Director, Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Americas

About Four Seasons:

Four Seasons is powered by our people. We are a collective of individuals who crave to become better, to push ourselves to new heights and to treat each other as we wish to be treated in return. Our team members around the world create amazing experiences for our guests, residents, and partners through a commitment to luxury with genuine heart. We know that the best way to enable our people to deliver these exceptional guest experiences is through a world-class employee experience and company culture.

At Four Seasons, we believe in recognizing a familiar face, welcoming a new one and treating everyone we meet the way we would want to be treated ourselves. Whether you work with us, stay with us, live with us or discover with us, we believe our purpose is to create impressions that will stay with you for a lifetime. It comes from our belief that life is richer when we truly connect to the people and the world around us.

About the location:
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is a global, luxury hotel management company. We manage over 130 hotels and resorts and 50 private residences in 47 countries around the world and growing. Central to Four Seasons employee experience and social impact programming is the company’s commitment to supporting cancer research, and the advancement of diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging at Four Seasons corporate offices and properties worldwide. At Four Seasons, we are powered by people and our culture enables everything we do.

Director, Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Americas

As the public relations and corporate communications lead for the Americas, this role provides strategic leadership, counsel and functional direction to property Directors of Marketing and Public Relations (DPRMs) across the region. As an integral member of the global Public Relations and Corporate Communications Centre of Excellence, the Director advances high-impact initiatives that strengthen brand awareness, preference and reputation, while differentiating Four Seasons across the Americas.

Working closely with the Americas Commercial team and global Centres of Excellence, this role integrates communications into regional commercial priorities and serves as a regional brand steward, ensuring storytelling, partnerships and collaborations align with brand standards, protect reputation and support shared business objectives. The role leads regional brand storytelling, media relations, executive profiling, agency partnerships, issues and crisis communications, and communications and strategic support for new openings and enhancements. It also provides strategic oversight of property collaborations and partners closely with Marketing on relevant integrated campaigns and social media activity.

The successful candidate will be a strategic and collaborative communications leader with broad experience across public relations, corporate communications, reputation management, media and influencer relations. They will have demonstrated experience leading multi-market initiatives, managing agency partners and complex projects, establishing KPIs and driving accountability within a matrixed organization.

The candidate will understand the luxury market and customer, demonstrate strong commercial and reputational judgment, and act as an effective brand steward and trusted advisor to senior leaders and property teams. Exceptional leadership, writing, presentation, relationship-building and influencing skills are essential, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Key areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to:

- Provide strategic counsel, functional leadership and ongoing guidance to property DPRMs, helping properties develop effective communications strategies that strengthen brand awareness, preference and reputation.
- Support the recruitment, interviewing, selection and onboarding of new property DPRMs, partnering with property and regional leadership to assess functional expertise, ensure alignment with role expectations and brand standards.
- Serve as a regional brand steward, ensuring property communications, storytelling, activations, partnerships and collaborations align with Four Seasons brand standards, reinforce brand-led narratives and support regional and global business priorities.
- Lead the strategic direction and performance management of regional public relations agency partners, including establishing objectives and KPIs in collaboration with the Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Relations and the Vice President, Commercial, Americas, and holding agencies accountable for agreed deliverables and results.
- Partner closely with the Americas Commercial team and global Centres of Excellence to integrate public relations and corporate communications into regional commercial planning, identify synergies and advance shared priorities.
- Ensure regional communications strategies and campaigns reflect the distinct market dynamics, cultural considerations and audience needs across the Americas, informed by relevant research, insights and performance data.
- Lead communications strategy and provide ongoing counsel for new openings and conversions, working with property, regional and global stakeholders throughout the pre-opening, launch and post-opening phases.
- Develop and contribute to tools, policies, training and best practices that build communications capability across the region and enable property DPRMs to deliver effective strategies against defined objectives and KPIs.
- Develop and support regional public relations campaigns that create collective value for participating properties and advance broader brand and regional priorities.
- Provide strategic communications counsel and oversight for property partnerships and collaborations, working with relevant stakeholders to assess brand alignment, reputational considerations, storytelling potential and communications value.
- Support the development and execution of integrated regional campaigns, partnerships, promotions and media events, ensuring clear communications objectives, seamless cross-functional collaboration and alignment with brand standards.
- Represent Four Seasons and the Americas communications function at select regional and industry events, while cultivating strong relationships with priority media, influencers and other external stakeholders.
- Lead or support regional executive positioning and profile-building initiatives, where aligned with regional and global corporate communications priorities.
- Provide strategic counsel and support to properties on emerging issues and crisis communications, working in close collaboration with Global Corporate Communications, Legal, Operations and other relevant stakeholders.
- Establish and support regional communications measurement and reporting frameworks, with accountability for driving Share of Voice and Prominence across the Americas, using performance insights to demonstrate impact, optimize activity and inform future strategies and investment.
- Partner with Marketing on relevant integrated campaigns and social media activity to ensure communications priorities, earned storytelling and reputational considerations are appropriately reflected.

This highly collaborative position requires exceptional communication and relationship-building skills. The individual must be a self-starter who is motivated and proactive in identifying gaps and opportunities and must be able to lead and engage with other internal and external team members who do not have a direct reporting relationship.

Key Activities:

Lead regional communications programs, brand initiatives and events in partnership with the global Centre of Excellence

- Represent the Americas within the global Public Relations and Corporate Communications Centre of Excellence, bringing regional priorities and market insights forward while translating global strategies for effective regional and property activation.
- Partner closely with the Americas Commercial team and global Centres of Excellence to identify synergies, integrate communications into regional priorities and advance shared brand and business objectives.
- Lead regional communications programs, earned-media initiatives and events that strengthen brand awareness, preference and reputation, ensuring creativity, regional relevance and alignment with Four Seasons brand standards.
- Serve as a regional brand steward, providing strategic oversight of storytelling, partnerships and collaborations to ensure brand alignment, reputational integrity and a clear Four Seasons-led narrative.
- Lead the strategic direction and performance management of regional public relations agency partners, including establishing objectives and KPIs in collaboration with the Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Relations and the Vice President, Commercial, Americas, and holding partners accountable for agreed deliverables, budgets and results.
- Lead or support regional executive positioning and profile-building initiatives where aligned with regional and global corporate communications priorities.
- Establish and monitor regional program and agency performance against agreed KPIs, using insights to demonstrate impact, address performance gaps and optimize future strategies and investment.
- Partner with Marketing to ensure earned storytelling, communications priorities and reputational considerations are effectively reflected within relevant integrated campaigns and social media activity.

Property support and PR leadership

- Provide strategic counsel and functional leadership to property DPRMs, supporting effective activation of brand and regional priorities.
- Guide property public relations strategies and budgets, including media relations, brand storytelling, issues management and crisis communications.
- Partner with property and regional leaders on the recruitment, interviewing, selection and onboarding of new DPRMs, and support their ongoing development through coaching, training and upskilling.
- Establish and promote compliance with communications policies, brand standards and best practices, ensuring adoption of relevant corporate tools, insights, guidelines and programs.
- Develop training, toolkits and shared resources with global Centres of Excellence to strengthen property communications capabilities across the Americas.
- Establish property-level performance expectations, KPIs and reporting standards, using insights to improve effectiveness and inform future strategies.
- Foster regional collaboration and best-practice sharing among DPRMs and regional communications leaders.
- Provide strategic issues and crisis communications counsel in collaboration with Global Corporate Communications and relevant internal stakeholders.

Providing strategic and ongoing guidance to regional PR agencies

- Lead regional PR agency relationships, including scopes of work, contracts, budgets and annual planning.
- Establish objectives and KPIs with senior functional and commercial leadership, holding agency partners accountable for agreed deliverables, budgets and results.
- Provide strategic direction and performance oversight, ensuring agency programs align with global and regional priorities, brand standards and market needs.

Managing ongoing initiatives and project work related to new openings/conversions

- Provide strategic communications counsel throughout the pre-opening, launch and post-opening phases, including input into strategy, timelines and budgets.
- Develop the communications brief and provide strategic direction to agency partners, ensuring launch plans are differentiated, market-relevant and aligned with brand and commercial priorities.
- Lead communications activity before the appointment of a property DPRM, including agency onboarding, priority media relations and coordination with regional and global stakeholders.
- Partner with property leadership on the interviewing, selection and onboarding of the property DPRM, supporting a smooth transition of communications responsibilities through opening and beyond.
- Guide the property DPRM and agency partners in developing brand-led communications programs, media materials and launch initiatives that build awareness, preference and reputation.
- Ensure property, regional, global and agency stakeholders remain aligned throughout the opening or conversion process.

Drive integrated communications to build brand awareness, preference and reputation across the Americas

- Partner with the Americas Commercial team to integrate public relations and corporate communications into regional strategies, campaigns and shared business priorities.
- Guide properties in developing earned-first, quality over quantity, brand-led communications strategies that reflect market needs and strengthen awareness, preference and reputation.
- Develop timely regional storytelling opportunities that support priority narratives and increase meaningful media visibility and share of voice.
- Provide strategic communications support for regional Restaurant and Bar priorities in partnership with Marketing and relevant stakeholders.
- Ensure agency partners understand and adhere to Four Seasons brand and communications standards, including relevant agency review and performance processes.
- Partner with Marketing to ensure earned storytelling and reputational considerations are appropriately reflected in relevant integrated campaigns and social media activity.

Communications measurement and performance insights

- Establish regional communications KPIs and reporting standards aligned with business priorities, with specific accountability for driving Share of Voice and Prominence across the Americas.
- Analyze performance and provide actionable insights to demonstrate impact, identify opportunities and optimize strategy and investment.

What You Bring:

- Relevant educational background or equivalent experience in integrated PR, corporate communications, and brand stewardship.
- 7+ years progressive experience in PR and communications, experience within an agency environment is an asset. Brand and luxury marketing preferred.
- Demonstrated leadership across public relations, corporate communications, media relations, influencer engagement and reputation management.
- Strong brand stewardship and commercial acumen, with the ability to translate business priorities into effective communications strategies.
- Proven ability to provide strategic counsel to senior leaders and influence stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
- Experience leading multi-market programs, complex projects and cross-functional initiatives from strategy through execution and measurement.
- Strong agency leadership, budget management and performance-management capabilities.
- Experience supporting issues and crisis communications in collaboration with senior leaders and key stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of luxury markets, media landscapes and consumer expectations.
- Exceptional writing, presentation, coaching and facilitation skills.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, with exceptional presentation-development skills and the ability to quickly adopt new technologies.
- Strong understanding of communications measurement, media monitoring and analytics, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
- Strong knowledge of the evolving media, social and influencer landscape and its role in building brand awareness, preference and reputation.
- Working knowledge of emerging AI technologies and their responsible application within communications, including appropriate attention to accuracy, confidentiality and brand integrity.

Key Skills/Who You Are:

- Exceptional written and verbal communication, relationship-building and influencing skills.
- Strategic thinker with sound judgment and the ability to navigate complex, sensitive and reputational matters.
- Collaborative leader who builds alignment and leads effectively across a global, matrixed organization.
- Able to manage multiple priorities, make informed decisions and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
- Proactive, solutions-oriented and able to work independently with a high degree of initiative and accountability.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with a reputation for professionalism, discretion and integrity.

Annual Base Salary Range: $145,000 – $160,000 CAD + additional rewards as part of the total compensation package.

This role will be a Hybrid working model, which will require 3 days per week in the Four Seasons Corporate Office located at 1165 Leslie Street, Toronto, Ontario #LI-Hybrid

Four Seasons is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity, please advise Human Resources if you require accommodation.