This is a 18 month contract located in Markham, ON (Hybrid- 3 days onsite).
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Communications Leadership
- Lead the communications function as a core pillar of the Organizational Change Management strategy, in close partnership with the OCM Delivery Lead
- Define and execute a comprehensive Enterprise Communications and Engagement Strategy aligned to the OneCore vision, transformation objectives, and business outcomes
- Serve as a strategic advisor to leadership on change storytelling, executive leadership communications, messaging, and stakeholder engagement
- Develop and execute a clear, cohesive transformation narrative that connects program priorities to enterprise strategy, the brand and employee impact
- Synthesize complex program decisions, future-state processes, and operational changes into clear, compelling and actionable communications
- Leverage strong business and industry knowledge to synthesize complex transformation decisions, future-state processes, and operational changes into clear, actionable communications
- Translate and distill key business and program decisions into tailored messaging for executives, leaders, managers, and end users—enabling effective change leadership, understanding, and adoption across the organization
Change & Adoption Enablement
- Design and deliver communications that enable adoption of SAP S/4HANA, new business processes, and new ways of working
- Partner with OCM, HR, and program teams to align communications with broader corporate strategies
- Translate complex business and technology changes into clear, audience-specific messaging
- Support leaders and managers with tools and messaging to effectively lead their teams through change
Execution & Delivery
- Develop, manage, and execute a detailed Communications and Engagement Plan across the full program lifecycle, for internal and external audience groups
- Develop and execute internal and external communication strategies that support adoption for OneCore program
- Create engaging content, including readiness communications, speaking notes, videos and presentations for leaders and employees.
- Manage project timelines, deliverables and cross-functional collaboration to ensure successful program execution.
- Advise executives on communication best practices and ensure alignment with corporate strategy.
- Develop and maintain a program communications calendar tied to program communication outcomes
- Plan and execute internal engagement events, forms and road shows, etc.
- Ensure all materials adhere to confidentiality and corporate standards.
- Conduct research and analysis to support impacted business and IT lines of business
- Create trusting relationships with line of business owners of external audience groups and Corporate Communications to enable management and delivery of OneCore Communications and Engagement Plan
- Oversee the development and delivery of all communication assets and deliverables
- Manage and optimize communication channels and platforms (e.g., MS Teams, survey tools, SharePoint, newsletters, leadership forums, etc.) for program
- Lead the creation and continuous enhancement of the program’s external-facing SharePoint site
- Perform other duties as required to support program goals.
Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
- Partner with executives, program leadership, and functional leaders to develop executive and leadership communications, including key messages, briefing materials, speaking notes, and cascade content
- Support senior leaders to communicate with clarity, consistency and impact
- Establish strong partnership with Corporate Communications to ensure alignment between the project and Corporate messaging
- Embed OneCore messaging into enterprise/corporate communication channels and rhythms (e.g., enterprise campaigns, leadership communications, internal platforms) to ensure consistency, amplification, and reach across the organization
Governance and Measurement
- Lead and manage the Communications team, composed of Client and external vendor resources ensuring high-quality, consistent delivery
- Establish communication governance, standards, and processes across workstreams and vendors
- Manage tracking of communication effectiveness; Monitor and assess adoption of OneCore outcomes; identify opportunities to improve.
- Continuously refine communication strategies based on data, feedback, and program needs
Innovation & Impact
- Bring creativity and innovation to communications approaches, ensuring messages resonate and reach the “hearts and minds” of stakeholders
- Continuously assess communication effectiveness and adapt strategies to maximize impact
Accountable Deliverables
1. Strategy & Leadership Enablement
- Communications strategy, narrative, and key messages
- Audience segmentation & personas
- Leadership cascade decks & executive briefings
- Leadership Forum decks
- Manager toolkits
2. Enterprise Communications & Channels
- Develop messaging for enterprise communications
- Work with Communications team to determine key moments to share project information with all employees
- Manage project team SharePoint hub
3. Project and Role-Based & Engagement Communications
- Project Communication site, podcasts, videos, etc.,
- Roadshows
- Role-based change impacts (“what this means for me”)
- Role packs & “new ways of working” content
- Change Network materials, Lunch and Learns, Q&A sessions
- FAQs, surveys, and feedback loops
4. Readiness, Training & Testing
- Training communications (approach, schedule, reminders)
- System demos & tester engagement
- Business readiness communications & checkpoints
- Leader readiness briefings
5. Go-Live Activation
- Pre–go-live campaign & countdown
- Cutover & system freeze communications
- Go-live announcements & toolkits
- “What to expect” & support model messaging
6. Hypercare & Adoption
- Hypercare updates & issue communications
- Support FAQs & guidance
- Adoption reinforcement (“what good looks like”)
- User testimonials & success stories
Mandatory Requirements / Experience for this role is:
- 15-20 progressive experience in communications with 7-10 years of experience in a lead role managing project communication team enterprise transformation projects or similar experience
- Proven expertise in enterprise communications strategy, narrative development, and audience engagement within complex organizations
- Experience managing communications in complex environments (multi-vendor and diverse workforce populations)
- Exceptional writing, editing and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex business and technical concepts into clear, compelling content
- Expertise in audience segmentation, messaging strategy and stakeholder engagement across diverse employee groups
- Strong experience with executive and leadership engagement, executive leadership communications, messaging, and change leadership mobilization
- Direct communications leadership experience on a SAP S/4HANA ERP implementation is required.
- Strategic communications experience with full project lifecycle of a large transformation project
- Strong project management and organizational abilities.
- Ability to influence and collaborate across functions and with senior leadership.
- Analytical thinking and ability to grasp complex concepts quickly.
- Discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information.
- Comfortable working in fast-paced environments.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrated team player.
- Experience using AI tools like CoPilot to accelerate communications development
- Energy / Utilities or similar industry experience preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or equivalent
- Post graduate degree in Communications or related field is an asset.
This is a hybrid position requiring the contractor to be on site at least three days per week at the Markham project office.
Pay: $100.00-$130.00 per hour
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Markham, ON
