Communications Coordinator

University of British Columbia; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Vancouver seeks a Communications Coordinator to develop and implement communication strategies for UBC Health. This role requires strong skills in project management and content creation across various platforms. The ideal candidate will have a relevant degree, at least four years of experience in communications, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. This full-time position offers a competitive salary.

Qualifications

• A minimum of four years of related experience in communications or marketing.
• Commitment to enhancing knowledge related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute targeted communication plans.
• Manage UBC Health's digital communications and social media.
• Identify and respond to opportunities for UBC Health's initiatives and contributions.

Skills

Strategic communications planning

Digital content creation

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Education

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline

Tools

Google Analytics

Adobe Creative Suite

WordPress

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Communications Coordinator. Department: Administration and Operations | UBC Health. Job Category: Staff - Non Union. Job Profile: AAPS Salaried - Information Services, Level A. Compensation Range: $5,791.00 - $8,323.42 CAD Monthly. Posting End Date: September 30, 2025. Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date. Job End Date: November 30, 2026. This is a full-time, 12-month term position, with possibility of extension, to start as soon as possible. Candidates must include a cover letter and resume in their applications to be considered.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Communications Coordinator develops and implements targeted communication plans for the Office of the Vice-President, Health with a focus on UBC Health's core areas: Collaborative Health Education, Research, and Systems. The incumbent works with the UBC Health Operational Leadership Team to execute an integrated communications strategy that aligns with the portfolio's priorities and engages diverse audiences to raise UBC Health’s profile and reach within and outside of UBC.

This position is responsible for the development and execution of communication plans and projects, including identifying relevant news and stories, creating written materials and visual content for publication and presentation, supporting the communications needs of initiatives, providing tactical expertise to UBC Health team members, and ensuring all communications activities and materials comply with UBC standards. The incumbent is also responsible for managing the day-to-day communications of the unit, including the UBC Health website, newsletter, related sites, and social media channels. The incumbent employs various digital platforms and applications to meet the communications objectives of the unit.

Organizational Status

UBC Health is responsible for driving the vision of the Vice-President, Health portfolio by promoting an integrated approach to collaboration amongst all health programs at UBC, within and across campuses and distributed sites, and with health sector partners. UBC Health has a mandate to enable and enhance interprofessional and collaborative health education and research to train people, develop knowledge, and shape policy, seeking to address inequities and improve the systems that produce health.

The Communications Coordinator reports to the Administrator and works under the general direction of the Operational Leadership Team. The incumbent works closely with other members of UBC Health to develop and implement communication strategies to promote and showcase the unit's priorities, initiatives, and events.

Work Performed

• Responsible for the development and execution of communication plans and projects that align with the unit's strategic priorities and key messaging.
• Identifies and responds to opportunities to profile UBC Health, its initiatives and contributions to UBC and the general community.
• Researches ideas and works with UBC Health team members and other content contributors to generate effective communication outputs, ensuring alignment with target audiences and message delivery.
• Plans, writes, and edits a wide range of communications, including news stories, web and newsletter content, social media posts, event promotions, speeches, external communications, and reports for public consumption.
• Translates complex information into clear, concise, and engaging communication materials for a variety of audiences and different communication channels.
• Designs and creates engaging graphic elements and visual content, including presentations, infographics, and posters.
• Coordinates with service providers on the production of multimedia content and digital assets, including videos, photos, and complex graphics.
• Manages unit-wide communications projects, including developing timelines and budgets, completing project tasks, tracking progress and milestones, preparing project reports, and making recommendations.
• Provides tactical communications expertise and operational support to UBC Health team members to meet the communications needs of various projects, initiatives, and events.
• Manages content for the UBC Health website, related sites, and social media channels, including selection and production of engaging digital assets, and ensures adherence to accessibility guidelines.
• Ensures appropriateness and consistency of key messaging and dissemination strategies to target audiences.
• Ensures that communication plans and their execution align with UBC-wide brand and communication guides and protocols.
• Researches and advises on communications best practices.
• Develops and maintains various communication templates and toolkits.
• Provides technical support and training on website and communication platforms.
• Liaises with UBC IT Web Services to address website design and functionality issues affecting accessibility of information.
• Collects analytics on websites and social media channels and assesses performance metrics for communications initiatives.
• Develops and manages effective working relationships with key communications personnel at the University (e.g. Media Relations, Internal Communications, Brand and Marketing, other VP portfolios, and health programs) and externally (e.g. health authorities, community organizations, etc.).
• Keeps current with major communication trends, issues, and technologies.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position represents the Office of the Vice-President, Health as well as the University, and is required to exercise professional judgment, maturity, collegiality and initiative while undertaking all responsibilities and developing relationships and partnerships. The work involves building and maintaining equitable relationships with external partners, including Indigenous partners and patient and community organizations. It requires attention to real and perceived barriers to meaningful participation, including tokenism, power dynamics, stereotyping, systemic racism, exploitation, and other inequities. The incumbent must understand and exercise the principles of confidentiality and best practices for Indigenous, patient and community engagement, including continuous learning and adapting these practices to ensure they are respectful, inclusive, and equitable. Incorrect decisions or judgment will directly affect UBC's reputation with students, faculty, staff, and the broader community. Inappropriate actions, errors in performance or indiscretions in judgment can negatively impact UBC Health's working relationships and credibility with a range of critical internal and external partners, may result in legal action or negative public relations, incur inappropriate costs, and/or jeopardize the unit's reputation in the areas of collaborative health education, research, and health systems.

Supervision

Works under general guidance from the Administrator and the Operational Leadership Team. Works with UBC Health team members to achieve the communication goals of the unit. Must be self-directed, able to manage project priorities and work independently. The incumbent is expected to show initiative and creativity in reaching set goals. Work is reviewed periodically to assess performance and ensure completion of project milestones.

Supervision Given

May participate in the recruitment, hiring and training of Work Learn students to support the communications portfolio of the unit. Provides training to staff involved in specific communication projects as needed. May give direction to external service providers.

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum four years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• University degree in Communications, Marketing or Journalism an asset.
• Communications and marketing experience in post-secondary education or in complex organizations in a health-related setting preferred.
• Proven experience in strategic communications planning, writing, and implementation of a broad range of digital and non-digital communication projects for a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of the principles and practices of communications, new media, public relations, and branding.
• Skills and experience in journalistic business writing are assets.
• Expert ability to adapt writing styles for various purposes and diverse audiences, and across different communication platforms (e.g. websites, print, social media, etc.).
• Ability to compose correspondence, reports, presentations, and other written materials using clear and concise language.
• Effective oral and written communication, interpersonal, presentation, and public relations skills.
• High level of initiative, creativity, attention to detail, and judgment in all communications work.
• Experience working with web content management systems, including Drupal and WordPress.
• Demonstrated experience in digital and social media platforms and content strategies, especially in a public or not-for-profit organization.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement digital performance metrics using Google Analytics and other relevant tools.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of graphic and web design principles.
• Ability to use desktop publishing software at an intermediate to advanced level, such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere), Canva, Camtasia, etc.
• Familiarity with learning management systems, such as Canvas or similar enterprise systems, an asset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel.
• Ability to effectively use survey applications (e.g. Qualtrics) and virtual meeting platforms (e.g. Zoom, MS Teams) at an intermediate/advanced level.
• Critical thinker who can make well-informed, thoughtful, and thorough decisions.
• Ability to work effectively and diplomatically with various levels of administration, campus audiences, external agencies, and the public.
• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships with a diverse community.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment that is collaborative, complex, and with a diverse range of stakeholders.