Advancement Communications Specialist

York University; Toronto; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Job summary

York University seeks an Advancement Communications Specialist to develop a broad range of written materials for donor and alumni engagement, with an emphasis on storytelling across digital and print formats.

The role requires a university degree in journalism, communications, marketing or English and at least five years of fundraising writing experience, plus strong editing, research and project leadership capabilities.

Qualifications

• University degree in Journalism, Communications, Marketing or English.
• 5+ years of fundraising writing experience.
• Experience writing for print and digital and donor-facing materials.
• Knowledge of donor, prospect and alumni audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop a broad range of written materials for donor and prospect cultivation and solicitation.
• Produce materials for donor stewardship and alumni engagement.
• Focus on storytelling across digital and print formats.
• Collaborate with Advancement teams to meet deadlines.

Skills

Writing & editing

Storytelling

Donor communications

Copywriting

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Research skills

Interviewing skills

Editing

Education

University degree in a relevant field

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Dreamweaver

WordPress

MS Office

HTML basics

Job description

Advancement at York leads and inspires meaningful engagement and philanthropic support from alumni and friends to advance the University's mission. We are also deeply committed to building the reputation of York University as a leading, progressive, research-intensive University uniquely positioned for the betterment of society in the 21st century.

Our division is comprised of four departments:

• Advancement Services & Operations is the administrative and technology support unit for all Advancement activities
• Alumni Engagement provides programs, services, and engagement to over 350,000 York alumni worldwide
• Development leads efforts to promote and secure philanthropic support from alumni, donors, friends, corporations, and foundations
• Advancement Communications & Marketing works to promote and communicate alumni and donor messages along with direct marketing services for alumni and donor engagement

Under the direction of the Director, Advancement Communications, the Advancement Communications Specialist supports this mission through the development of a broad range of written materials. These are produced in both digital and print formats and include materials to support donor and prospect cultivation and solicitation, donor stewardship, and alumni engagement, with an emphasis on storytelling.

Education

University degree required, preferably in Journalism, Communications (Mass or Corporate), Marketing or English. Equivalent education and experience includes college diploma in Journalism, Communications or Marketing plus 1 year practical related experience or four years recent experience (defined as within the last five years) working at York University performing the same or similar tasks. This education equivalency is in addition to the experiential requirements outlined below. Professional writing certification is an asset.

Experience

Minimum of 5 years' recent direct experience as a writer with a focus on writing for fundraising, particularly in developing, writing and designing proposals, case statements and stewardship reports. Marketing writing experience or strategic writing experience are assets. Demonstrated experience in writing and editing for both print and digital, across multiple channels. Demonstrated understanding of donor, prospect and alumni audiences.

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and a high level of proficiency in English grammar, spelling and punctuation are essential.
• Ability to adapt writing styles for various purposes, for different media requirements and for different audiences.
• Ability to synthesize concepts and ideas into clear, concise and compelling written and designed documents.
• Demonstrated ability in storytelling and persuasive writing.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-based environment but to also work independently and exercise good judgment.
• Ability to be thorough, accurate, and exercise a high level of attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Tact and diplomacy skills in addition to awareness and ability to work within an environment that requires confidentiality.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure of high volume and meet daily deadlines.
• Advanced research, fact-checking, communications planning and interviewing skills.
• Ability to track and plan numerous communications initiatives and create communications products through in-depth questioning and interpretation of complex ideas.
• Ability to comprehend complex materials including research papers, policy papers, and technical reports to translate technical information into language easily understood by non-expert audiences.

Technical

• Proficient in word-processing, internet search, web-authoring technology and desktop and web publishing tools such as Adobe Creative Suite/Dreamweaver and WordPress.
• Good working knowledge of MS Office suite.
• Knowledge of style guides.
• Knowledge of HTML principles and photo manipulation software are assets.
• Experience with creative direction an asset.

Additional Notes

Please note: This position requires the candidate to produce a verification of degree(s), credentials(s), or equivalencies from accredited institutions and/or international equivalents at the time of interview.