Communications Specialist, Academic Affairs

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

**OFFICE OF THE PROVOST & VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC**

**Competition No.** 25.01.23

**CATEGORY**

**SALARY**

**CLOSING DATE**
- Full-Time Replacement Term (35 hours per week)
- MSA Band F (Steps 1-8): $33.605 - $48.887 per hour. $61,162 - $88,975 per annum (Based on 35 hours per week).
- January 27, 2025

**About Us**:

- MacEwan University is where caring faculty help people connect their passions to their future paths. Located in the heart of Edmonton’s diverse and dynamic downtown community, and on the traditional lands of Treaty 6 First Nations and homelands of the Métis people, MacEwan is known for exceptional undergraduate learning. With its dedication to teaching excellence, informed by scholarly research, innovation, and creative activity, MacEwan provides an exceptional collaborative and supportive learning environment with a commitment to human rights, environmental sustainability, and opportunities for community engagement. We are committed to creating an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community for all peoples, cultures, and identities.

Our comprehensive undergraduate university offers 55 programs to more than 19,000 full
- and part-time students in business, communications, community and human services, design, fine and performing arts, health, humanities, natural science, nursing, public safety, and social science. Through a wide array of experiential learning opportunities, and strategic relationships in the community, we partner with others to produce graduates of stature. Along with a robust grounding in their chosen disciplines, MacEwan students are given durable life skills that prepare them to take on the world.

**Opportunity**:
MacEwan University is seeking a Communications Specialist, Academic Affairs, for a 12-month replacement term opportunity with the Office of the Provost & Vice-President, Academic (PVPA). In this role, you will develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies to effectively advance and promote the vision and strategic priorities of Academic Affairs, as well as those of the PVPA. You will also provide strategic counsel and executive communications support to the Provost, plan and coordinate events and engagements aligned with institutional and PVPA's priorities, and highlight the achievements, events, and contributions of staff and faculty within Academic Affairs. Additionally, you will cultivate and sustain internal communication communities of practice across Academic Affairs. This position involves regular collaboration with the Office of Communications & Marketing (OCM) and Web Services (WS) on projects that require an institutional perspective.

Key responsibilities include:

- Implementing, maintaining and tracking and evaluating an annual communications plan for the PVPA portfolio, including integrating communications activities and plans from across Academic Affairs;
- In collaboration with the Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) and Web Services (WS), ensuring communication strategies are aligned with the institution's strategic goals, standards, policies, and practices, and include clear, measurable communication objectives;
- Understanding the diverse range of stakeholders the institution including students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, local communities and government agencies, and collaborating with OCM/WS to develop communication strategies that demonstrate the breadth of different perspectives in the University;
- Working with OCM/WS to bring large-scale Academic Affairs projects to fruition and communicating any changes to faculty;
- Researching industry best practices and trends while adhering to the visual and branding guidelines of the institution and identifying potential risks when they arise;
- Developing briefing notes, speaking notes, key messages, regular and ad-hoc communications, announcements, and other materials for the PVPA;
- Providing internal communications expertise within Academic Affairs, including writing and editing of speaking notes, announcements, media quotes, presentations for internal audiences to ensure alignment with executives and/or institutional messaging;
- Distributing content to the University and/or wider community and ensuring the timing and distribution of Academic Affairs content is planned accordingly;
- Writing, creating, and distributing a monthly newsletter from the PVPA highlighting achievements within different faculties, departments, and across campus;
- Planning and coordinating events related to communications and marketing needs;
- Assisting faculty with disseminating research works and coordinating stories with OCM and writing research stories;
- Working with the Senior Manager, Office of the Provost, the Provost, and other Academic Affairs leaders and communicators to advise on potential issues within Academic Affairs and draft responses to emerging or existing issues; and
- Attending department meetings, council mee