Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care is a 315-bed academic and teaching hospital that provides specialized mental health, addiction and geriatric care. Located on the shores of Georgian Bay, Waypoint serves some of the most complex and disadvantaged individuals in Ontario and are the sole provider of high-secure forensic mental health services in the province. Waypoint’s 1,300+ staff improve lives and bring hope to people with mental illness and substance use issues.

The Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs (Director) is an important role at Waypoint. The Director supports and advances Waypoint’s strategic vision by enhancing Waypoint’s communications presence, including government relations, media relations, social media, stakeholder engagement, philanthropy, and community outreach. The Director will proactively elevate Waypoint’s profile by fostering relationships with media, partners, government entities, and potential donors through a comprehensive integrated communications and public affairs program. This initiative will target policymakers, funders, healthcare professionals, system leaders, and the community. The Director leads brand strategies to position Waypoint effectively, nurturing public awareness, goodwill, and support while building strategic influence and enhancing employee pride and affiliation.

The successful candidate will possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrating the ability to lead and mentor a team effectively. You should hold a graduate degree in a relevant discipline, along with 5-7 years of progressive experience in communications and public affairs, preferably gained within the healthcare sector, mental health and hospital experience being an asset. Your expertise should include strategic communications planning, branding, public and stakeholder engagement, media relations, digital communications, e-marketing, issues management, and internal communications. You will cultivate responsive and engaged teams, collaborating with various departments to execute communications and public affairs initiatives successfully. If you are an experienced communications professional passionate about driving impactful change, this is an opportunity to make a significant difference in mental health, addiction, and geriatric services.

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 2019 and all applicable provincial accessibility standards, upon request, accommodation will be provided by both Odgers Berndtson and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care throughout the recruitment, selection and / or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.

Odgers Berndtson is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in all the work that we do. As part of our efforts to better understand our ability to reach as broad a pool of candidates as possible for our searches, our DEI team would like to encourage you to take a moment and access our