Director of Communications

Job summary

The Director of Communications provides strategic leadership for the Communications and Citizen Engagement department, establishing the vision and governance frameworks for the organization. They are responsible for managing reputation, issues, and crisis communications while providing executive counsel to senior leadership.

Job details

POSITION TITLE: Director of Communications DEPARTMENT: Communications and Citizen Engagement CLASSIFICATION: MGEX-02 SALARY RANGE: Starting at $122,994.00 per Annum POSITION TYPE: Full-time, Permanent LOCATION: Saskatoon ACCOUNTABLE TO: Deputy Chief, Government & Public Relations Brief Overview: The Director of Communications provides strategic leadership for the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan's Communications and Citizen Engagement (CCE) department. As a member of the senior leadership team, the Director is responsible for establishing the vision, priorities, communications governance frameworks, and performance expectations that guide communications, citizen engagement, issues management, storytelling, creative services, events, and related functions across the organization. The Director ensures the department strengthens citizen trust, supports government priorities, protects and enhances organizational reputation, and builds meaningful relationships between citizens and their government. The role provides executive counsel to leadership, oversees departmental performance and resources, and ensures that communications and engagement activities are coordinated, culturally grounded, measurable, and aligned with the strategic direction of MN–S. Key Responsibilities: Distinctions-based Communications Management * Establish the departmental distinctions-based work plan, priorities, and measurable objectives for the communications function. * Align communications strategies with the MN-S Distinctions-Based Focus Plans, government priorities, and leadership direction. * Lead the planning, implementation and evaluation of government-wide, high-impact communications initiatives. Senior Leadership Counsel and Decision Support * Serve as the senior communications advisor to senior leadership. * Provide communications advice on interest holder impacts, public perception, and change initiatives. * Support executive communications, public positioning, and spokesperson readiness. * Provide recommendations to support informed decision-making on emerging communication opportunities and challenges. Reputation, Issues and Crisis Oversight * Oversee reputation management and issues management. * Assess emerging issues and advise leadership on response strategies. * Ensure crisis communications plans, protocols, and organizational readiness are maintained. * Provide oversight during significant issues, incidents, and crisis events. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Alignment * Build strong relationships across departments, ministries, leadership teams, and external partners. * Ensure communications considerations are integrated into planning, and major initiatives. * Promote coordination and alignment across communications, engagement, visual storytelling, creative, and operational functions. * Represent the communications function in organizational, interdepartmental, and distinctions-based focused planning discussions. Leadership, Management, and Accountability * Lead the communications teams by establishing clear priorities, expectations, and accountability for results. * Oversee departmental budgets, work plans, resource allocation, workforce planning, and professional development. * Establish, monitor, and report on departmental objectives, service standards, key performance indicators, and outcomes. * Prepare and submit reports, dashboards, briefing materials, budget updates, and operational performance summaries for executive leadership. * Other duties as assigned. Knowledge and Skills: * Deep knowledge of Métis history, governance, rights, culture, and contemporary priorities, with the ability to apply culturally grounded approaches to communications, engagement, and relationship-building. * Expertise in communications management, including research, audience and stakeholder analysis, strategic planning, implementation oversight, and measurement. * Demonstrated ability to align communications strategies with government priorities and desired outcomes. * Strong executive advisory skills, with the ability to provide sound counsel to senior leaders, and decision-makers on reputation, public trust, interest holder relationships, and emerging issues. * Research, analysis, and decision-making abilities, including the interpretation of data for environmental scanning, trend analysis, forecasting, and performance measurement. * Experience leading organization-wide communications, change management, and trust-building initiatives in complex and politically sensitive environments. * Strong understanding of governance, ethics, privacy, transparency, and accountability requirements. * Demonstrated expertise in issues and crisis management, including the development of strategic response plans and leadership recommendations. * Strong financial and business acumen, including experience managing budgets, allocating resources, establishing performance measures, and ensuring effective stewardship of public resources. * Exceptional leadership and coaching skills with experience leading managers, building high-performing teams, and a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. * Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and relationship-management skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly to diverse audiences. Qualifications: * Bachelor’s or master’s in communication, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field. * 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in communications management, with 5+ years in team leadership considered an asset. * Experience in leading comprehensive communications campaigns aligned with strategic goals. * Experience in government, Indigenous, or public-sector communications. * Communication Management Professional (CMP) or Strategic Communications Management Professional (SCMP) is considered an asset. Additional requirements: * A valid Saskatchewan driver’s license and/or access to reliable transportation to our downtown location would be required. * Must be available for after-hours and on-call communications duties. * The successful candidate must undergo a Criminal Record Check. * The Travel requirement for this position is 5-10% per annum. * Please submit your application by 9:59 PM on October 5, 2026.

What you’ll do

The Director of Communications provides strategic leadership for the Communications and Citizen Engagement department, establishing the vision and governance frameworks for the organization. They are responsible for managing reputation, issues, and crisis communications while providing executive counsel to senior leadership.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in communications, public relations, or a related field. A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in communications management is required, with expertise in government or Indigenous sector communications.

Listed skills

• Change Management · Preferred
• Leadership · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Strategic communications
• Issues management
• Crisis communications
• Public relations
• Stakeholder engagement
• Leadership
• Budget management
• Change management
• Government relations
• Performance measurement
• Executive counsel
• Reputation management
• Storytelling
• Creative services
• Policy analysis
• Relationship management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Financial Acumen
• Operational Performance Management
• Environmental Scanning
• Relationship Management
• Accountability
• Ethical Standards And Conduct
• Service Standards
• Valid Driver's License
• Visual Storytelling
• Planning
• Research
• Life Coaching
• Business Acumen
• Dashboard
• Management
• Strategic Planning
• Change Management
• Decision Making
• Communication
• Communications Management
• Public Relations
• Continuous Improvement Process
• Crisis Communications
• Crisis Management
• Decision Support Systems
• Forecasting
• Governance
• Marketing
• Innovation
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Reputation Management
• Performance Measurement
• Relationship Building

Job areas

• Management & Leadership
• Government & Public Sector
• Marketing
• Creative & Media
• Consulting
• Director of Communications
• Communications Manager (General)
• Advertising and Public Relations Managers
• Public Relations Managers