Communication Specialist

Edmonton Catholic Schools is a large urban school division whose mission is to provide a Catholic education that inspires students to learn and that prepares them to live fully and to serve God in one another. The Division is comprised of over 44,000 students and 5,000 employees in 95 schools plus other sites.

**Communication Specialist**:
**Requisition ID**: 9154

**Hours Per Week**: 35

**Position**: New

**FTE**: 1

**Department**: Communications

**No Months Per Year**: 12

**Position Status**: Permanent

**Employee Group**: OOS

**Rate of Pay**: $77,796 - $97,260

**Posting Closing Date**: 10/18/24

The Communication Specialist is responsible for developing and executing internal and external communication, marketing, digital, and creative strategies that support the Edmonton Catholic School Division.

The role is focused on creating impactful messaging to enhance the visibility of the Division’s operations, services, programs, and events. The specialist is also key in driving student recruitment efforts by developing targeted marketing campaigns that align with the Division’s brand and priorities. Working within a collaborative framework, the Communication Specialist works closely with schools, departments, and the communications team—including graphic designers, multimedia professionals, and a web content coordinator—to ensure cohesive communication efforts. The role also involves organizing and managing Division events, providing strategic communication support during crises, and assisting with media and community relations to maintain positive public representation.

Through these efforts, the Communication Specialist contributes significantly to promoting the Division’s mission, supporting schools in their communication objectives, and fostering engagement with families, staff, and the broader community.

This position may qualify for a hybrid work schedule.

**Responsibilities**:

- Develop and implement effective internal and external communication and marketing strategies to increase awareness of the Division’s operations, services, programs, and events.
- Serve as project manager for communication initiatives, overseeing timelines, logistics, schedules, and strategy execution.
- Collaborate with departments to understand their needs and create communication plans that align with the Division's goals.
- Produce and tailor content for multiple platforms, including social media, websites, newsletters, media releases, and digital ads.
- Monitor the performance of communication efforts and adjust strategies to enhance impact and reach.
- Provide strategic support to schools and departments to fulfill their recruitment objectives, which include creating, managing, and executing marketing and recruitment campaigns.
- Collaborate with schools and departments to develop marketing plans that highlight programs and offerings, ensuring alignment with the Division’s overall brand and priorities.
- Lead the planning and execution of marketing and recruitment campaigns to meet evolving needs and ensuring campaigns are on track and on budget.
- Work closely with the graphic designer to develop and create the tactical elements of marketing campaigns, including visuals, digital and social media ads, print materials, and other promotional assets, ensuring cohesive and impactful execution.
- Proactively manage marketing content and campaigns by continuously monitoring performance and enrolment trends. Adjust strategies in response to recruitment developments, such as full school capacity or lower enrolment, ensuring effective communication and campaign success.
- Develop and deliver clear, engaging communication materials across multiple platforms, ensuring consistent messaging and responsive interaction with the community.
- Create and refine communication materials tailored to specific audiences, adapting tone and language for media releases, website content, social media posts, newsletters, and more.
- Ensure all communication materials are high-quality, error-free, and consistently align with the Division’s Style Guide across all platforms.
- Assist with monitoring social media platforms and responding to questions or comments.
- Plan, manage, and execute large-scale, high-quality events for the Division, ensuring seamless operations and impactful experiences from concept to completion.
- Lead the end-to-end production of events such as awards ceremonies, Celebration of the Arts, site blessings, family engagement evenings, and school openings. This includes creating event concepts, building timelines, assigning tasks, and ensuring alignment with Division goals and values.
- Oversee all event logistics, managing everything from budget to post-event follow-up. Work closely with external vendors, event staff, and volunteers, and coordinate with internal teams to manage invitations, set up, décor, audiovisual needs, and catering.
- Manage the execution of communication efforts tied to each event