Communications Specialist

Job Category

Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

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Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research innovation and learning for all faculty staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Integrated Marketing & Communications team within the Development & Alumni Engagement (DAE) portfolio is looking for a Communications Specialist to help us connect strategy content and user experience more seamlessly across our digital and internal platforms.

This role plays a key part in shaping how we plan create and deliver content across websites email campaigns and internal tools. The Specialist will develop recommend and implement storytelling and campaign materials aligned with strategic objectives lead components of internal communication initiatives advising on messaging approaches to meet engagement goals and assess enhance and manage the systems and platforms used to reach audiences identifying opportunities for optimization whether thats prospective donors alumni or campus partners.

They collaborate and advise content for digital leads to ensure strategic alignment and integration across platforms to ensure messaging is aligned user journeys are considered and our platforms feel connected and easy to navigate. The role also brings a user-focused perspective to interpret analytics and performance data providing recommendations to adjust strategy and improve outcomes guiding and advising on continuous improvement initiatives.

The Specialist collaborates regularly with internal leads and senior team members helping maintain communications that are clear consistent and aligned with audience needs.

Organizational Status

This role reports to the Senior Director of Integrated Marketing & Communications and works closely with content and digital leads on the team. This role also contributes to collaborative planning and execution within the team and may partner with colleagues across faculties central units and external vendors to support digital and content-related projects.

Work Performed

Strategic Content and Marketing Support

• Develop recommend and implement content strategies and campaign plans based on audience insights and performance data from a marketing and user-centric perspective

• Deliver and align messaging and content rollout to maximize audience engagement across digital platforms in alignment with team leads

• Identify opportunities to amplify or extend the reach of existing content

• Ensures website content is dynamic up-to-date and fresh working closely with other content creators on the team and subject-matter experts across UBC

Day-to-Day Digital Support

• Implement website updates using WordPress and the internal intranet content updates through SharePoint as well as create email campaigns using Engaging Networks or similar platforms ensuring alignment with strategic goals and UX best practices

• Manage and execute campaign deliverables making adjustments as needed to meet objectives across digital and internal platforms establish and oversee timelines proactively addressing risks and delays and quality standards

• Plan execute and optimize digital ad campaigns making strategic decisions on targeting and spend distribution on platforms such as Meta and Google in line with project managers direction

• Step in for key digital tasks during absences or peak workload periods

Analytics and UX Insights

• Analyze and interpret performance data to inform decision-making across digital platforms including email web and paid media

• Translate and convert metrics and feedback into actionable recommendations

• Apply user-focused improvements to how content is structured and delivered across digital platforms

Internal Communications Strategy

• Develop coordinate and evaluate internal engagement initiatives to achieve strategic outcomes across teams units and faculties

• Draft edit and refine internal messaging for clarity tone and impact that reinforces team goals and priorities

• Update and enhance content on digital internal platforms to support engagement and alignment with organizational priorities (SharePoint newsletters) and ensure it remains clear useful and engaging

Consequence of Error Judgement

Initiatives executed by the Communications Specialist on behalf of the Development and Alumni Engagement portfolio are very public and are critical to donor and alumni engagement efforts. The position has dealings with staff faculty as well as the business community and external suppliers.

Errors in judgment could have far-reaching and long-term serious negative reputational financial and public relations impacts for the university and its partners. Information provided by this position is used in making managerial and policy decisions at a strategic and senior level.

Poor leadership or the lack of diplomacy foresight or sound judgment could have a serious negative impact on the reputation of the University its senior administrators the portfolio faculty and staff. It could also alienate existing and potential donors as well as jeopardize relationships with alumni resulting in a potential loss of significant donations or critical relationships.

Supervision Received

This position reports to the Senior Director Integrated Marketing & Communications and follows strategic direction collaboratively developed within the team.

Supervision Given

This position does not supervise staff but may coordinate with vendors on project work.

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant field such as marketing communications journalism UX or digital media and a minimum of four years of related experience in digital communications content strategy or marketing or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives including perspectives in conflict with ones own

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing ones own awareness knowledge and skills related to equity diversity and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic and collaborative with the ability to work on both planning and day-to-day execution

• Understands how user experience ties into content digital platforms and internal communications

• Comfortable working across teams and connecting the dots between different tools platforms and content efforts

• Curious about how people use and engage with content. Confident navigating digital tools improving content and solving practical issues

• Experienced in content strategy UX and marketing basics and how they apply in a higher education and fundraising

• Interested in whats working and why especially through performance metrics feedback and testing

• Experience using SharePoint WordPress Engaging Networks or similar tools for web email or content delivery

• Experience using advertising platforms such as Meta Ads Manager and Google Ads Manager to support campaign execution

• Proficient in design and content tools such as Canva and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop InDesign Illustrator etc.)

• Familiarity with HTML or basic web coding

• Confident in writing content that is clear engaging and meets the needs of its audience

• Experience supporting content calendars cross-channel storytelling and campaign coordination

• Has contributed to digital initiatives by working with multiple contributors like content leads editors stakeholders etc.

• Able to interpret research or web analytics to help improve content and user experience

• Comfortable navigating a complex environment with multiple priorities and stakeholders

• Culturally aware and sensitive to cross-cultural communication needs in a diverse university setting