Research & Communications Coordinator

Description: Research and Communications Coordinator

Full time - 35 hours per week June 3, 2019
May 29, 2020

Position Location: SFU Vancouver (Harbour Centre campus), 3rd Floor, 515 West Hastings St., Vancouver

Closing Date: May 21, 5:00pm PST — Interviews will take place on May 24. Applicants should submit their package (with all material attached in one PDF file) via email with their name and position they are applying for in the subject line, attention to:

Landon Hoyt, Program Manager, SFU Public Square at public_square@sfu.ca

Please include:
1. Cover letter

2. Resume

3. Written response (250 word max.) to the following question: How does society benefit from university-led community engagement?

About SFU Public Square:

SFU Public Square was created in 2012 to support Simon Fraser University’s vision to become Canada’s most community-engaged research university. SFU Public Square is a program without parallel, committed to building resilience and connecting communities including university, business, government, non-profit, and civil society. SFU Public Square has co-created and hosted hundreds of activities, engaging tens of thousands of participants, and established itself as an innovative convener on some of Canada’s most pressing social issues.

Position Description:

As Research and Communications Coordinator, you will be a key supportive member of the SFU Public Square team. Relevant and effective research and communications are integral to the success of the SFU Public Square program, events, and online/in person community engagement activities. The position ensures that all print and digital communications support the objectives of the organization and reach target audiences. You will contribute to program evaluations for the organization, including developing KPIs, determining metrics and evaluation methodologies, conducting analysis, and generating compelling reports on program activity and evaluations. The ideal candidate will have proven research and communications project management experience. You will report to the Program Manager. This is a dynamic work environment and the position requires flexibility, the ability to think on your feet and manage multiple responsibilities. The

candidate must enjoy working with people, have the ability and desire to work in a dynamic and learning culture work environment, be forward thinking and solution focused, and have a keen interest in and knowledge of community engagement. Above all else, dedication to the team and the product as well as a readiness to assist with any and all tasks is required.

Responsibilities:

• With assistance from the Design Coordinator, creates quarterly communications report with metrics from social media, website, email, and media mentions;
• Write articulate and accessible content for web and print, including event copy, annual reports, and outcome summaries;
• Manage content for the Voices in the Square blog series;
• Monitors, organizes, maintains and archives SFU PS media mentions;
• Liaises with SFU Communicators to design, develop and execute communications for SFU Public Square activity, including PSAs and press releases;
• Contributes to the strategic development and implementation of SFU Public Square’s communications strategy for regular SFU Public Square activity and for specific projects such as the Community Summit;
• Leads research on themes, topics, collaborators, presenters, partners, audiences, and leaders for the Community Summit;
• Manages the distribution of marketing and communications materials through print and media channels;
• Coordinates and advises on day-to-day internal and external communications: website, social media channels, blog and print material, Eventbrite, and email campaigns;
• Manages e-newsletter campaigns and subscriber lists, performing regular contact list maintenance;
• Works with the Program Coordinator, Program Manager, and Design Coordinator to recruit, train and manage communication volunteers in advance of the Community Summit;
• Assists in the preparation of promotional toolkits, media kits, and other resource packages;
• Leads the research and development of program evaluation, including developing KPIs, metrics, analysis and reporting methodology;
• Contributes to evaluation for SFU Public Square and its activities, inclusive of the annual Community Summit and respective of internal and external audiences;
• Assist in the planning and management of reporting schedules;
• Prepare and maintain documentation for external and ad hoc reports including final evaluation reports for the Community Summit and the annual program;
• Liaise regularly with Executive Director and Program Manager on work planning;
• Capture and update contact information of key stakeholders in the SFU Public Square database (in accordance with Canadian Anti-Spam Law, the Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act, and the BC Privacy Act);
• Attend weekly staff meetings and provide updates and reports on all communications activity and perform other related duties as assigned.
• Contribute to other relevant tasks as assigned by the Program Manager.

Qualifications:

• SFU student or alumnus with a degree in Communications, Marketing, Publishing, or other related discipline;
• Previous communication coordination experience;
• Excellent English proficiency, writing, verbal and interpersonal skills;
• Creative and strategic thinker: Informed about latest trends and best practices in communications;
• Pronounced ability to work with traditional media initiatives and managing new media community-building platforms for promotion and engagement;
• Experience managing email campaigns and mailing lists (Campaigner, Mailchimp);
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), team project management applications (Slack, Google Drive, Asana) essential;
• Effective communication skills with diverse groups and individuals;
• Excellent leadership, organizational, strategic planning, and time management skills;
• Ability to act in a professional manner, meet deadlines and juggle multiple projects at one time in a fast-paced work environment;
• Previous experience working in open office environments and commitment to maintaining good working relationships with the rest of the project team;
• Proven judgement, analytical, and networking abilities;
• Ability to work with a team as well as independently;
• Ability to work evenings and weekends and travel within the Lower Mainland in support of SFU Public Square activity as required.

Strong Assets:

• Previous background in event planning;
• Valid driver’s license and vehicle;
• Keen interest in community engagement and dialogue.