research and questions, participant outreach, informed consent, scheduling, location and space booking, run of show, equipment and production logistics, filming, editing, captions, approvals, and distribution.
• Personally produce and edit short form video and other digital content, using accessible formats, accurate captions, sound, graphics, and platform appropriate versions.
• Gather stories and expertise ethically, with clear consent, care for participant privacy, attention to power, and no pressure to disclose personal experiences.
• Coordinate internal contributors, community voices, subject matter experts, vendors, and partner organizations so campaign pieces are accurate, cohesive, and delivered on time.
• Create campaign calendars, briefs, content packages, production budgets, and practical tools that make it easy for partners and community members to participate.

Website strategy and content management

• Manage and curate the BWIH website as a clear, current home for the organization’s programmes, services, research, campaigns, events, and public resources.
• Regularly review website content and structure, identify gaps or outdated information, and write, edit, and streamline pages so visitors can find and understand what they need.
• Improve the website experience over time by strengthening navigation, accessibility, search visibility, and campaign landing pages, using audience feedback and website analytics to guide updates.
• Develop and coordinate web and digital advertising copy where appropriate, ensuring it reflects BWIH’s voice, advances campaign goals, and directs audiences to useful information or action.

Executive Director profile and organizational story stewardship

Partner with the Executive Director to shape and elevate her public profile, while curating BWIH’s story so the organization’s work, community contributions, milestones, and advocacy are told accurately and with context.

• Develop and manage a thought leadership pipeline, including op eds, opinion pieces, speeches, articles, interviews, panel contributions, briefings, and digital commentary.
• Identify timely opportunities for the Executive Director to contribute to public conversations, and prepare tailored pitches, key messages, talking points, briefing notes, and interview preparation.
• Plan for and attend selected panels, interviews, community events, programme activities, and public engagements to take photographs, film, record interviews and remarks, and turn important moments into accessible content for campaigns and public engagement.
• Maintain a well organized, searchable digital archive of BWIH’s photographs, videos, interviews, event records, campaign materials, annual reports, and Executive Director engagements. Add dates, captions, names, context, consent and usage permissions so the record can support future storytelling, reporting, and organizational memory.
• Treat documentation of the Executive Director’s public leadership as part of BWIH’s institutional record. Capture her media appearances, panels, speeches, advocacy, partnerships, and community engagement so her leadership and contribution to change can be accurately understood over time.
• Protect the Executive Director’s voice and time through thoughtful preparation, clear approvals, strong editorial judgement, and well planned communications support.

Strategic communications and public engagement

• Lead BWIH’s communications strategy, editorial planning, media relations, digital storytelling, brand consistency, and public engagement across channels.
• Lead BWIH’s annual report process from planning and content gathering through drafting, editing, design coordination, approvals, accessibility review, publication, and distribution. Coordinate contributions across teams so the report clearly presents programme outcomes, research, community stories, leadership messages, and approved organizational information.
• Turn research, programme learning, community priorities, and health information into clear and compelling messages for community members, media, funders, partners, and decision makers.
• Develop and oversee BWIH’s public facing materials, translating the organization’s evidence, programmes, services, and advocacy priorities into clear and accessible one pagers, pamphlets, brochures, fact sheets, reports, presentations, newsletters, web content, and digital resources.
• Develop and maintain relationships with journalists, producers, editors, sector communicators, and trusted community messengers.
• Prepare media materials, statements, key messages, presentations, newsletters, web copy, social content, and responses to time sensitive issues.
• Support communications for major initiatives, including Voices Unheard, the Health Equity for Black Women Act, national Black health equity policy work, and BWIH programmes and partnerships.
• Use accessible and culturally responsive communications practices, including plain language and inclusive formats. Coordinate qualified translation and language review so materials can reach French speaking audiences where needed.

Government relations consultant oversight and advocacy coordination

• Work with the Executive Director to define BWIH’s government relations priorities, desired policy outcomes, and internal measures of progress, with the external consultant leading specialized government relations strategy and engagement.
• Oversee and coordinate the external government relations consultant’s workplan, deliverables, timelines, and organizational fit. Ensure the work reflects BWIH’s priorities and that emerging risks, opportunities, and delays are brought to the Executive Director’s attention.
• Coordinate internal contributions and prepare evidence, background materials, briefing notes, meeting preparation, policy communications, and follow up actions in partnership with the Executive Director and consultant.
• Maintain a clear tracker of policy developments, consultations, meetings, commitments, partner actions, and next steps so BWIH can see what has moved and what requires attention.
• Support relationships and coalition work by coordinating shared communications, advocacy materials, and collective moments for action, while keeping Black women’s leadership and community accountability central.
• Align public communications with BWIH’s legislative and policy priorities, including the Health Equity for Black Women Act and development of a National Black Health Equity Framework.

Measurement, coordination, and stewardship

• Set meaningful indicators for campaign reach, engagement, media visibility, relationship development, policy movement, and audience action.
• Use audience feedback and performance data to learn, adapt, and improve campaigns without treating attention alone as evidence of change.
• Manage communications and government relations workplans, budgets, contractors, production resources, approvals, and reporting requirements.
• Work collaboratively with BWIH’s programme, research, clinical, operations, and leadership teams so external communications reflect the realities and strengths of the work.
• Document relationships, campaign assets, decisions, and lessons so organizational knowledge is shared and campaign momentum is sustained.

What You Bring

• At least seven years of progressive experience in strategic communications, public affairs, advocacy, journalism, or a related field, leading integrated campaigns from planning through delivery.
• Portfolio showing integrated campaigns, writing, video or multimedia production, audience engagement, and outcomes, with evidence of personal execution.
• Hands on video skills, including interview planning and production, sound and footage capture, platform edits, captions, and publication.
• Excellent writing and editorial judgement across op eds, speeches, media materials, campaign messages, policy communications, and public content.
• Experience preparing senior leaders for media, panels, public events, and other high visibility opportunities.
• Track record of building cross sector partnerships to advance shared advocacy goals.
• Working knowledge of Canadian government and policy processes, with judgement to oversee a government relations consultant and track agreed outcomes.
• Commitment to anti Black racism, equity, and social justice, applied through strategy, storytelling, and partnership.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, and emerging opportunities.
• Sound judgement with sensitive information, participant consent, public risk, and stories involving health, trauma, or discrimination.

Relevant education or experience in communications or public affairs is welcome. Experience advancing Black health equity and French language skills are assets.

Compensation, Benefits, and Pension

This position offers a salary of $88,000 CAD annually, full benefits, and participation in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP).

HOOPP is a defined benefit pension plan, providing a predictable monthly pension in retirement based on a formula that considers your earnings and years of service. Both you and BWIH contribute to the plan, helping you build long-term financial security alongside your salary and benefits.

How to Apply

Submit a résumé and cover letter to info@bwhealthinstitute.com. Applications will be reviewed as received.