Senior Communications Officer

Job Description

<p><b>Senior Communications Officer</b></p><p><b>Reporting Relationships: </b>This position reports into the Senior Director, Communications.</p><p><b>Position Mandate: </b>Our client is seeking a Senior Communications Officer with deep experience across a broad range of strategic and hands-on communications functions, including storytelling, media relations, publications, digital communications, and stakeholder engagement.</p><p>Reporting to the Senior Director, Communications, this role is a senior individual contributor and key member of a small, high-performing communications team. The Senior Communications Officer helps execute Our client’s communications strategy across channels and initiatives to drive awareness and engagement among priority audiences.</p><p>Our client is an NFP based in Canada, and supports one of the world’s top-ranked research institutions based in <b>Israel.</b></p><p><b>Key Responsibilities will include:</b></p><ul><li>Write, edit, and proofread clean, accurate copy for print and digital platforms, including stories, news articles, media materials, web copy, platform-appropriate social media content, newsletters, ad copy, donor- facing materials, and event communications</li><li>Translate complex scientific material into clear, compelling copy for diverse audiences</li><li>Develop, contribute to, and help execute cross-channel communications plans</li><li>Develop targeted media pitches, backgrounders, key messages, and briefing materials; serve as a point of contact for media inquiries and help secure earned media coverage</li><li>Conduct interviews with scientists, partners, and stakeholders to support storytelling and content development</li><li>Support the production of print and digital publications and marketing materials, including liaising with designers, printers, and vendors as needed</li><li>Help update and maintain website content using a content management system and provide recommendations to improve performance and user experience</li><li>Develop and manage communications content calendars</li><li>Track, analyze, and report on communications performance across channels using tools like Google Analytics and platform insights to inform continual improvement</li><li>Support integrated marketing and communications campaigns across web, social, email, and print channels</li><li>Ensure all materials adhere to brand standards and organizational style guidelines</li><li>Contribute to other communications projects and initiatives as needed</li></ul><p><b>Competencies:</b></p><p><b>Leadership</b></p><ul><li>Sound judgment and decision-making skills</li><li>Demonstrates effective organizational leadership and an ability to assess situations realistically</li><li>Encourages team members toward team goals, supports team processes and promotes harmony among team members</li><li>Communicates leads and / or supports change initiatives to move the organization forward, demonstrating flexibility toward new approaches and taking informed risks</li><li>Creates and maintains a productive environment</li><li>Communicates or seeks out clear expectations</li><li>Models positive examples and openly acknowledges the achievements of others</li></ul><p><b>Donor Service</b></p><ul><li>Provides prompt and positive service to donors and volunteers</li><li>Demonstrates commitment to increasing donor and volunteer satisfaction</li><li>Has strong interpersonal skills</li></ul><p><b>Initiative</b></p><ul><li>Looks for opportunities to improve the workplace and recommends needed change in a timely manner</li><li>Takes action and responsibility to complete what is necessary in the absence of being given specific direction</li></ul><p><b>Excellence</b></p><ul><li>Consistently accurate</li><li>Consistently thorough</li><li>Effectively juggles multiple tasks, work demands and shifting priorities in a</li><li>positive manner, ensuring deadlines are met</li></ul><p><b>Critical/Analytical</b> <b>Thinking</b></p><ul><li>Critically reviews, analyzes, compares and interprets information</li><li>Draws conclusions from relevant or missing information</li><li>Strong problem-solving skills</li><li>Communicates problems and resolutions to the Vice President in a timely manner</li></ul><p><b>Effective Communication</b></p><ul><li>Adapts communication for the audience to optimize understanding</li><li>Clearly and appropriately expresses information and his/her desires or needs</li></ul><p><b>Integrity</b></p><ul><li>Demonstrates professionalism, confidentiality and commitment to the institution</li><li>Makes and lives up to commitments, and follows up with team members to ensure satisfaction of commitments made to others</li></ul><p><b>Collaboration</b> <b>/ Teamwork</b></p><ul><li>Keeps colleagues in the loop on projects</li><li>Seeks interaction with members of the team</li><li>Demonstrates knowledge of or interest in knowing what other team members do</li><li>Values the opinions of others and is open to divergent points of view</li><li>Volunteers help when appropriate</li><li>Responds well to requests from team members</li><li>Demonstrates knowledge about the interconnectivity of his/her own procedures with those of other team members</li></ul><p><b>JOB REQUIREMENTS:</b></p><ul><li>Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field; a master’s degree is an asset</li><li>Minimum <b>five to seven</b> years of recent, progressive experience in communications, <b>preferably within a research, academic, or nonprofit environment</b></li><li>Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with a record of producing engaging copy for print and digital channels with minimal revision (Canadian Press style)</li><li>Highly skilled at translating complex material into clear content for diverse audiences</li><li>Experience planning and executing multi-channel communications initiatives, including content development, media relations, and digital communications</li><li>Hands-on experience managing media relations, including creating media plans, writing pitches and briefing materials, and responding to media inquiries</li><li>Strong digital communications experience, including website content management (WordPress), social media platforms, and performance measurement using analytics</li><li>Excellent and efficient research, interviewing, and fact-checking skills, with a high level of attention to accuracy and detail</li><li>Strong organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing priorities</li><li>Excellent judgment, professionalism, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders</li><li>Experience using digital analytics tools, including Google Analytics, to track performance, produce reports, make recommendations, and inform decisions</li><li>Proficiency in Microsoft Office</li><li>Working knowledge of emerging tools and technologies, including artificial intelligence applications relevant to communications</li></ul><p><b>Assets:</b></p><ul><li>Experience in a nonprofit or fundraising environment</li><li>Experience with fundraising platforms (e.g., Raiser’s Edge)</li><li>Experience using media monitoring and management tools (e.g., Meltwater)</li><li>Experience using Adobe Creative Suite or similar design tools</li><li>Experience using Asana or similar project management tools</li></ul><p></p>