Vice President, Health Public Relations

Ogilvy Health Canada

• $100K — $230K *
Healthcare
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8-10 years in public relations, specifically healthcare communications
  • 5+ years of supervisory experience
  • Track record of securing high-impact earned media
  • Deep understanding of the regulated healthcare landscape
  • Strong relationships with healthcare and business media journalists
  • Exceptional news judgment with ability to simplify complex topics
  • Digital fluency in today's fragmented media ecosystem

Responsibilities

  • Lead earned-media strategy for major healthcare clients
  • Provide strategic counsel on narrative and spokesperson strategy
  • Develop compelling media angles and messaging
  • Build relationships with influential healthcare and business media
  • Oversee media engagement for announcements and thought leadership
  • Prepare executives and experts for media interactions
  • Identify growth opportunities in media strategy and storytelling

Benefits

  • Empowerment with tools to succeed
  • Autonomy for innovative approaches
  • Support from expert colleagues across the network
  • Opportunities to work on impactful projects
  • Collaborative and proud team environment
Full Job Description
About the Role

Our Vice Presidents, Media Relations serve as senior communications advisors and media strategists responsible for for shaping earned media strategies that build reputation, create cultural relevance and deliver measurable impact for healthcare clients. They should have demonstrated record of developing and executing successful earned media campaigns, cultivating trusted relationships with influential journalists and guiding clients through complex, high-stakes communications. The ideal candidate combines deep knowledge of the regulated healthcare landscape with sharp editorial judgment, an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to turn scientific, corporate and brand stories into compelling media opportunities. They champion creative excellence, strengthen integrated programs and foster a positive, high-performing team culture.

What You'll Do
  • Lead earned-media strategy for major healthcare accounts, translating business, brand and communications objectives into distinctive, newsworthy programs.
  • Provide strategic earned media counsel to clients and agency teams, providing clear recommendations on narrative, timing, spokesperson strategy, channel selection and reputational considerations.
  • Develop compelling story platforms, media angles, messaging and pitch strategies grounded in audience insight, the news cycle and the competitive landscape.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with health, business, consumer, trade and other influential media, matching stories and spokespeople to the outlets that can create the greatest impact.
  • Oversee proactive and reactive media engagement, including announcements, thought leadership, executive visibility, issues management and rapid-response opportunities.
  • Prepare executives and subject-matter experts for interviews through message development, briefing materials, media training and real-time counsel.
  • Identify organic growth and new business opportunities, contributing media strategy, insights and storytelling to pitches and proposals.

What You'll Need
  • 8-10 years of relevant public relations and media relations, including healthcare communications experience and 5+ years supervisory experience
  • A demonstrated record of securing high-impact earned media and leading successful programs across corporate, brand, disease-awareness, executive visibility or issues-oriented communications.
  • Deep understanding of the regulated healthcare marketplace and the implications for media strategy, scientific storytelling and external communications.
  • Strong relationships with journalists and editors across healthcare, business, consumer and trade media, along with the judgment to identify the right outlet and reporter for each story.
  • Exceptional news judgment and the ability to simplify complex scientific, clinical and business information without losing accuracy or credibility.
  • Experience counseling senior executives and preparing spokespeople for media interviews, high-visibility moments and challenging questions.
  • Digital fluency and a strong understanding of today's fragmented media ecosystem, including how earned media works alongside social, influencer, paid and owned channels.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong project management, counseling, programming people management and business development skills

How We'll Support You

Ogilvy celebrates its people. Fully. Enthusiastically. Unhesitatingly. We'll empower you with the tools you'll need to succeed. We'll give you the autonomy to seek out new paths and better ways of doing things. We'll support you with colleagues who are experts in their disciplines, drawn from across the Ogilvy network. And we'll provide opportunities for you to do work of which you'll be proud, with people you'll be proud to call your teammates.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click here for more details.

Pay Range

$100,000-$230,000 USD

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