ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS

Reporting to the Executive Director, Marketing and Communications, the Associate Director, Communications is responsible for leading and executing the College’s communications strategy, policies, programs and systems, to support the overall mission, vision, values and strategic direction of the College.

The incumbent has the principal role of managing and coordinating internal and external communication activities, including media relations, public relations, strategic employee and student communications, as well as crisis and issues management. Critical to this role is establishing and maintaining effective relationships and channels of communication with internal and external individuals and groups.

The incumbent ensures consistent messaging across all communications channels, enhances the College’s reputation, and supports key institutional initiatives through strategic communications planning. The Associate Director demonstrates trust, tact, business acuity and confidentiality in all activities on and off campus, and has strong communication, research, interpersonal, leadership, time management and organizational skills. The incumbent demonstrates a high level of writing and editing skills in drafting communication plans, press releases and other core college documents. Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Lead the development and delivery of a comprehensive integrated communications strategy that enhances Georgian College’s reputation, supports institutional priorities, and reinforces brand strength.
• Provide strategic counsel to senior leadership on high-priority issues, ensuring alignment with the College’s goals and reputation.
• Represent the College on internal and external committees to stay informed on key issues and, as needed, provide guidance that supports the College’s priorities and decision-making.
• Monitor trends in higher education, media, and public relations to continuously refine communications strategies.
• Work closely with People & Culture, academic leadership, student services and other internal and external partners to support institutional messaging, goals and objectives.
• Lead the development and execution of a strategic earned media plan to enhance Georgian’s reputation, elevate executive thought leadership, and expand the College’s visibility in key markets.
• Collaborate with the digital marketing team to ensure PR initiatives support content marketing, social media campaigns, and paid digital advertising strategies aimed at prospective students.
• Direct Georgian's thought leadership strategy, ensuring executive and faculty voices are leveraged in sector conversations, media, conferences, and digital channels.

Media Relations

• Advance Georgian’s reputation and influence by developing an earned media strategy that strengthens media relationships, builds awareness, and showcases stories aligned with the College’s reputational pillars- highlighting the impact of students, faculty, alumni, and community and industry partners.
• Implement PR strategies that ensure press releases and earned media coverage enhance the College’s online visibility, drive traffic to recruitment webpages, and generate leads.
• Oversee the development of high-impact media materials — including press releases, op-eds, briefing notes, and key messages.
• Provide media training and messaging guidance to College representatives as needed.
• Highlight alumni success stories in key industries, entrepreneurship, and community leadership to strengthen reputation and inspire prospective students.
• Oversee the preparation and distribution of annual college reports, including the Annual Report and Annual Business Plan and Budget documents.

Content Strategy and Storytelling

• Lead college-wide content strategies for digital platforms, media, public relations activities, and influencer audiences.
• Develop integrated storytelling campaigns across traditional media, social platforms, influencer channels, digital advertising, and email marketing to reinforce the College’s brand positioning and key messages.
• Develop and execute influencer marketing strategies, partnering with students, alumni, faculty, and industry professionals to create authentic, first-hand testimonials that promote programs and campus life.
• In collaboration with creative, recruitment, and marketing teams, lead the continuous improvement of the College’s social media channels to align with brand positioning and strategic goals. Leverage analytics tools to guide content strategy, boost audience engagement, and integrate social media into broader marketing and recruitment campaigns.

Crisis and Issues Management

• Provide strategic counsel and lead the development of timely, clear, and coordinated communications during crises to protect Georgian’s reputation and ensure stakeholder confidence.
• Navigate highly sensitive student, employee, and policy matters with discretion and urgency, assessing risk and determining when escalation or executive intervention is required.
• Execute effective crisis communications management practices in partnership with the Emergency Management Steering Committee.

Team Leadership and Oversight

• Provide leadership, including mentoring and coaching, to a team of communications professionals in the day-to-day delivery of communications to various academic and service areas across the College.
• Responsible for all departmental administration such as budget management, staff recruitment and development, performance reviews, and annual reporting of performance indicators.

Measurement, Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for communications initiatives to measure reach, engagement, and impact across all channels and initiatives.
• Develop communications performance reports, analyzing trends and outcomes to inform strategy and demonstrate value.
• Leverage analytics tools to monitor communications performance across platforms, identifying trends and data-driven insights to guide decisions on whether to continue, adjust, or retire specific tactics.
• Incorporate feedback and evaluation findings to refine messaging, improve clarity, and ensure alignment with audience needs and institutional priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Successfully completed a four-year degree in Communications, Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations or a related field of study.
• A minimum of seven years’ experience in corporate communication, marketing/advertising, public relations in order to effectively manage communication with senior executives (internal/external), media, government and community relations.
• Experience working in a postsecondary unionized environment or non-profit organization is considered an asset.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to deliver strategic analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of communication initiatives. Experienced in crafting a wide range of materials tailored to various contexts, including brand strategies, annual reports, press releases, and emergency communications.
• Experience supporting a President or Senior Executive, managing a President’s or Senior Executive’s office and office personnel is considered an asset.
• Proven ability to proactively build and sustain strong relationships, networks, and partnerships both within the organization and with external stakeholders.
• Experience leading a team of communication professionals and fostering a strongly engaged and collaborative team focused on accountability and performance.
• Demonstrated integrity and discretion when handling confidential information; strong diplomacy and conflict-resolution skills
• Strong organizational and analytical abilities, with a proven capacity to manage multiple projects, set priorities, and plan for both short- and long-term goals.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to assess complex situations and effectively resolve issues.

Georgian College supports diversity, equity and a workplace free from harassment and discrimination and is committed to an inclusive, barrier-free environment. We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to persons of Indigenous ancestry, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. If you are contacted to participate in the interview, please advise the coordinator of any accommodations needed with respect to any materials or processes used to ensure you have access to a fair and equitable process.

Alternate formats will be provided upon request throughout the recruitment and selection process.

Georgian College has introduced FLEX Work for some positions. This position is currently eligible for Hybrid Work. FLEX Work agreements will be determined between the employee and manager when employment commences and may change in accordance with the FLEX Work guidelines. All employees are required to permanently reside in the province of Ontario.

APPLY NOW:

To be considered for this position, please visit our website at www.GeorgianCollege.ca and apply by navigating to About Us and then to Career Opportunities.

Applications for this position must be received by 11:59 p.m. May 8, 2025. While we thank all applicants, only those contacted for an interview will be acknowledged.