Director, Marketing & Communications

Praxis Spinal Cord Institute is a Canadian-based not-for-profit organization that leads global collaboration in spinal cord injury research, innovation and care. We advance ground-breaking ideas that can be put into practice, making lives better. We actively engage people with spinal cord injury and other world-class experts to work together to identify and solve the most urgent challenges to make exceptional improvements in the health of people with spinal cord injury.  Praxis is proudly accredited by Imagine Canada and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Charities by Maclean’s and Money Sense magazines, achieving an A+ rating.

Through a diverse workforce, Praxis is committed to excellence in research, innovation and care for people living with spinal cord injury. Praxis recognizes that a diverse workforce, comprised of individuals with an array of identities, abilities, backgrounds, cultures, skills, perspectives and experiences is vital to creativity, growth and innovation and our success in making an impact on quality of life. We support our commitment by fostering an inclusive workplace which is fair, equitable, supportive, welcoming and respectful, allowing us to continue to transform health outcomes.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the CEO, the Director, Marketing & Communications is responsible for developing and implementing all communications, marketing and branding strategies for the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute in alignment with its mission and vision.

The Director leads the Marketing & Communications team to build Praxis’ brand in an ongoing effort to communicate our effectiveness to funders and prospective funders and enrich our network and stakeholder relationships. This position works to ensure the SCI research and health care community understands the role that Praxis plays in catalyzing and executing applied clinical research to improve the lives of people with SCI and to demonstrate that we are in a position as a global leader in the SCI community.

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITIES

Functional Management: Praxis Marketing & Communications
Direct Reports: Marketing & Communications Lead; Coordinator, Marketing & Network Engagement

Budget: Marketing & Network Engagement budget

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Lead the creation of messaging, stories, materials, and infographic visuals to connect persons with SCI, stakeholders, government funders, the SCI community, and potential donors with the work of Praxis, its value, and its successes in working towards a world without paralysis after SCI;
• Lead internal and external communications and public relations campaigns and the implementation of communications strategies, acting as first point of contact for all communications issues and leading other staff engaged in communications work;
• Work closely with other leaders in Praxis to identify, communicate, and market the impact of Praxis in working towards a world without paralysis. This will include supporting departments in sharing its accomplishments and efforts;
• Responsible for the Praxis social media and web strategy to support the above and to ensure that it is in alignment with the mission and vision;
• Supporting Praxis’s fundraising campaigns through communications, marketing, and social media to support fundraising’s plan to generate donations. This also includes impact to donors.
• Support the CEO on government relations activities, as needed;
• Ensure key competencies and assets of the organization i.e. RHSCIR, intellectual property and Praxis Board Members are broadly shared through communications and marketing channels;
• Ensure all public communications by Praxis are consistent with the Praxis brand and narrative;
• Develop criteria to measure success of these strategies and evaluate them annually. Identify necessary adjustments to strategy and implement the same;
• Raise the profile and awareness of Praxis by cultivating relationships with local and national media resulting in positive media (stories) about the work of SCI and its role in making the lives of people with SCI better; and
• Work closely with all internal teams to provide effective and efficient solutions to marketing and communications requests.

QUALIFICATIONS

• University Degree/Diploma in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations or related field
• 8-10 years of experience in marketing or communications in a comparable role
• Experience with brand development an asset
• Experience working with a not-for-profit organization and supporting a fundraising campaign would be considered an asset
• Strong leadership, influencing, strategic management and interpersonal skills
• Ability to distill complex scientific and medical language into communications easily understood by a broad lay audience
• Superior communication and organizational skills
• Proven presentation skills
• High level of tact and diplomacy
• Project management skills
• Superior attention to detail
• Ability to work creatively, resourcefully and effectively to support a strong leadership group and become a trusted business advisor
• Ability to work both independently and within a team environment
• Ability to work in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment
• Ability to meet challenging, multiple deadlines
• Keen eye for detail and design
• Good understanding of brand integrity and consistency

An equivalent combination of education, experience and skills/behaviors will be considered.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates can apply by March 15, 2023. Please click here to apply. While we thank all applicants for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted. For more information on Praxis, please visit www.praxisinstitute.org.