Vice-President, Communications

CAREER OPPORTUNITY | Vice-President, Communications | Toronto, ON

Who we are

Since 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has been championing issues that directly affect Canadians and the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. IBC is the national industry association representing Canada’s private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90% of the P&C insurance market in Canada.

IBC’s vision is for consumers and governments to trust, value and support our industry and the products it sells. The IBC team is on the front line in creating and maintaining relationships with governments and regulators, contributing to public policy objectives on files as diverse as earthquake and extreme weather preparedness, emergency response, auto insurance, financial sector regulation, public safety awareness and financial literacy. 

 

We work with many stakeholders to promote systems that foster competition and attract capital. Healthy competition benefits consumers by providing the best array of choice and pricing. We also identify emerging issues and work to shape responses that promote a sustainable and affordable business environment. A well-informed and well-served consumer is central to IBC’s vision for the marketplace.

 

IBC helps keep the insurance industry strong, and the industry helps power Canada’s economy by assuming the risk inherent in running a business, owning a home or driving a car.

 

What we need

 

Directly reporting to the President and CEO, the Vice-President, Communications, is a critical senior position within IBC, helping shape and execute advocacy strategies and leading the writing, digital and traditional media strategy, internal communications and events functions. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, leader, coach, team player and experienced manager of people. 

 

The role requires outstanding communication skills, the ability to build and nurture relationships across all of IBC’s departments, and a leader who understands the intersection between communications, policy and advocacy. An important part of the role is to work with IBC’s regional vice-presidents in the development and execution of advocacy strategies across the country.

 

IBC produces hundreds of written materials each year, including speeches, reports, articles, op-eds, key messages, position papers, news releases, brochures, member communications, correspondence and online content. It is also involved in over 200 events every year, from IBC-hosted symposiums and speaking engagements, to sponsorships, in-the-community consumer outreach and trade shows.

 

The Vice-President, Communications, ensures the department is producing the highest-quality communications products to meet IBC’s communication needs. The Vice-President, Communications, will oversee a highly collaborative team that ensures IBC’s communications functions are serving the organization’s needs, and will ensure all areas are operating in a coordinated fashion to maximize their effectiveness.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Manages a department of communications experts consisting of directors, managers, communications strategists, business partners, event specialists and graphic designer
  • Acts as a generator of communications ideas for consideration by IBC departments, including government relations teams
  • Executes government relations communications initiatives under the guidance of IBC’s government relations teams
  • Develops and executes crisis communications protocols and capacity to form quick and effective messaging that positions the industry as a credible source of information
  • Works with the communications team to create a social, digital and traditional media strategy that contributes to IBC’s brand reputation
  • Ensures the team delivers a high level of quality of materials, including consideration of their visual impact
  • Ensures fast delivery of urgent materials and oversees the execution of long-term projects
  • Ensures seamless execution of all events, speaking engagements and sponsorships
  • Understands the strategic goals of any given event and oversees content creation for events
  • Seeks out speaking engagement opportunities where IBC can raise its profile and the profile of its President and CEO and advance its priority issues, and makes strategic decisions about event sponsorship opportunities
  • Identifies and collaborates with subject-matter experts across the organization to ensure accuracy of communications materials
  • Proactively follows mainstream and insurance trade media to identify opportunities and challenges that require written responses
  • Ensures a high level of service to IBC members in delivery of IBC products and services
  • Maintains strong knowledge of IBC issues, priorities, products and services
  • Mentors and coaches employees
  • Acts as a key member of IBC’s Executive Committee

 

Qualifications:

  • Significant communications experience (15+ years) with a degree in communications, marketing or related area
  • Strong leadership, strategic thinking and presentation skills
  • Exceptional writing skills and demonstrated ability to produce a wide variety of communications materials
  • Experience in crisis communications
  • Effective public speaker
  • Experience managing and motivating a diverse team of communications professionals
  • Experience working with, and influencing, multiple stakeholders
  • Experience managing vendor relationships
  • Experience managing a budget
  • Extremely well organized and detail-oriented
  • Possesses a hands-on, get-the-job-done attitude
  • Ability to work under pressure and under tight deadlines
  • Effective relationship-building skills, comfortable working independently and as part of a team, and adaptable to changing work volumes and timelines
  • Team player within and across departments

Assets:

  • Political and/or media relations experience
  • Masters of Business Administration
  • Knowledge of the P&C insurance industry
  • Understanding of trade associations, their relationship to government, and how to maximize the membership experience
  • Strong understanding of digital and social media best practices
  • Bilingualism (French and English)

 

If the above describes your skill set and you are looking for an opportunity to build on your proven track record and take on a challenging new role, we should talk.

Start the conversation by sending your resumé to:

 

Insurance Bureau of Canada

Contact: Azan Khan

Manager, Recruitment & Training

careers@ibc.ca

www.ibc.ca