Communications Officer

Communications Officer - Student Engagement (MM2) Communication Department

Applications from employees of the Waterloo Region District School Board as well as external applicants will be considered.

Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) serves approximately 65,000 students in 123 schools, as well as alternative and continuing education sites. WRDSB is committed to creating learning environments that support the achievement and well-being of all students through partnering with staff, parents, families, caregivers and communities to promote success in learning and life. Additional information regarding the Board is available on the Board's website at

Position Summary

The Student Engagement Communications Officer will have a primary focus on student engagement and communication. The incumbent will be responsible for creating professionally developed communications content, engaging student voice, improving existing communication tools, and delivering strategic communication to diverse audiences across multiple channels with an explicit focus on leveraging and promoting student voice.

You will be the Board's lead student engagement facilitator and will influence communication across all platforms and tools. The incumbent must be a highly skilled writer and a strategic thinker with superior understanding of media relations, communication planning, marketing, and end user experience. You will provide guidance to senior leaders, administrators and staff on internal communication best practices with regard to student engagement.

You will engage with WRDSB students to create content for the broader community and other key stakeholders, from and through the voices of students. You will promote a positive corporate culture and share the stories and successes of the WRDSB students. Working closely with the Communications team members, the incumbent will also develop external communications strategies, stories, and materials, which support the WRDSB Strategic Plan and the goals of the Communications Department.

This role reports to the Senior Manager, Communications.

The successful applicant for this Mid-Management Level 2 position (salary range of $87,992 to $102,428), will be working 35 hours per week, 12 months per year, effective as soon as possible. This position requires occasional travel and work outside of normal business hours.

Responsibilities

●      Acts as the primary contact for student engagement and responds in collaboration with WRDSB departments to ensure accurate and timely information that supports the strategic goals of the WRDSB on all WRDSB communication channels

●      Act as key content provider and strategic storyteller for WRDSB's communication materials;

●      Ensures consistency, accuracy and excellence in quality and content of messaging for all WRDSB content for corporate communication and accessibility;

●      Supports students and school communities in engaging student voice and developing communications materials centering students;

●      Supports Student Trustees and related communications

●      Provides direction and guidance to the Student Media Team and promotion of student voice in communications stories and materials

●      Provides direction and guidance for all staff in overseeing the production of externally and internally facing content and materials, supporting WRDSB schools with diverse communication needs;

●      Participates in labour relations and collective bargaining communication and management issues for all unionized employees of the board, including research to support bargaining strategies;

●      Strategically review board programs, events and activities to develop content of interest to students

●      Supports the Senior Manager in providing leadership and direction on communication planning;

●      Participates in the effective operations of the communications department;

●      Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

· A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university AND five (5) years of experience in public relations, communications and/or journalism preferably in a public-sector organization.

●      Demonstrated understanding of issues affecting marginalized groups and working with diverse communities in an anti-oppressive/anti-racist, culturally relevant and responsive manner;

●      Proven ability in managing multiple-source projects that require attention to accuracy, consistency, and the ability to work with many different people with competing priorities;

●      Ability to work to short deadlines in a fast-paced environment;

●      Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; excellent editing skills;

●      Extensive interviewing and researching skills;

●      Experience in a public-sector organization and unionized environment is an asset;

●      Provision of own vehicle for Board business and the requirement to travel to WRDSB sites.

Please be prepared to submit an online portfolio if you are invited to an interview.

Candidates are asked to electronically submit a copy of their covering letter and resume, quoting posting #25.068– Communications Officer, no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 to Laurie Pett, Human Resources Officer at

The Waterloo Region District School Board is committed to equity in employment. We are committed to fair and equitable hiring practices that allow us to hire qualified staff who reflect the diversity of the community we serve, who will foster the success and well-being of our students and who demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion in the classroom.

We actively encourage application from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to:

· First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;

· Members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;

· Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities; and

· Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.

We will make any appropriate accommodation based on any of the human rights protected grounds, to support candidate participation in the hiring process.

Upon request, we will provide reasonable accommodations in the hiring process to support applicants
with disabilities.

While we appreciate all applications, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
No phone calls please.