Director of Communications and Strategic Planning

Lead Communications for Canada’s National Shipbuilder at a Defining Moment
As Canada’s National Shipbuilder and North America’s most modern naval shipbuilding and in service support provider, Irving Shipbuilding plays a central role in strengthening Canada’s defence capability and industrial future.

Headquartered in Halifax, Irving Shipbuilding has constructed more than 80% of Canada’s current naval fleet and leads major national programs under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, including the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and the future River class destroyer fleet. With a transformed, state of the art shipyard, a highly skilled workforce, and a coast to coast supply chain, Irving Shipbuilding is an engine of economic impact, innovation, and national readiness for decades to come.

Irving Shipbuilding is now seeking its next Director of Communications and Strategic Planning, a strategic, credible, and forward thinking leader who will continue to shape how this national industrial success story is understood internally, across partners, and throughout Canada.

The opportunity
As a key leader within an integrated portfolio spanning communications and strategic planning, the Director of Communications and Strategic Planning will help shape how Irving Shipbuilding communicates its purpose, progress, and performance. Operating at the heart of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, this role is central to connecting strategy with execution across a large, complex, and high‑visibility environment.

This is a unique opportunity to influence a national industrial program at scale, strengthening trust, cohesion, and shared direction across a critical Canadian enterprise.

The Role
As Director of Communications and Strategic Planning, you will provide enterprise wide leadership for internal and external communications and the integration of strategic planning into the communications function. Deeply connected to operations, you will ensure that communications are intentional, credible, and closely aligned with organizational priorities and operating plans.

You will lead the development of clear, people centred internal communications that support a strong, connected culture, ensuring the workforce understands annual priorities, performance expectations, and strategic direction. Externally, you will guide disciplined, performance based communications that reinforce Irving Shipbuilding’s role as a trusted national partner to the Government of Canada.

A visible, trusted advisor, you will build strong relationships across the senior leadership team and with key external partners. You will translate complex priorities into compelling narratives, foster cross functional dialogue, and help leaders understand not only what should be communicated, but when and why. You will steward a high performing communications team, establishing standards of clarity, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Ideal Candidate Profile
As the ideal candidate, you are an accomplished communications leader with significant experience in large, operationally intensive, and highly regulated environments, ideally within industrial, defence, manufacturing, or other complex private‑sector settings. You understand how to lead communications in environments defined by scale, operational tempo, and a mix of unionized and non‑unionized work forces, and you bring strong business acumen that enables you to connect operational reality with coherent, forward‑looking communications strategies.

You are a disciplined and intentional communicator who delivers measured, credible messaging that reinforces organizational priorities, and you excel at building trusting, influential relationships with executives, operational leaders, and cross‑functional partners.

A strong people leader, you develop and motivate high‑performing teams with clarity, accountability, and shared purpose, while fostering collaboration and continuous improvement. Known for your resilience, steadiness, and presence in fast‑paced, high‑visibility environments, you navigate ambiguity with confidence and provide sound counsel during moments of complexity.

Above all, you bring the energy,…