Director, Co-operative and Experiential Education Communications

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Posting Information:
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The internal posting deadline for this position is Thursday August 20 2026 at 11:59PM.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

University of Waterloo is a leading global innovation hub that drives economic and social prosperity for Canada and the world. With more than 41000 students we are home to the worlds largest co-op education talent pipeline to game-changing research and technology and to an unmatched entrepreneurial culture. Together these create partnerships and solutions to tackle todays and tomorrows challenges.

At the university the Marketing and Communications function is responsible for enhancing and protecting the universitys reputation. The communications function specifically leads by helping the university communicate with clarity credibility and purpose while developing governance standards and protocols to uphold consistent coordinated and effective communications across campus.

The Co-operative and Experiential Education communications team helps Waterloo engage the employers industry leaders community organizations government stakeholders and sector partners who make experience-driven learning possible. The team develops employer- and partner-facing communications that build understanding of Waterloos approach to co-operative and experiential education highlight the contributions of students and partners and support strong enduring relationships. Working closely with CEE leaders and colleagues across Waterloos communications and marketing functions the team brings stakeholder insight and local expertise to coordinated institutional communications.

The Director Co-operative and Experiential Education Communications is the senior communications lead for Co-operative and Experiential Educations (CEE) employer- and partner-facing communications. The role applies institutional communications strategy by advising CEE leaders leading the embedded employer communications team and aligning CEE communications with university priorities standards and service-line direction. Serving as the principal communications bridge between CEE and central teams the Director ensures local needs risks and opportunities are integrated with institutional direction and support. The role is accountable for ensuring employer- and partner-facing communications are strategically grounded coordinated and aligned with the wider communications function.

As the senior communications lead for CEEs employer- and partner-facing portfolio you will shape how Waterloo communicates one of its most distinctive strengths: connecting learning with the changing world of work. You will advise the Associate Provost and CEE leadership lead and develop the communications team and set priorities for communications involving employers partners work-integrated learning and talent development. The role calls for strategic judgment political acuity and an instinct for partnership. You will connect stakeholder needs with institutional direction identify emerging opportunities and sensitivities and help Waterloo communicate with clarity and credibility across a complex external network.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Serves as the senior communications adviser to the Associate Provost Co-operative and Experiential Education and the CEE leadership team on communications priorities stakeholder considerations positioning and communications approaches.

• Supports leaders in translating CEE priorities into clear communications strategies aligned with university direction.

• Advises on the communications implications of strategic initiatives external engagement activities institutional positioning organizational change emerging issues and stakeholder opportunities.

• Provides strategic counsel on employer partner government and sector stakeholder communications.

Institutional Communications Strategy Application

• Applies institutional narrative direction messaging frameworks planning expectations and communications standards within CEEs employer- and partner-facing context.

• Ensures CEE communications reflect Waterloos priorities voice and governance requirements while remaining relevant to employer partner government and sector audiences.

• Contributes CEE-specific insight stakeholder perspectives and external audience understanding to institutional communications planning storytelling and communications development.

• Supports alignment between CEE communications activities and broader institutional communications priorities.

CEE Communications Leadership

• Leads communications planning and prioritization within the employer and partner communications portfolio.

• Works closely with Directors Communications central communications service lines embedded communicators and relevant marketing colleagues to support coordinated communications planning and delivery.

• Provides direction coaching and oversight to communications staff to ensure local communications planning advice and execution align with institutional frameworks service expectations and partnership standards.

• Ensures communications activities are coordinated across audiences channels stakeholders and institutional initiatives.

• Clarifies what work is led locally within CEE communications what is supported through central communications or marketing service lines and what requires joint planning and escalation.

• Operates within the overall budget framework set by the AVP CIR with responsibility for monitoring forecasting and ensuring appropriate and effective use of funds across the Directors portfolio in alignment with strategic priorities

Stakeholder Communications and Institutional Representation

• Leads communications approaches that strengthen Waterloos relationships with employers industry partners community organizations government stakeholders and other external audiences connected to co-operative and experiential education.

• Provides strategic communications support for employer engagement initiatives partnership activities and external stakeholder communications.

• Supports institutionally coordinated communications related to work-integrated learning talent development experiential education and employer engagement priorities.

• Identifies emerging stakeholder issues sensitivities opportunities and reputational considerations requiring institutional awareness or coordination.

Insights Risk Management and Continuous Improvement

• Uses stakeholder feedback audience insight environmental scanning and performance information to improve communications planning and effectiveness.

• Identifies communications risks competing priorities and reputational considerations within CEEs external environment and escalates where institutional coordination is required.

• Supports adoption of shared planning tools standards reporting expectations and continuous improvement practices across the communications function.

• Integrates stakeholder insights and organizational context into communications planning and decision-making.

Functional and People Leadership

• Leads develops and evaluates communications staff within the Co-operative and Experiential Education Communications portfolio.

• Establishes team priorities allocates work and resources and ensures alignment with institutional communications objectives and priorities.

• Provides functional leadership for communications practice within CEE by promoting shared frameworks standards and communications approaches.

• Builds a high-performing collaborative and audience-focused team culture that reflects both CEEs operating environment and the standards of the wider communications function.

• Promotes high standards of judgment service excellence responsiveness and continuous improvement across the team.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Undergraduate degree in communications public relations journalism English political science or a related field.

• Graduate degree is considered an asset.

Experience

• 79 years of progressive experience in communications stakeholder communications public affairs external relations or a related field.

• 35 years experience leading managing and developing staff within a complex multi-stakeholder environment.

• Experience advising senior leaders on communications strategy messaging and stakeholder considerations.

• Demonstrated experience leading an embedded communications team or operating successfully in a matrixed organizational model

• Experience coordinating communications work across multiple internal partners and functions.

• Experience managing change competing priorities and politically sensitive issues in a decentralized environment.

• Experience in higher education work-integrated learning employer-facing environments the broader public sector or a comparable context is strongly preferred.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Strong expertise in strategic communications planning stakeholder engagement communications advisory services and communications governance.

• Advanced knowledge of communications strategy narrative development issues management editorial planning and organizational communications models.

• Strong understanding of employer industry government and partner-facing communications in a complex institutional environment.

• Ability to translate institutional priorities stakeholder needs and local context into effective communications strategies and plans while identifying when matters require institutional coordination escalation or central ownership.

• Strong analytical capability and ability to synthesize information stakeholder perspectives and organizational context into communications recommendations and advice.

• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence diverse stakeholders.

• Excellent written and verbal communication presentation editing and executive influencing skills.

• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and influence adoption of enterprise standards and practices.

• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic priorities operational requirements and stakeholder interests in a complex environment.

• Demonstrated political acuity diplomacy and sound judgment when navigating complex organizational stakeholder and reputational considerations.

• Strong relationship-management capability across senior leadership and distributed communications environments.

• Strong understanding of higher education work-integrated learning employer engagement and the external environment in which universities operate.

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research learning teaching and community building and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students faculty and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity anti-racism and inclusion. As such we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized including applicants who identify as First Nations Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit) Black racialized a person with a disability women and/or 2SLGBTQ.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application interview or workplace accommodation requests please contact Human Resources or ext. 45935.