EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Hiring: Communications Manager
Program: National Conservation
Organization: Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
Position Location: In-person (Toronto) or remote

• Position Type: Full-time
• Salary: $70,000 - $80,000 annually
• Start Date: Mid-July
• Reports to: Dan Kraus, Director of National Conservation
• Supervises: Social Media Coordinator, Interns, Consultants, Contractors, etc.
• Deadline for application: June 2, 2023

Position Summary

The future of nature conservation depends on inspiring people to understand the benefits of biodiversity and to act on their love and connection with the natural world. WCS Canada aims to broaden and deepen conservation engagement with a wide range of audiences — from political leaders to Indigenous communities to the public – and to transform the relationship between society and nature in a way that benefits wildlife, ecosystems, and people.

WCS Canada integrates communications as a key conservation action in our work. The Communications Manager will be embedded in our national conservation initiatives and field programs to help create and share our stories to diverse audiences. You will also work with the WCS Global communications team to explore how new digital tools can help share the stories of Canada’s biodiversity with a global audience.

The Communications Manager will be responsible for leading WCS Canada communications in close coordination with the Director of National Conservation, President, and our fundraising team. You will lead the development and implementation of strategies to strengthen WCS Canada’s position as Canada’s leading on-the-ground conservation science organization. You will supervise and set objectives for WCS Canada’s overall communications strategy, social media channels, website, and newsletter, and spearhead local, national, and international media outreach. The Communications Manager will also have a role to play, in concert our fundraising team, with implementing fundraising campaigns and other marketing initiatives. This role will require skills including process and project management, organization, creativity, enthusiasm for working with a wide variety of people, and a passion for wildlife and community-based conservation.

Position Objectives

• Lead and manage WCS Canada’s day to day communication activities in coordination with relevant teams.
• Engage with broad and diverse audiences to amplify our conservation stories and build awareness and support for our work.
• Inspire a knowledge and passion for wildlife in Canada that helps create a better world for nature and people.
• Support WCS Canada’s knowledge mobilization and capacity on science communication and public engagement.

Principal Responsibilities

General

• Lead communications work of WCS Canada including the development and management of an annual communication budget.
• Lead and manage the implementation, tracking, and adaptation WCS Canada’s communications strategy and its integration with our overall strategic plan.
• Work with field and national programs to develop rolling plans for communicating research findings, conservation successes, and recommended actions.
• Work with our scientists to develop and tell compelling stories about wildlife conservation and the communities where we work. Share best practices and build capacity for science communications across our programs.
• Collaborate with the fund-raising team to develop philanthropy and marketing content and support giving campaigns.
• Develop cohesive issue- and scientific-communication campaigns across digital platforms.
• Use design software like the Adobe Creative Suite, and Canva to create visuals to support messages, and direct and project manage outside designers and contractors on special projects.
• Work with our GIS staff on using mapping as a communications and storytelling tool.
• Collaborate with senior management, communications consultants, and staff across all our teams to strategize the best use of tools, practices, and metrics to develop/post engaging content and to inform the direction of future conservation communications strategies.
• Assist in reviewing, formatting, and designing reports, presentations, and posters.
• Organize, lead and track action items for bi-weekly communications meetings.
• Track analytics and report on the impact of our communications.
• Manage a calendar of special events and develop content for awareness and marketing campaigns with the Social Media Coordinator (e.g., International Day for Biological Diversity, Giving Tuesday, etc.).
• Collaborate and coordinate with our fundraising team to develop compelling messages and content for donors; provide strategic direction on communications for grant applications; and assist with in-person or virtual outreach events.
• Work with WCS Global in New York to coordinate messaging and to elevate content on Canadian conservation to the international level.
• Recruit and coordinate consultants and contractors to deliver on communication projects as needed.

Social media

• Support and supervise the Social Media Coordinator to develop and implement strategies to grow our social media audiences and impact.
• Help to develop campaign concepts across our social media accounts (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube).

Websites

• Work with the team to develop and update content on WCS Canada website and project websites (e.g., Ring of Fire, SHAPE of Nature), including pages for new projects and initiatives.
• Work with staff, interns and fellows to create timely and relevant blogs.
• Work with the Digital Assets Manager to make updates to the look and feel of WCS Canada web properties (DNN, WordPress, Squarespace, Wix).

Newsletters and annual report

• Liaise on a regular basis with national conservation and field program staff to identify communication opportunities and develop strategies for leveraging these opportunities.
• Lead the development of our monthly internal staff newsletter and monthly public-facing e-newsletter in Constant Contact.
• Support the preparation and layout of our annual report.

Media

• Prepare and share media releases and pitches to media and develop and foster media contacts across Canada.
• Support staff in developing content for key media opportunities based on current events and theme days related to our work.
• Manage a press release database and pitching tool (Muckrack), as well as regional media lists and analytics.

Additional Expectations

• Contribute to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that promotes engagement and belonging.
• WCS Canada is committed to contributing to the field of conservation science and the professional development of its employees. Employees are encouraged to participate in professional societies and present their research at conference and meetings, as well as participate in relevant workshops and training opportunities.
• WCS Canada is committed to developing the next generation of conservation scientists. Employees are encouraged to mentor graduate students, participate in relevant graduate student committees, and pursue adjunct status with universities as appropriate.

Required Qualifications

• A degree in conservation, science communication, or related fields.
• Communications management experience in non-profit, community, or government communications roles, and working with diverse groups.
• Demonstrated success in strategic communications planning, objective setting, and plan execution. proven ability to lead projects and processes, and coordinate teams.
• Ability to thrive in a high pace communications environment
• A passion for wildlife conservation and an interest in the role of science and local communities in helping conserve nature. You have an insatiable curiosity and sense of wonder and are always seeking to learn more and help others discover the natural world.
• A proven “news sense” and understanding of communication strategies. Your finger is on the pulse for conservation news in Canada and you can generate compelling and engaging content based on current events.
• An ability to “interpret” scientific literature and use it to develop accessible and compelling content for general audiences.
• High level of intercultural sensitivity and interest in Indigenous issues.
• Knowledge of biodiversity conservation and related environmental issues in Canada.
• Demonstrated experience with website and social media management in a professional capacity.
• Experience analyzing and using qualitative communications data and quantitative analytics to measure impact and to determine improvements.
• Multimedia capacity, especially graphic design ability, and video production ability.
• Experience making recommendations for paid advertising campaigns and social media promotions, including audience identification, budgeting, and ad placement.
• Ambitious and independent with ability to operate proactively and autonomously.
• Knowledge and understanding of working within branding, legal, and accessibility policies, guidelines, and best practices for websites and social media.
• Adaptable with a willingness to take on a wide variety of tasks.
• Organized with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to work independently and with a diversity of team members, partners, and other stakeholders in remote locations.
• French language skills are an asset.

How to apply:

Please submit your CV with cover letter explaining your interest in this position and relevant skills and experience via this link: https://wcscanada.bamboohr.com/careers/50?source=aWQ9Mjc%3D

Please also include any relevant writing samples and related portfolio pieces including recent Communications work you have developed or played a large role in developing.

Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWork.

For questions regarding the position, please contact Dan Kraus ( dkraus@wcs.org ).

For questions regarding the application process, please contact Okechukwu Ezibe at oezibe@wcs.org .

WCS Canada is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices. Applicants with a disability or any special needs may make a request for accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, and we will work with you to meet your needs. Such requests should be communicated to Okechukwu Ezibe ( oezibe@wcs.org ) or by phone 437-770-2776.

Office Safety Plan Compliance:

WCS Canada is committed to providing and maintaining a safe environment for our employees, contractors, and partners. As part of this unwavering commitment to safety, it is a condition of employment that Office-based WCS Canada employees be compliant with the respective Office Safety Plan, which includes being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a COVID-19 vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization. This condition is subject to the requirements of applicable human rights legislation.

About WCS Canada

WCS Canada (wcscanada.org) was established as a Canadian conservation organization in July 2004. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity, and equal opportunity. Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places by improving our understanding of and seeking solutions to critical problems that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. We implement and support comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and then seek to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of actors. WCS Canada has a track record of our science being recognized as relevant, credible and legitimate by researchers, NGOs and agencies. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) programs in more than 60 countries.

Diversity and inclusion are core WCS Canada values. We value the diversity of the people we employ and work with and we strive to provide an inclusive and equitable workplace in which we recognize the unique characteristics, skills and experiences of all employees. We are committed to engaging our employees in our diversity, equity and inclusion work and together we aim to create a workplace where all staff feel they belong and can grow.

WCS Canada’s programs occur on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples whose relationships various governments are described in historic (numbered) Treaties, modern land claim agreements, and negotiations around unceded lands. We recognize and support the international ecological and social commitments and responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples that Canada has signed, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our commitment to engagement with Indigenous Peoples ranges from notification of research to the provision of scientific advice, to co-creation of research. We respect Indigenous knowledge systems and include this knowledge in our research and conservation programs where possible. We engage in land use planning and impact assessment processes that affect Indigenous Peoples, seeking ways to advance conservation as well as opportunities to sustain the livelihoods and cultures of Indigenous communities. We seek to motivate positive conservation outcomes by supporting effective governance and decision-making processes by Indigenous communities, particularly by supporting Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas.