Communications Lead

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA). 

This position has a term length of 13 months and offers a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed on our Benefits Overview page .

Location – Work primarily takes place at North Campus Edmonton and Enterprise Square. This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Department/Faculty

The College of Health Sciences brings together the combined strength of all health sciences faculties and schools, enabling a new level of interdisciplinary health science research and teaching that advances the full spectrum of human health and wellness in individuals and communities around the world.

Position

Reporting to the Senior Partner, the Communications Lead works with a team of communications professionals, as well as staff in academic units, to lead, plan and deliver communications, marketing, digital and creative strategies for the College of Health Sciences. This role will act as a project manager supporting the College of Health Sciences communications and marketing team, as well as a liaison to ensure the college and faculties are strategically connected to the Centres of Expertise and key university units.The Communications Lead assists Communications Associates in understanding assigned roles and performance objectives. 

In all facets of this role, the Communications Lead endeavors to integrate and advance the University’s commitments to equity, diversity and inclusivity.

Duties

• In close alignment with the senior partner and faculty partners, ensuring that the College of Health Sciences communications, marketing, digital, and creative strategies are articulated at the faculty level and integrated into one College plan, and that all work aligns with the strategic direction of the External Relations portfolio.  
• Ensuring strategies and objectives are drilled down into operating plans and leading the day-to-day allocation of incoming tasks and assignment of work to ensure unit success. 
• Creating, assigning, tracking and managing the workflow and production process for stories and other communications products, ensuring deliverables are on time, on budget and achieve intended outcomes. 
• Identifying ways to improve processes/programs and or services and creating efficiencies or recommending changes where required. 
• Developing and/or implementing strategies and key messages to enhance the reputation, heighten awareness, address multiple audiences, and deliver a coherent and unified message to internal and external audiences.  
• First point of contact for problem-solving and support for Communications Associates. 
• Providing website updates and strategic insights, specifically for the college website(s) 
• Keeping aware of relevant issues and trends that could affect the area’s brand and reputation and advising partners on reputational risks and implications of current or proposed actions.  
• Providing strategic support to other communicators and leaders within the college (faculty, department staff, research institutes and units).  
• In partnership with faculty partners, acting as a key point of contact for issues management planning and rapid response messaging for the assigned area(s) to deal with critical events as they arise, working closely with Centres of Expertise.  
• Promoting a positive image of both the assigned area and the University by ensuring the coverage of important news stories, funding announcements, student/faculty/staff/alumni/donor profiles, research discoveries, partnerships and philanthropic support which highlight the area’s research, teaching or other service to the community.  
• Acting as editor support for all unit-level communication mediums. Writes, edits and/or reviews communications materials (e.g. articles, speeches, faculty/area publications). 
• Supporting the Centres of Expertise with story sourcing, content production, campaign, events and other initiatives as required. 
• Regularly monitoring channel metrics and delivering reporting to expert and non-expert audiences. 
• Developing communications content, which can include but is not limited to presentations, speeches, monthly newsletters, news stories, web content, talking points, correspondence, website content, and marketing copy.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism or a related field is required. 
• Possesses 6+ progressive communications and marketing experience within a complex, multi-stakeholder organization. 
• Strong team building and mentorship skills. 
• Ability to translate strategic priorities into actionable communications and marketing plans.  
• Ability to balance competing priorities and meet and manage client expectations.
  
• High degree of professionalism and judgement. 
• Excellent interpersonal, communication skills both written and oral and ability to work with all levels of staff and management. 
• Strong research, communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Solid understanding of academic culture, the university’s policies and procedures and its organizational structure. 
• Solid understanding of editorial strategy, internal communications, issues management, and social/media management. 
• Experience in project management, negotiation and stakeholder relations.
  

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.