Description

Communications and Marketing within the Faculty of Science is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Director, Communications and Marketing.

In this leadership role, you will work with the Dean of the Faculty of Science and the Office of External Relations to build the national and international reputation of the University of Calgary's Faculty of Science.

The director leads the team whose core purpose is to boldly amplify the voice of the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary to attract high quality learners, researchers and partners. This is a direct reflection of the team's role in supporting the faculty's new strategic plan, Get Science Done.

Leading a team of communications, marketing and recruitment professionals, you will develop, implement, and evaluate an ambitious and outcomes-focused marketing and communications strategy for the faculty, focused on strengthening and aligning all aspects of communications, marketing and reputation management to support the realization of the bold strategic plans of the Faculty of Science and the University of Calgary. The position is being posted at a key time in the Faculty of Science's growth. It requires vision, leadership, creativity, exceptional marketing expertise, strong strategic thinking in communications, ability to lead and inspire a distributed team, fiscal accountability, and experience with evaluation metrics and reporting. An experienced manager with proven experience directing a high-performance team of communicators, marketers and recruiters, you will lead initiatives and support a collaborative culture within the Faculty of Science and the university, achieving shared common goals with a wide and diverse group of stakeholders internally and externally. As a member of the faculty senior leadership team, you will provide high-quality strategic advice and contribute to the overall success and effectiveness of the Get Science Done Strategic Plan.

This position reports to the Dean of Science, with strong links to the Office of External Relations, including the VP of External Relations.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

STRATEGIC PLANNING/PROJECTS:

• In conjunction with the Dean and senior leadership, develops, monitors and meets the faculty's objectives in the area of marketing and communications through results-focused plans for both internal and external audiences. Creativity and data-driven decision making are essential
• Provides advice to the Dean and senior leadership to effectively allocate and utilize resources to achieve strategic goals and objectives with regards to marketing and communications
  Responsible for overseeing the communications and marketing budget for the Faculty of Science
• Works with the Office of External Relations to provide a Faculty of Science perspective on any university-wide announcements, events and initiatives

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS:

• Improves and broadens the reputation of the faculty locally, nationally and internationally to meet targets set out by the faculty's strategic plan, Get Science Done, and the University's strategic plan, Ahead of Tomorrow
• Proactively seeks out opportunities and achieves success in reputation management, brand strategies, media relations, social media, campaigns, publications, marketing, events and internal communications designed to create a positive image for the Faculty of Science and the University of Calgary
• Provides long-and short-term communications advice to senior leaders and faculty members within the faculty and across campus on faculty-related initiatives and issues
• Ensures the implementation of strong and consistent brand and positioning protocols for the marketing efforts of the faculty
• Ensures alignment of marketing and communications efforts across the Faculty of Science to ensure resources are focused on Science priorities
• Accountable for supporting the short- and long-term business objectives of the Faculty of Science through effective marketing and communications strategies
• Oversees the cultivation of timely and compelling Faculty of Science stories and faculty experts to amplify the national and international reputation of the faculty through proactive media relations
• Oversees all digital platforms (web site, social media, invitations, newsletters) and in-person experiences to elevate the reputation and high-quality engagement with the faculty and the university
• Builds and maintains relationships with peers in the post-secondary, industry, policy, and innovation sectors in Calgary and nationally

PEOPLE LEADERSHIP:

• Develops productive relationships with faculty leadership team, academics, students and staff
• Manages contracts and relationships with external contractors, freelancers and design providers
• Works professionally and collaboratively with other university communicators and marketing professionals, as well as members of the Office of External Relations and external funding agencies
• Engages key stakeholders in the work and results of the university related to the Faculty of Science
• Supports internal communications, in conjunction with the senior leadership team (including HR and Finance Partners) in the faculty to foster a high-performance culture
• Establishes and leads a team of results-oriented marketing, communications and recruitment professionals, ensuring the appropriate allocation of personnel to projects, providing staff with direction on administrative policies, procedure, collective agreements, technical requirements, priorities and service expectations
• Coaches and mentors staff to achieve personal and professional excellence; supports team members in an annual professional development cycle
• Coaches and motivates staff and project members to develop positive, high-trust working relationships; manages conflicts towards win-win outcomes
• Creates an environment where knowledge sharing, training tools, coaching and staff development ensure service levels are met or exceeded

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS:

• Communicates in a timely, informative and respectful way, appropriately representing the Faculty of Science and the university
• Manages complex faculty issues and challenging interpersonal interactions with composure and diplomacy
• Seeks expert opinions and advice where appropriate and considered reliable
• Proactively develops and maintains trustworthy, productive, problem-solving working relationships with colleagues and staff across the university community and external agencies Represents the faulty as an active member of the Communications Process Committee and ensure faculty compliance with the Communications Protocol

Qualifications / Requirements:

• A post-secondary degree or equivalent in marketing, communications, public relations, business, or a related field
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in the marketing and communications field
• Track record of leading high-performance teams that affect change to achieve ambitious goals
• Demonstrated experience in planning and implementing strategic marketing and communications plans, which includes effective creation and execution of large-scale projects and campaigns aimed at target audiences
• Excellent written and oral communications skills. This includes demonstrated ability to speak and write clearly and succinctly in a variety of settings and styles; ability to distill complex information into compelling stories, listen effectively and deliver messages that have the desired effect
• Experience in event planning and community engagement, including event marketing, experience design and branded content
• Experience in marketing and materials, including print and digital channels, plans, reports, brochures and giveaways
• Experience in a full spectrum of strategic communications, including public relations, media relations, and all digital media platforms
• Experience in internal communications planning, implementation and assessment
• Strong interpersonal skills and a proven ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide and diverse stakeholder group and across campus
• Knowledge and expertise formulating competitive strategies and managing policies, practices, trends and information affecting the entire university
• Demonstrated ability to work with staff at all levels, to effectively inspire and cultivate skills and leadership progression with direct reports Demonstrated ability to be positive and focused under pressure and deadlines, and to handle numerous priorities and competing deadlines

Application Deadline: August 29, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Professional/Administrative Career Band, Level M2 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.