CIBC

Sr. Director, Communications

CIBC$125K — $150K *
Finance & Insurance
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 12+ years in corporate communications, public affairs, or media relations, preferably in financial services or government.
  • Proven track record advising senior executives in high-stakes environments.
  • Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills tailored for diverse audiences.
  • Strong understanding of the Canadian financial media landscape and relationship management.
  • Ability to navigate complex reputational issues with sound judgment and discretion.
  • Alignment with CIBC's core values of trust, teamwork, and accountability.

Responsibilities

  • Lead development and execution of strategic communications for Personal and Business Banking.
  • Prepare and brief executives for public engagements such as town halls and interviews.
  • Build trusted partnerships with key stakeholders for coordinated communications efforts.
  • Provide counsel on reputational risks, including real-time support during urgent situations.
  • Advance CIBC's market perspective through speeches and external content.
  • Lead and develop a communications team to support business objectives.

Benefits

  • Recognition through personalized rewards including competitive salary and banking benefits.
  • Access to a defined benefit pension plan and employee share purchase program.
  • Generous vacation offering alongside wellbeing support.
  • Opportunity for professional growth with a Purpose Day, a paid day off for personal development.
Full Job Description
What you'll be doing

CIBC is seeking a seasoned communications leader to support Personal and Business Banking. As the Sr. Director, Communications, you'll shape and execute internal and external communications strategies that strengthen CIBC's profile in Canada, protect and enhance our reputation, and support senior leaders through complex, fast-moving environments. Reporting to the Vice-President, Communications, you'll work closely with teams across Personal and Business Banking and the broader CIBC enterprise as a senior trusted advisor to business leaders. You'll provide strategic counsel, hands-on execution, and real-time decision support across media relations, internal communications, issues management, executive support, and thought leadership. This is a highly visible, high-impact opportunity for a communications professional who brings sound judgment, strong writing skills, and the confidence to operate alongside senior executives.

At CIBC we enable the work environment most optimal for you to thrive in your role. You'll have the flexibility to manage your work activities within a hybrid work arrangement where you'll spend 1-3 days per week on-site, while other days will be remote.

How you'll succeed

  • Strategic Communications - Lead the development and execution of communications strategies that support Personal and Business Banking priorities and align to enterprise objectives.
  • Executive Support - Prepare and brief senior executives and subject matter experts for town halls, interviews, speaking engagements, and other internal and external opportunities.
  • Relationship Management - Build trusted partnerships with Personal and Business Banking leaders, Communications partners, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver coordinated, high-impact communications.
  • Issues Management - Provide senior-level counsel on reputational risk, stakeholder positioning, and response strategies, including scenario planning and real-time support during fast-moving situations.
  • Thought Leadership - Identify and advance opportunities to elevate CIBC's perspective in the market through speeches, op-eds, presentations, and other external-facing content.
  • People Leadership - Lead, coach, and develop a team responsible for delivering a high volume of internal and external communications materials in support of business priorities.


Who you are

  • You have relevant experience. You bring 12+ years of experience in corporate communications, public affairs, journalism, or media relations, ideally within financial services, government, or another highly regulated environment.
  • You know how to support senior leaders. You have demonstrated experience advising executives and operating effectively in high-stakes, time-sensitive situations.
  • You communicate with impact. You have exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for different audiences and channels.
  • You understand the media landscape. You bring a strong understanding of the Canadian financial media environment and know how to build and maintain effective external relationships.
  • You use sound judgment. You can navigate complex reputational issues with discretion, confidence, and a strong sense of accountability.
  • Values matter to you. You bring your real self to work, and you live our values - trust, teamwork, and accountability.


#LI-TA

What CIBC Offers

At CIBC, your goals are a priority. We start with your strengths and ambitions as an employee and strive to create opportunities to tap into your potential. We aspire to give you a career, rather than just a paycheck.
  • We work to recognize you in meaningful, personalized ways including a competitive salary, incentive pay, banking benefits, a benefits program*, defined benefit pension plan*, an employee share purchase plan, a vacation offering, wellbeing support, and MomentMakers, our social, points-based recognition program.
  • Our spaces and technological toolkit will make it simple to bring together great minds to create innovative solutions that make a difference for our clients.
  • We cultivate a culture where you can express your ambition through initiatives like Purpose Day; a paid day off dedicated for you to use to invest in your growth and development.


*Subject to plan and program terms and conditions

Job Location
Toronto-81 Bay, 33rd Floor

Employment Type
Regular

Weekly Hours
37.5

Skills
Communications Support, Cross Functional Projects, Efficiency Improvements, External Communication, Internal Communications, Marketing, Partnership Management, People Management, Prioritization, Strategic Communication Planning

About CIBC

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The bank is headquartered at Commerce Court in the city's Financial District. CIBC's Institution Number is 010, and its SWIFT code is CIBCCATT. It is one of two Big Five banks founded in Toronto, the other being the Toronto-Dominion Bank. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was formed through the June 1, 1961, merger of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Imperial Bank of Canada, the largest merger between chartered banks in Canadian history. The bank has four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking, Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets. It has international operations in the United States, the Caribbean, Asia, and United Kingdom; Globally. CIBC serves more than eleven million clients, and has over 40,000 employees. The company ranks at number 172 on the Forbes Global 2000 listing.
Learn more about CIBC
Market Cap
$43.5 billion
Industry
Founded
1867
5 Year Trend
+8.8%

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