Senior Communications Specialist

Job Summary

The Senior Specialist, Corporate Communications supports the planning and leads the execution of internal and external communications, including media management and crisis communications. The role advances institutional priorities, protects and strengthens organizational reputation, and engages key audiences through clear, timely, accurate, and consistent messaging. Working with the Senior Manager, the Senior Specialist provides communications advice, manages media relations and response, supports crisis preparedness and execution, and coordinates stakeholders and partners to deliver high-quality communications.

ROLE INTERACTS DIRECTLY WITH

• Executive leadership, institute chairs, and department leaders - Frequently

TYPE OF INTERACTION

Gather communications requirements; recommend narratives and key messages; coordinate content, expert input, spokespeople, approvals, and visual assets.

• Corporate Communications & Marketing team - Daily

TYPE OF INTERACTION

Coordinate plans and assigned deliverables, manage dependencies and issues, review content quality, share expertise, and report progress.

• Legal, Risk, Compliance, Quality, Patient Experience, and Human Resources - As required

TYPE OF INTERACTION

Validate sensitive content, manage reputational and privacy risks, coordinate change and crisis communications, and ensure required governance and approvals.

• Media, government and community stakeholders, strategic partners, agencies, and vendors - Regularly

TYPE OF INTERACTION

Coordinate relationships, briefs, media opportunities, approvals, issue response, and agency or vendor delivery against agreed objectives.

KEY DECISIONS THE ROLE MAKES AND THE EXTENT OF THE IMPACT OF THE DECISION

• Recommend the appropriate audience, message, channel, timing, and sequencing for assigned communications initiatives.
• Identify when sensitive, high-profile, or high-risk matters require escalation to the Senior Manager, leadership, Legal, Risk, or Compliance.
• Develop key messages, executive materials, media responses, and issues-management recommendations for review and approval.
• Prioritize assigned work, coordinate contributors and partners, and adjust delivery plans in response to changing business needs.
• Monitor agency and vendor deliverables within approved scopes and flag quality, timing, confidentiality, or cost concerns.
• Use performance data, stakeholder feedback, media intelligence, and emerging risks to recommend improvements.

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the development of the annual corporate communications plan and lead the execution of assigned internal communications, external communications, media management, and crisis communications activities.
• Develop and deliver internal communications, including leadership messages, caregiver announcements, organizational updates, change communications, campaigns, events, and content for internal channels.
• Develop and deliver external communications, including corporate announcements, press releases, institutional stories, thought leadership, stakeholder communications, and content for external channels.
• Manage day-to-day media relations, including proactive story development, media inquiries, interview coordination, briefing materials, spokesperson preparation, media events, and coverage monitoring.
• Support crisis communications preparedness and response by maintaining plans and materials and developing holding statements, key messages, Q&As, media responses, and coordinated internal and external updates for approval.
• Provide communications advice to stakeholders on messaging, timing, audience needs, media engagement, sensitive matters, and reputational considerations, escalating as appropriate.
• Develop executive communications, including speeches, talking points, panel briefs, presentations, opinion pieces, announcements, and leadership messages.
• Develop, review, and coordinate approval of high-quality bilingual content, ensuring accuracy, consistency, audience relevance, and compliance with privacy and approval requirements.
• Coordinate communications projects, editorial calendars, workflows, approvals, agencies, vendors, risks, and stakeholder dependencies.
• Provide subject-matter guidance and quality review to colleagues and external partners without direct people-management accountability.
• Monitor internal engagement, media coverage, stakeholder sentiment, channel performance, and communications outcomes; prepare insights and recommendations.
• Maintain readiness for urgent and after-hours media and crisis communications and perform other duties as assigned.

ROLE LEVEL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Deliver assigned internal and external communications to agreed quality, timing, and strategic requirements.
• Maintain effective day-to-day media management and professional relationships with journalists, spokespeople, leaders, and relevant stakeholders.
• Support organizational reputation through active issues monitoring, crisis readiness, sound judgment, timely escalation, and coordinated communications.
• Maintain message, editorial, brand, privacy, confidentiality, and approval standards across assigned communications.
• Coordinate agencies, vendors, and contributors effectively within approved scopes, processes, and timelines.
• Share expertise, review content quality, and support colleagues without formal supervisory responsibility.
• Use internal engagement, media, stakeholder, and channel data to evaluate impact and recommend improvements.
• In view of the evolving needs and opportunities within CCAD, this position may be required to perform other duties as assigned and reporting relationships may vary.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field is required.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience across internal communications, external communications, media management, and crisis communications, with experience coordinating agencies, stakeholders, or complex workstreams.
• Demonstrated experience developing integrated communications strategies and managing high-profile, cross-functional initiatives from planning through measurement.
• Strong experience in media relations, executive communications, issues management, and crisis communications.
• Proven ability to advise senior stakeholders, exercise sound judgment, and translate complex information into clear and compelling content.
• Excellent writing, editing, presentation, negotiation, project management, and analytical skills.
• Professional fluency in English and Arabic is required.