Department: External Relations
Employee Group: Teamsters Local 31
Location: 4515 Central Boulevard, Burnaby
Salary Range/ Wage Rate: PG T29 $3,785.23 - $4,475.43 bi-weekly (2024 wage rates)

Our External Relations Department is seeking a Senior Communications Specialist who is passionate about making a difference through strategic and purposeful work.

You are: a communications expert with a penchant for tackling tough problems, finding insights that drive human behaviour, and creating solutions that inspire change. You produce high-quality work, handle shifting priorities with grace, and can manage a diverse portfolio. Analyzing metrics and developing strategic insights is second nature to you, as is your ability to build positive relationships amongst both internal staff and external contractors.

This role:

• Plans, creates, coordinates, researches and develops communications, marketing, education and campaign strategies, activities, programs and projects from concept to final product; formulates project scope and budget; develops implementation phases; and monitors campaign, activities, programs and project performance.
• Identifies audiences and writes communications and social marketing strategies that outline objectives, key messages, approaches and key performance indicators; manages traditional, digital, social and emerging communications; determines and develops approach and research of behaviour change methodology; provides digital and social media strategic direction; and coordinates with media relations and management teams.
• Oversees, plans, assigns and participates in the work of subordinates engaged in communication strategies, behaviour change campaigns and assigned communication projects; directs the work of consultants; presents and defends organizational strategic communications work with high-impact to Metro Vancouver’s external reputation, including to senior staff, committees, municipalities, provincial agencies and other stakeholders; and may presents at various meetings as required.
• Manages research to inform communications strategies including public opinion research and campaign evaluation research; analyzes metrics, qualitative and quantitative data and strategy development; prepares various reports relating to work plans, post-campaign media performance, website analytics and social media performance; and presents results to internal and external contacts to ensure all campaign content aligns with the brand guidelines.
• Liaises and maintains effective working relationships with staff and a wide variety of external contacts at various levels within provincial and federal government agencies, municipalities, committees and federally chartered companies.
• Performs related work as required.

To be successful, you have:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, political science, or marketing, plus seven years of related communications experience in behaviour change methodologies, digital/social media strategy in the public sector and working with senior officials on developing mechanisms for public and media awareness of strategic corporate goals; or an equivalent combination of training and experience (i.e., related education and experience in advertising).
• Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques relating to communications strategy design, social and digital media strategy and major marketing and communications and behaviour change campaigns, especially as it relates to governmental agencies and organizations.
• Considerable knowledge of the objectives of the Board, MVRD and its member municipalities as they relate to the work performed.
• Considerable knowledge of writing techniques, digital and social media, web, graphic arts, outreach event planning, print production, news, and advertising media.
• Considerable initiative, political sensitivity and judgment.
• Ability to plan, assign, oversee and participate in the work of a group of subordinates engaged in related communications and campaign work and to direct the work of consultants.
• Ability to take an advanced strategic communication project involving multiple areas of an organization from concept through implementation and assessment in a public sector environment.
• Ability to conceptualize, plan and implement behaviour change campaigns, communication projects, social and digital media strategies and events.
• Ability to research, develop, and defend project proposals.
• Ability to analyze, evaluate data and metrics, and prepare comprehensive reports.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide variety of internal and external contacts on research and project implementation and to represent Metro Vancouver in a variety of committees and working groups.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with a wide variety of internal and external audiences.
• Ability to perform work with minimal supervision.
• Strong technical abilities including understanding of plain language writing, digital communications, social media strategies, hands-on knowledge of PowerPoint and desktop publishing, experience with print and electronic production methods for small and large scale production.
• Driver’s Licence for the Province of British Columbia.