Director of Communications (Bienenstock)

About Us

At Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds (BNP) we connect children with nature by creating natural play opportunities that emphasize creativity interaction and pedagogy. Our team is a diverse group of designers educators fabricators and constructors dedicated to fostering natural curiosity creativity and a sense of adventure through our playgrounds and educational initiatives.

Position Overview

As the Director of Communications you will provide strategic leadership across organizational communications brand marketing direction executive thought leadership and related strategic initiatives. Reporting directly to the CEO you will serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner helping translate the organizations vision into clear priorities messaging and action.

You will lead a small team of communications and marketing professionals and work with internal specialists external agencies and partners to strengthen how BNP communicates with employees clients partners and communities. You will ensure that our brand and communications remain consistent support organizational priorities and contribute to business growth.

As BNP grows the scope and influence of this role will continue to evolve. The ideal candidate is a strategic and practical leader who can bring structure to complex priorities build alignment across departments and help shape the organizations future while remaining grounded in its mission values and culture.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership and Organizational Alignment

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO helping translate BNPs vision into clear priorities initiatives messaging and action.
• Support strategic planning annual priority-setting and organization-wide initiatives.
• Research emerging trends opportunities and challenges to support informed decision-making and long-term planning.
• Work with leaders across the organization to strengthen communication collaboration and alignment around shared priorities.
• Help employees understand support and carry out BNPs strategic direction while maintaining alignment with its mission values and culture.

Brand and Communications Leadership

• Lead BNPs brand and communications strategies across all internal and external channels.
• Maintain clear and consistent standards for brand voice messaging visual identity and storytelling across BNPs family of brands products services programs and partnerships.
• Strengthen how clients partners employees and communities understand and experience BNP including what distinguishes the organization as an industry leader.
• Oversee executive internal external and organizational communications including communications that support growth and change.
• Lead media relations public relations issues management and reputation management ensuring communications are accurate credible and aligned with relevant safety and compliance standards.

Marketing Content and Performance

• Provide strategic oversight of marketing activities ensuring alignment with organizational priorities brand strategy and business objectives.
• Guide content and storytelling across the website email social media publications presentations and other communication channels.
• Oversee the promotion of BNPs projects products keynotes workshops professional development programs and other services.
• Work with internal specialists AI-enabled marketing systems and external agency partners to guide marketing direction and execution.
• Partner with Sales to build awareness generate qualified inquiries and support business growth.
• Establish and monitor measures for audience growth engagement media coverage website performance content delivery program promotion and lead generation.

Thought Leadership and Strategic Initiatives

• Partner with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to strengthen BNPs influence across North America and internationally.
• Lead communications for executive team member presentations conferences keynotes media opportunities industry publications awards recognition and executive visibility.
• Develop relationships and strategic partnerships that expand BNPs reach strengthen its reputation and advance its mission.
• Lead cross-functional projects that support organizational planning change new business opportunities innovation and long-term growth.
• Guide the responsible adoption of AI and other emerging tools across communications marketing and related organizational processes.

Team Leadership

• Lead coach and develop a small team of communications and marketing professionals.
• Establish clear roles priorities performance expectations and measures of success.
• Conduct regular 1:1 meetings and performance discussions to provide feedback and support professional development.
• Oversee external agencies contractors budgets and other communications and marketing resources.
• Assess future team technology and resource needs as the organization grows.
• Foster a collaborative accountable and innovative team culture aligned with BNPs values.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in Communications Business Marketing Public Relations or a related field; equivalent experience will also be considered.
• A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in strategic communications brand leadership marketing public relations or a related field with at least 2 years in a leadership or management role.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing a team including setting priorities delegating work and providing coaching and feedback.
• Experience developing and implementing organization-wide brand communications or marketing strategies.
• Exceptional writing editing verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Experience advising senior executives and developing executive communications or thought leadership content.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and supporting organizational growth or change.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect communications and marketing activities to organizational priorities and results.
• Strong relationship-building influencing organizational and project management skills.
• Experience managing agencies contractors budgets and external partners.
• High emotional intelligence sound judgment discretion integrity and professional maturity.
• Experience with AI-enabled communications or marketing tools or within the natural playground design-build recreation or education sector is an asset.

This posting is for an existing vacancy. Our hiring process does not involve the use of artificial intelligence to screen assess or select applicants.

Required Experience:

Director