Lead, CEO Communications

Summary

Organization:	Plan International Canada
Reports to:	Director, Public Relations and Communications
Location:	Toronto (Hybrid)
Status:	Current, Permanent, Full time
Contact level:	B

The Position

Plan International Canada is seeking a seasoned and strategically minded Lead, CEO Communications to elevate the organization’s visibility as a thought leader on children’s rights and equality for girls.
This is a high-impact role requiring someone who brings both experience and executive presence — the ability to shape a CEO’s voice, navigate ambiguity with confidence, identify what’s needed before it’s asked, and translate complex ideas into narratives that resonate with donors, partners and senior stakeholders.
Reporting to the Director, Public Relations & Communications, the Lead, CEO Communications will work in close partnership with the CEO and build a trusted, collaborative relationship that supports strategic positioning, reputation, and public engagement. This role is ideal for someone who has supported senior leaders, public officials or high-profile executives and thrives at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and public influence.
While the role is predominantly externally focused, the role may also support internal CEO communications as needed to ensure alignment with enterprise priorities and organizational strategy.

What success looks like?

Executive & Strategic Leadership

Develop, execute and refine a comprehensive CEO communications strategy that aligns with organizational priorities, reputational considerations, public discourse and donor interests.
Serve as a strategic and trusted advisor to the CEO and senior leadership — asking incisive questions, clarifying intent, providing informed counsel, and shaping narrative development, messaging and public positioning to advance thought leadership and influence.
Operate with a high degree of autonomy, sound judgment and situational awareness — knowing when to push, when to pivot and when to elevate decisions.
Direct the work of cross-functional colleagues and external partners (junior staff, Brand and Content team, program teams, freelancers and agency support) to implement CEO communications plans with consistency and quality.
Lead CEO-focused planning: setting the agenda, coordinating inputs, and running regular strategy and opportunity-spotting meetings to ensure alignment, surface risks and maintain momentum.

Voice Development & Narrative Crafting

Become a trusted steward of the CEO’s voice — deeply understanding their tone, perspective and goals, and translating them into clear, compelling executive communications.
Produce polished, high-quality content across formats: articles, speeches, op-eds, , media quotes, scripts, video remarks, donor storytelling, and award submissions.
Shape cohesive narratives that reflect organizational values, strategic priorities and global impact.
Go beyond key messages: craft resonant stories that meet the needs and expectations of diverse audiences, including donors, partners, government stakeholders and the broader public.

Public Relations & Thought Leadership

Lead PR and thought-leadership strategies for the CEO, including identifying relevant external moments, profile opportunities and emerging issues.
Lead LinkedIn strategy and execution for the CEO — developing content, shaping visual direction, managing posting cadence, engaging thoughtfully with the community, identifying opportunities for timely participation in public conversations and ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
Offer perspective, push thinking when necessary, and help ensure messages are clear, credible and positioned for maximum impact.

Collaboration & Influence

Lead cross-functional collaboration to advance CEO communications — setting the agenda, convening and guiding the right internal partners, and ensuring that strategy, preparation and execution are efficient, integrated and aligned with enterprise objectives, fundraising and donor engagement, advocacy priorities and program impact.
Build strong relationships with internal teams, subject-matter experts, and members of the executive leadership team to ensure narratives are accurate, relevant and strategically positioned.

Performance Measurement & Continuous Improvement

Track and analyze performance indicators for CEO communications and PR strategies.
Provide regular reporting and insights to support decision-making, optimize content and guide future planning.

As our ideal candidate you will have:

Depth of Experience

Extensive years of experience in senior communications roles supporting C-suite executives, government officials, public-facing leaders, or in newsroom-level editorial environments.
Demonstrated ability to direct people and resources — guiding cross-functional colleagues, junior staff, external partners, and agency/freelance support to deliver integrated, high-quality executive communications.
Proven expertise in LinkedIn strategy and execution, including content development, visual storytelling, community engagement and leveraging platform trends to advance executive visibility and thought leadership.
Exceptional writing and editorial judgment, with the ability to craft clear, compelling and persuasive executive content tailored to diverse, high-stakes audiences.
Proven ability to operate in high-stakes, fast-moving contexts where clarity, judgment and autonomy are essential.

Strategic Savvy

A strong instinct for how messaging connects to organizational strategy, reputation, public discourse and donor engagement.
Comfort navigating ambiguity, distilling complex information, and offering a clear, confident point of view.

Exceptional Writing & Editorial Judgment

Mastery of executive communication — crisp, compelling, persuasive and tailored to high-level audiences.
Ability to craft narratives that inspire, influence and deepen understanding of organizational impact.
A commitment to inclusion, equity and respectful representation in all storytelling.

Relationship-Building & Executive Presence

Demonstrated professionalism, diplomacy and emotional intelligence when working with a CEO and senior leaders, with the ability to build trust quickly, maintain discretion and foster strong, collaborative relationships.
Brings executive presence, confidence and maturity — able to engage senior leaders, influence decision-making and offer a clear, well-reasoned point of view.

Adaptability & Initiative

Highly organized, resourceful and proactive, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
Comfortable taking initiative, making decisions independently and adapting to changing needs or emerging issues.
Exceptional project management capability, including managing multiple deadlines, coordinating approvals and ensuring timely delivery of executive content.

How to Apply:

To express interest in this exciting opportunity, please apply by January 11, 2026.

Plan International Canada is a hybrid workplace. You will work from the office and from home.

The salary range for this position is anticipated to be between $83,000 and $104,000. We comprehensively evaluate a variety of factors to determine fair compensation, including experience, specific job-related skills, and relevant educational or professional training. Additionally, we ensure that compensation is equitable across our team and aligns with current market trends. This role also qualifies for an extensive benefits package and generous paid time off.

Plan International Canada hires based on merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community and to providing an inclusive workplace. Plan International Canada especially welcomes applications from Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women, persons of all sexual orientations and genders, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.

If you have a disability that may affect your ability to perform in a role in which you are interested, we will be happy to discuss with you what adjustments or arrangements we can make to accommodate your needs. If your disability is likely to affect you adversely within the application process itself, please let us know (as soon as you feel comfortable to do so) by emailing gethired@plancanada.ca so that we can consider any adjustments to the process that will allow you to be considered fairly for the role.

Consistent with our Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, the successful candidate must receive clearance by a police background check, including the vulnerable sector screen.

Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada for the duration of the work term. Proof of eligibility will be required.

What can you expect from joining a leading organization in the global movement to advance children’s rights and equality for girls?

Plan International Canada is the first non-profit organization to ever be inducted into Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame by Waterstone Human Capital. Here’s why: together, we have created a climate of trust and inclusivity – where diversity in people, ideas and approaches is not only respected, it’s encouraged.

We remain agile amid an ever-changing global landscape. Though we continue to evolve, our mission and strategic ambition will not change – and our work has never been so imperative. We will never stop believing in the multiplying power of girls and that every child deserves that right to learn, lead, decide and thrive. Our future success will be founded upon Plan International Canada’s 80+ year history of focusing on our mission, our core values, responding to challenges and seizing opportunities with purpose, relevance and impact.

Apply now »