Job Description

Sr. Advisor, Public Relations

Mississauga, Canada

Job ID JR0128645

Category Communications, Marketing & Sales

Post Date May. 28, 2025

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve - we care.

What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people. If you want to be part of tomorrow's health today, we want to hear from you.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of PR and Communications, the Senior Advisor, Public Relations will be responsible for planning and managing highly effective multi-channel media and external communications campaigns. They will be instrumental in creating impactful PR strategies to increase the profile of McKesson Canada and its various business units within consumer media, trade media and new media opportunities (influencer and social) as well as opportunities within the B2B market that we operate in.

The successful candidate must work with multiple corporate and business unit stakeholders, including business marketing teams, to develop strategic go-to-market communication plans that are aligned with the company's business priorities. This role is best suited for a high achiever with a high level of proactivity and a proven track-record of managing successful public relations campaigns from planning to execution.

Specific Responsibilities

• Triage incoming media requests, provide recommendations and messaging for appropriate response and next steps.
• Proactively work with business units to identify PR and media relations opportunities.
• Develop media relations strategy for earned media across business units.
• Write and develop media materials from press releases, media pitches, fact sheets, backgrounders, MAT stories. Op-Eds, submitted columns and speeches, external key messages and positioning statements.
• Provide advice concerning media relations to business partners, and prepare business partners for media engagements.
• Plan media press conferences and events.
• Research health landscape to identify proactive media opportunities.
• Monitor press coverage for company, industry and competitors.
• Keep on top of communications trends and new ways of communication within evolving media landscape.
• Proactively manage media relationships.
• Engage and manage select media outlets, journalists and publications to develop responses to inquiries.
• Develop key metrics and KPIs by program.
• Manage PR agency as required.
• Work closely with colleagues from the the Communications team on enterprise-wide external PR programs, including speaking engagement opportunities.
• Plan media training for senior leaders as appropriate.

General Responsibilities

• Support Director with President and executive communications external plan and messages.
• Secure speaking opportunities to enhance McKesson Canada's brand and reputation amongst a wide industry audience base.
• Support with presentation and writing.
• Proactively seek external opportunities to bring McKesson leadership message to key external audiences.
• Identify influencers in health segment, and appropriate strategies to target stakeholders within B2B market.
• Support strategic business initiatives, plans and execution as required, including creating and executing strategic communications plans.
• Support business with key message and company update messaging (IR, corporate communications).
• Source news stories for the external Web site, or adapt internal stories to create compelling thought leadership content.
• Thought leadership copywriting for social media.
• Support issues and crisis communications by partnering and supporting Director on key issues as identified.
• Work with Government Affairs, HR, Marketing, Legal Affairs, and other corporate departments to develop and execute proactive and reactive integrated communications programs that bolster the company's reputation and support the achievement of business objectives.
• Partner with business stakeholders across the company to identify and analyze market trends to support media relations programs.
• Work closely with business leaders and other members of the Communications team to create dynamic integrated PR plans as appropriate.
• Work closely with Social Media team to ensure consistent and timely messages for high profile PR campaigns.
• Work with internal and external resources to execute high impact integrated campaigns including content development, thought leadership, etc., that increase brand awareness.
• Partner with media and external communications team in the US.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of public and media relations with experience proactively pitching to media.

Key Competencies

• Have an excellent understanding of media relations and the media landscape in Canada.
• Demonstrated ability to illustrate high level strategic thinking and planning with excellent project management and execution skills.
• Experience developing and executing comprehensive integrated PR plans.
• Experience working with external print and broadcast journalists.
• Experience working with senior level executives in large corporate environments.
• Healthcare landscape / pharmacy knowledge in a regulated environment is a strength.
• Bilingualism is an asset (French / English).
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• An eye for detail and accuracy.
• Self-directed, proactive with strong ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize.
• Must be able to work to tight deadlines and react quickly to changing priorities.
• Must be able to develop news angles from a corporate business environment.
• A good team player, ability to work cross functionally and build strong relationships both internally and externally.
• Ability to interact with executives and maintain discretion with confidential information.
• Ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume, collaborative, and iterative environment.

We are proud to offer a competitive compensation package at McKesson as part of our Total Rewards. This is determined by several factors, including performance, experience and skills, equity, regular job market evaluations, and geographical markets. The pay range shown below is aligned with McKesson's pay philosophy, and pay will always be compliant with any applicable regulations. In addition to base pay, other compensation, such as an annual bonus or long-term incentive opportunities may be offered. For more information regarding benefits at McKesson,

Our Base Pay Range for this position

$89,700 - $149,500

McKesson is an Equal Opportunity Employer

McKesson provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees and is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age or genetic information. For additional information on McKesson's full Equal Employment Opportunity policies, visit our Equal Employment Opportunity page.

Join us at McKesson!

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