Communications Officer

Overview:
Under the direction of the Director, the Communications Officer is responsible for creating, implementing and evaluating a comprehensive Communications Plan for the School and Clinic which furthers strategic goals and raises the profile of the School across campus and externally. The Communications Officer will write and produce communication materials that span multiple channels that are directed to local, national and international audiences and stakeholders, including alumni, donors and prospects, the optometric profession and related associations, the research community (national and international), and the local community.

The Communications Officer will work closely with the Office of the Director, the Clinic Director and the Associate Director, Advancement.

**Responsibilities**:
Marketing and Branding
- Contributes to and participates in the development and management of the School’s brand and visual identity
- Researches, writes and edits compelling copy for marketing collateral that supports strategic initiatives
- Work with designers, photographers and external vendors to create visually appealing products within budget

Communications
- Leads the development and implementation of an effective internal communications program to foster increased information sharing among the School, Clinic and research centres
- Works in support of the Office of the Director, the Clinic Director and the Associate Director, Advancement to enhance the profile, image and reputation of the School with external stakeholders in the media and general public
- Acts as an editorial resource by assisting with research, writing, editing and designing strategic publications and communications including annual reports, brochures and newsletters, etc.
- Plans and assists with execution, when appropriate with the distribution of communication initiatives to identified stakeholders
- Supports colleagues at events with communications needs or marketing collateral
- Provides content and guidance to the Digital Initiatives Officer to post, manage and maintain the web content
- Lead the Optometry Communications Work Group
- Collaborates with the Digital Initiatives Officer to produce the School’s newsletters
- Engages with faculty, students, staff and patients to solicit stories that promote the School and enhance its reputation

Design and digital assets management
- Supports Advancement with some design for print and digital
- Manages design projects with Creative Services

Planning and Budgeting
- Contributes to the development of a communication strategy to support the School’s strategic plan
- Develops an associated budget and implementation plan
- Maintains and reports on metrics related to communications initiatives for regular program evaluation, achievement of School, Clinic and institutional goals

Social Media Strategy and Management
- Establish a strategy for a meaningful social media presence using a variety of platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)
- Maintain social media activity and proactively seek relevant content
- Monitor, track and report through analytics the success and activity on social media platforms

Qualifications:

- Degree in English, communications, journalism, public relations or related field or equivalent education and experience
- A minimum of 3 years communication experience in a post-secondary health care environment
- Experience working with communication teams from different stakeholder communities
- Proven ability in managing multiple-source projects that require attention to detail and ability to work with many different people with competing priorities
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Experience with various social media platforms and adept with web content management tools and online analytics
- Experience in writing and producing diverse publications and other communication deliverables (print and digital)
- Demonstrated understanding of best practices for writing for the web and outstanding copyediting and proofreading skills
- Advanced experience with Microsoft Office products required
- Proven excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills for content in a range of styles
- Ability to engage professionally with diverse groups, including faculty members, staff, students, and patients
- Creative and critical thinking, as well as problem-solving skills
- Extensive interviewing and researching skills to facilitate the development of profiles, stories and press releases
- Experience working within disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, health sciences, and creative arts preferred
- Demonstrated graphic and digital design skills for both online and print
- Demonstrated skills with DSLR photography including use of editing tools
- Experience building and maintaining a strategic social media engagement plan and daily execution
- Experience using Adobe Creative Cloud, Drupal CMS, Google Analytics, and other digital tools such as Hootsui