Communications Officer - IGF

International Institute for Sustainable Development; Winnipeg; Hybrid; CAD 53,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

A global think tank is seeking a skilled Communications Officer to enhance its communications for the IGF Mining Team. This hybrid role in Winnipeg combines strategic communications, media outreach, and digital engagement. The officer will amplify messaging on mining and sustainable development, while managing various communication channels and materials. A Bachelor's degree and bilingual English/French skills are required, along with 3–5 years of relevant experience. Salary ranges from $53,000 to $66,000 CAD annually.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of professional experience in communications or public relations.
• Proven experience managing communications for international organizations.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate production of communications materials.
• Manage social media accounts and outreach strategies.
• Engage with media to build relationships and secure coverage.

Skills

Bilingual English/French communication

Digital media experience

Organizational skills

Media outreach knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field

Tools

WordPress

MailChimp

Cision

Job description

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a globally recognized think tank with 3 decades of experience working to solve the world’s most pressing sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise in a wide range of issues with a collaborative approach to research, policy advice, and hands‑on support to ensure these solutions are brought to life. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 professionals working from offices in Canada, Switzerland, and other locations around the world.

About the IGF

The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) supports more than 80 member countries committed to leveraging mining for sustainable development while limiting its negative impacts. We work with governments to optimize the benefits of mining to advance sustainable development, including through policy guidance, capacity building, and dialogue. A key moment each year is the IGF Annual General Meeting, where governments, industry, and civil society come together to share knowledge and shape the future of sustainable mining.

About the Position

We are seeking an English and French speaking Communications Officer to support communications for the IGF Mining Team. This is a pivotal role that combines strategic communications, brand positioning, media outreach, digital engagement, and event communications. The role is critical in amplifying IGF’s voice globally, shaping narratives on mining and sustainable development, and ensuring that the Forum’s work resonates with governments, industry, media, civil society, and the wider public. The Communications Officer will also support IGF’s flagship event—the Annual General Meeting.

The successful candidate will make complex policy issues accessible to global audiences, strengthen engagement with IGF’s member states and partners, highlight the impact of funders’ support, and help IGF stand out in a crowded space. This role requires excellent organizational skills, strong writing and editing ability, experience with digital media, and familiarity with member-based organizations or multilateral processes.

Responsibilities

Creative Content

• Coordinate production of a wide array of written communications materials, including press releases, articles, social media posts, newsletters, and other supporting content that make IGF’s work accessible to both expert and non-expert audiences. This may include drafting and editing content.
• Inform, project manage, and implement communications plans for a broad range of projects, reports, campaigns, and events. This includes cooperating with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring timelines are adhered to, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting on impact.
• In consultation with a communications manager, help to shape new communications strategies.
• Regularly share program work and collaborate with IGF’s core communications team to ensure alignment on key messaging and amplification of programmatic expertise in broader, organization-wide communications activities. Contribute to the shared editorial calendar.
• Communicate with IGF’s donors to show how their support has made an impact.
• Track current events related to specific workstreams and communicate these to colleagues, identifying opportunities for further work and/or public engagement.

Public Engagement and Social Media

• Maintain and update lists of newsletter subscribers within platforms such as MailChimp. Draft, edit, and distribute newsletters. Help inform and execute an email outreach strategy.
• Conduct event-related outreach and oversee post-event follow‑up (i.e., uploading webinar recordings to YouTube, sending thank-you emails, etc.).
• Inform social media strategy and manage all active social media accounts, ensuring posts are relevant, timely, engaging, and targeted to the needs and interests of key audiences. This may include drafting and/or editing posts, organizing promotions, tracking trending topics and hashtags, and regularly monitoring the feeds of partner organizations to identify opportunities for cross‑promotion.

Media Outreach

• Engage with journalists and influencers, with a focus on relationship‑building, to secure targeted coverage for IGF research and initiatives in key outlets. Build media lists; maintain and update databases of media contacts.
• Draft, edit, and disseminate press releases, media briefings, and email pitches for reporters and editors. Draft or support other staff in writing and placing op‑eds, letters to the editor, etc.
• Facilitate media training for IGF experts in advance of speaking to the press.
• Conduct media monitoring on a regular basis for assigned areas of work. Provide reports on media coverage and digital performance using Cision, Google Analytics, and other available platforms.

Digital Strategy

• Working within content management systems such as Drupal or WordPress, upload and edit content for websites, adhering to IISD and IGF guidelines. Review program‑relevant pages on IISD and IGF websites for timeliness and updates as needed.
• Working closely with IISD’s digital project manager, use analytics software to monitor, assess, and report on website traffic and engagement with our digital content, advising where appropriate on opportunities to improve.
• In collaboration with IISD’s design team, manage the production of digital content, including social media cards, posters, videos, invitations, simple infographics, presentations, and other conference or workshop materials. Retouch and resize images as needed.

Internal Process

• Ensure brand coherence and compliance with existing IGF communications practices.
• Manage internal processes related to the development and dissemination of communications products, including coordinating feedback from internal and external stakeholders, approvals, and copy editing.
• Maintain strong relationships with program staff to gain deeper understanding of their research and policy objectives in order to translate their work into key messages that resonate with priority audiences. Provide editorial guidance to IGF’s experts so they have the necessary skills to communicate their work through different channels and act as public ambassadors for IGF.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 3‑5 years of professional experience in communications, journalism, or public relations, ideally related to international policy or sustainable development.
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public relations, public policy, or related discipline.
• Bilingual English/French. Excellent English and French verbal and written communication skills are required; Spanish an asset.
• Proven experience managing communications for international, member-based, or multilateral organizations.
• Experience with digital platforms, including content management systems (WordPress or Drupal), analytics tools, and social media management.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver communications strategies around large international events.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with issues related to mining, natural resources, or sustainable development is an asset.

Location: Hybrid, Winnipeg, Canada

Salary: $53,000 - $66,000 CAD Annually.

Employment Type: Full‑Time

Application deadline: Wednesday, December 24, 2025 at 4 PM CST

Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for locations where they expect to be based without any sponsorship from IISD.

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English.

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR.

• A CV (no longer than two pages)
• A one‑page letter of motivation
• IISD Voluntary Self‑Identification Questionnaire (optional)

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for 1 year.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+, to apply for this position. Preference will be given to the equity‑deserving groups during the hiring process. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self‑identify and answer our employment equity questionnaire on our applicant tracking system when you apply.

IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.