Associate Vice-President, Communications and Public Affairs and Chief Communications Officer

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the AVP & CCO is the University’s senior communications leader and a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership team. The AVP & CCO provides strategic leadership for institutional communications, marketing and brand, digital communications, issues and reputation management, and public affairs. They advise senior leaders on a broad range of projects and issues, strengthen Carleton’s reputation and visibility, bring greater coherence to institutional storytelling, and ensure that communications and marketing consistently support the University’s academic mission and strategic priorities.

Leading the Department of University Communications and working with communications professionals across the University, the AVP & CCO will foster collaboration, strengthen shared approaches, and build a high-performing, people-centred communications culture.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Strategic Leadership and Operational Management: Develop and lead an integrated communications strategy aligned with Carleton’s mission and institutional priorities. Provide overall leadership for the Department of University Communications, ensuring strong planning, effective resource management, and clear accountabilities. Build a collaborative, high-performing, and people-centred culture that supports professional growth, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Internal Communications and Community Engagement: Strengthen communication and relationships across the University by ensuring students, faculty, and staff receive timely, relevant, and accessible information. Foster transparency, connection, and two-way engagement, and help build shared understanding of institutional priorities across Carleton’s diverse community.
• Brand and Marketing: Provide strategic leadership for Carleton’s brand, marketing, digital communications, web, social media, and creative services. Ensure a coherent and audience-focused approach that strengthens institutional identity, supports recruitment and engagement priorities, and advances Carleton’s overall reputation.
• Reputation, Media and Public Affairs: Strengthen Carleton’s reputation and visibility locally, nationally and internationally through compelling institutional storytelling and strategic engagement. Build productive relationships with media and key audiences, elevate Carleton’s academic and research expertise, and position the University effectively within Ottawa’s distinctive public policy and community landscape.
• Executive Counsel and Issues Management: Serve as a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership team on communications strategy, institutional positioning, and complex or sensitive matters. Anticipate emerging issues, provide sound judgment and strategic counsel, and lead coordinated crisis and issues communications that protect trust and support institutional decision-making.

The Ideal Candidate: You are an accomplished communications executive who combines strategic thinking with sound judgment, political acuity and a genuine commitment to people. You understand that reputation is built through relationships, trust and authentic communication, and you are comfortable advising senior leaders through both opportunities and challenging moments. You bring broad expertise in strategic communications, issues and reputation management, brand and marketing, digital communications, and community engagement. An excellent communicator and relationship builder, you can create alignment across a complex, decentralized organization. Your leadership style is collaborative, accessible and people-centred. You develop strong teams, encourage creativity and thoughtful innovation, and create an environment in which people feel supported, accountable and connected to a shared purpose. You also demonstrate a strong commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and Reconciliation, applying these lenses to decision-making and communications.