Director of Communications

Location: Mississauga, Ontario

Hybrid: 3 days/week onsite

Department: Corporate Communications

Reports To: VP, Communications, Government Affairs & Market Access

Job Purpose: 

At GSK, we’re on a mission to improve the lives of billions by uniting science, technology, and talent. We believe in doing what’s right, and we’re looking for a dynamic and visionary Communications Director to help us amplify our impact.  

In this role, you’ll lead a passionate team, shape our company’s reputation, and craft communication strategies that resonate across the healthcare industry. If you're a strategic leader with a passion for storytelling and building meaningful connections, join us in shaping the future of global healthcare, both inside and outside the organization. Let’s make a difference together 

Details (Your Responsibilities):

This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career, these responsibilities include some of the following…

Department Oversight 

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of communications and linguistics professionals, fostering a collaborative, high performing environment that encourages ownership, curiosity and solutions-focus.  

• Supervise the management of budgets allocated for linguistics, corporate reputation, media and communication strategies and tactics, ensuring cost-effective deployment of resources while maintaining impactful execution. 

Corporate Reputation & Executive Counsel 

• Lead the identification and prioritization of proactive media outreach and PR opportunities that align with the organization’s corporate reputation objectives and strategic business priorities. 

• Oversee the development of integrated communication campaigns across multiple channels, ensuring consistency in messaging and alignment with broader organizational goals. 

• Provide senior-level counsel to the Leadership Team, guiding the strategic direction of both internal and external communication initiatives to ensure alignment with company values and corporate reputation goals. 

• Oversee the development and implementation of communication strategies that equip leadership to articulate and embed the company’s narrative both internally and externally. 

Market Access & Policy Communications 

• Design and implement communication strategies in collaboration with government affairs and market access teams to support market access objectives and policy initiatives. 

• Direct the development of media strategies to ensure effective communication of key policy messages. 

• Ensure effective and consistent communication strategies for therapeutic area and customer-facing employees, promoting transparency, open dialogue, and alignment with the company’s messaging. 

Disease/Product Communications 

• Execute and oversee high-level strategic initiatives, including national and regional product launch communications, post-market approval communications, and disease awareness campaigns. 

• Guide communication strategies designed to build brand equity, raise awareness, and deliver consistent messaging to diverse audiences, including customers, consumers, and employees. 

Employee-Centric Communications 

• Guide internal communication strategies that foster employee engagement, particularly during periods of organizational change and transformation. 

Crisis and Issues Management 

• Provide counsel and support for effective issues management, ensuring that company positions are clearly communicated during times of crisis or reputational risk. 

• Act as a key advisor on messaging during critical moments, while ensuring that company spokespeople are aligned and well-prepared. 

Stakeholder Engagement & Industry Trends 

• Drive efforts to actively listen to and engage key internal and external stakeholders, gathering insights to inform the development of communication strategies. 

• Ensure tailored communication plans that resonate across different channels, ensuring alignment with stakeholder needs, including patients, healthcare professionals, payors, and other key groups. 

• Maintain oversight of industry trends, regulatory changes, and the evolving political environment, using this knowledge to inform communication strategies and ensure alignment with market dynamics. 

Why you?

Basic Qualifications:

• Min. 10 years experience in communications, public relations and media relations (Proactive and issues management), with at least 5 years in a leadership role with demonstrated people-management experience, preferably in the pharmaceutical or healthcare sector. 

• Degree in journalism or Public Relations/Communications required / or combination of education and experience in the communication and healthcare media field 

• Track record of strong interactions with media across channels 

• Strong understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory environment, and healthcare communication standards in Canada. 

• Demonstrated capability to operate in a fast paced, multi-priority and changing environment to deliver strategic projects on time and within budget 

Skills:  

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. 

• Proven ability to lead and inspire a communications team. 

• Crisis communication expertise, particularly in highly regulated environments. 

• Strong relationship-building skills with media, internal teams, and external stakeholders. 

• Experience with digital and social media strategies; multi-channel, social and digital communications experience within a regulated industry; firm grasp of social media tools and platforms including LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter)  

• Excellence in core communications competencies such as: Audience Understanding, Purposeful Writing, Oral Communications/Listening, Communication Planning/Measurement, Internal Communications, External Communications, Executive Counsel, Stakeholder Mapping, Project Management, Creating Communications 

• Demonstrated success and growing excellence in Communications Advisor/Coach, Stakeholder Management, External Perspective, Strategic Thinking/Vision, Negotiation and Outcomes Focus 

• Issues management experience within a regulated industry (and through a matrix organization) 

• Fluent in English; bilingualism (English/French) is an asset. 

#LI-GSK

#LI-HYBRID