Strategic Communications Manager

University of British Columbia - Staff; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The Strategic Communications Manager will be pivotal in enhancing the visibility of housing research initiatives at a leading university. This role involves strategic planning, public relations, and collaboration with diverse stakeholders to promote sustainable, affordable housing solutions while contributing significantly to research initiatives. The position offers opportunities for professional growth in a supportive, innovative environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment with internal and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Develops and manages communication plans and strategies for the HRC.
• Leads communications projects and ensures compliance with communication policies.
• Represents the HRC at events and engages with various stakeholders.

Skills

Communications planning

Public relations

Team collaboration

Project management

Education

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

WordPress

Job description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category M&P - AAPS Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Information Services, Level B Job Title Strategic Communications Manager Department Research | Alexandra Flynn | Peter A. Allard School of Law Compensation Range $6,747.50 - $9,701.42 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date June 17, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Jun 30, 2026

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

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 Strategic Communications Manager will be a key contributor to all aspects of promoting, evaluating, and performing other communications efforts in relation to the Housing Research Collaborative (HRC) and Balanced Supply of Housing (BSH), and possible future projects secured under the above initiatives. The HRC is the largest housing research organization west of Toronto. It is an interdisciplinary research collective comprising faculty from law, geography, sociology, and business who work on projects related to affordable housing in Canada, with a focus on British Columbia. The BSH is a research project funded by CMHC/SSHRC which brings together researchers and community-based organizations to examine sustainable, affordable housing solutions in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. The Strategic Communications Manager develops, leads, and manages communication plans and strategies for the HRC and its units including storytelling, media relations, event planning, and the promotion of research. Working directly with the HRC + BSH Director, and in consultation with the Research Manager, this role executes strategic initiatives, advising on and managing communications projects within the research group. The Strategic Communications Manager position will be renewable annually until May 2028.

Organizational Status

Reports to Director HRC + BSH, works with initiative and considerable autonomy under general supervision, but also collaboratively with the managers and director in the unit. Maintains strong working relationships with Allard staff, UBC Brand and Marketing, UBC Media Relations, UBC Government relations, other campus communicators, external partner organizations, external researchers, and government bodies. This role is highly visible to the external community, working with government agencies, community partners, researchers, and the public.

Work Performed

Typical responsibilities may include: providing public information and communications services for a small to mid-sized faculty or administrative unit; planning communications projects and budgeting; participating in the development of communications strategies; and participating in the development of communications policies.

1. Communications planning and implementation

• Creates and implements well-coordinated, effective communication and marketing plans in alignment with communication and marketing guidelines, following professional best practices, and ensures and/or exceeds legislative accessibility requirements.

• Works with academic partners across Canada to collaborate and implement communication plans.

• Leads communications projects, plans and runs meetings, and translates discussions into structured documents and plans for senior management review and execution. Leads communication project activities and documentation, including ensuring timelines and milestones are met.

• Leads campaigns, public relations, and marketing activities designed to raise the profile of HRC and BSH to UBC faculty and students, outside researchers, government bodies, and other housing sector stakeholders. Identifies and coordinates opportunities with community and research partners to cross-promote the HRC/BSH effectively.

• As required, engages with HRC leadership to support strategic priorities and create proactive communications plans. Acts as a communications resource, providing front-line tactical communications expertise to HRC leadership, and recommendations and best practices to project partners.

• Provides or facilitates training for communicators, student trainees, and research assistants. This includes workshops and training sessions, participating in onboarding, mentoring, and providing constructive feedback.

2. Content production, management, and distribution

• Responsible for researching, writing, editing, and curating content and planning and implementing well-coordinated communication plans for assigned HRC projects. Work includes drafting promotional copy, editing and design of reports, writing profiles, announcements, educational and/or informational blog posts and stories, and preparing news releases.

• Generates campaigns, public relations, and marketing activities designed to raise the profile of the HRC and BSH. Creates content for social media channels, including photography, illustrations, videos, graphics, blog posts, as aligned with wider communication initiatives and/or campaigns. Develops and manages digital assets.

• Designs and produces effective and visually appealing communications and promotional materials and digital assets to support HRC’s needs, including developing templates that unify material, in line with the UBC brand and accessibility standards and with attention to audience needs. Oversees contracts and directs services provided by external vendors to produce materials, including the production of video clips, photographs, and graphics.

• Responsible for planning and creation of content based on the HRC’s communications strategy. Consults with subject matter and content experts, including HRC leadership and partner researchers, on messages, audience, delivery and best practices for internal and external communications. Performs research and fact-checking analysis.

3. Business Development

• Maintains familiarity with major communications trends, issues, and technologies and keeps a close eye on housing sector news in Canada and globally.

• Creates content and attends sector events to promote housing advocacy and acts as a liaison in building networks and broader engagement across the Canadian housing sector, UBC, and other academic research partners.

• Supports the Research Manager with government and community engagement by liaising and on behalf of HRC leadership with key Canadian and international partners. Represents the HRC at public functions such as conferences and trade shows.

4. Event planning and management

• Promotes programming and events for HRC and BSH as well as partner organizations, in support of the organization’s strategic vision and objectives. This includes event planning, vendor procurement and management, attendee support, event execution, and post-event survey/reporting. May attend events after regular hours as needed. May need to travel within BC and beyond to attend/manage events.

• Supports communication strategies by leading collaborative projects and ensuring accuracy of content and messaging in communication programs.

• Represents the HRC on communications-related committees and via opportunities that require/request HRC representation. Cultivates strong relationships with stakeholders and helps maintain the reputation of the HRC through professionalism and positive contributions.

• Performs other related duties as required.

5. Research Knowledge Mobilization

• Supports the Research Manager with active research tracking, regularly meeting with researchers to monitor project progress and provide communications feedback, design services, or copyediting support on research outputs.

• Supports cross-departmental research by connecting researchers with academics outside of their department or network or with community partners across the housing sector.

• Plans and executes in-person and web-based research events, facilitating the ideation, planning, technical support, and execution of such events.

• Hires, mentors, and manages work learn students, RAs, and junior communications staff.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Actions and decisions are critical in ensuring the reputation and success of the HRC and BSH. Errors in judgement may cause financial hardship or serious reputational damage. Incorrect decisions/judgments will directly affect the HRC and BSH’s reputation. This role exercises initiative and judgement in establishing priorities and carrying tasks through to completion and must demonstrate tact and discretion in working with academic and community sector partners. Works independently with considerable autonomy and as a team member on the HRC’s communications strategy and implementation. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of defined goals and overall regard of the HRC and BSH within the Housing Sector. Makes decisions regarding writing and editing communication materials, and communications projects and service contracts. Works with all stakeholders within the HRC and BSH to serve the communication needs of the research group. Error in the performance of duties or inappropriate disclosure of confidential information may adversely affect the image and reputation of the HRC, BSH, the Peter A. Allard School of Law, and UBC. The performance of this position can have a major impact on how the HRC and BSH are perceived by government bodies, community partners, and the wider housing sector.

Supervision Received

The role works independently under the overall supervision of the Director, and in consultation with the Research Manager. Deliverables are reviewed and approved through a collaborative process with the partners involved in projects.

Supervision Given

Manages and coordinates the work of external service providers and student staff where needed. Explains work procedures to new or inexperienced staff, including student staff, if applicable.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum five 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

• Prior communications and marketing experience in developing and coordinating print and digital projects. Demonstrated ability to work in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment with a variety of internal and external partners Internal communications experience in larger-scale, decentralized organizations and/or public sector and research organization desired.

• Demonstrated working knowledge of graphic and web design principles required. Ability to use desktop publishing software at an intermediate level (Adobe Creative Suite) to develop effective marketing and communication materials.

• Demonstrated experience of working with social media and websites in an organizational/corporate environment.

• Ability to conduct needs analysis, plan, organize, manage, monitor, complete, and evaluate projects within allocated time and resources. Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities. Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines. Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.

• Demonstrated knowledge of inclusive and accessible communications practices and sensitivity to key systemic issues and challenges facing historically, persistently and/or systemically marginalized communities, particularly in post-secondary education settings. Some familiarity with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) international standard.

• Demonstrated experience working with social media tools in an organizational and/or corporate environment to engage audiences. Demonstrated experience using content management systems such as WordPress. Experience in creating and delivering messages in various platforms including using video. Experience with assessing and analyzing data to make informed decisions. Familiarity with analytics programs for social media platforms is an asset.

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Ability to develop and deliver effective presentations. Ability to adapt writing styles for various purposes, for different media requirements and for different audiences. Ability to effectively use email, word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software at an advanced level.

• Commitment to anti-racism and inclusive excellence, and ability to apply an intersectional anti-racist lens to communications projects. Ability to recognize, respect and work effectively with individuals and groups with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Takes initiative in learning about language and issues relating to equity and diversity.

• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships and engage in workplace culture. Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment. Ability to recognize and appreciate the contributions of colleagues. Committed to demonstrating respect to colleagues at every level by trusting in their abilities and knowledge to perform their roles and earning respect through meeting commitments. Models and demonstrates good interpersonal communication through active listening and appreciative inquiry and is open to providing and receiving timely, constructive feedback. Listens to, encourages and expresses creative and innovative ideas.

• Models and demonstrates good interpersonal communication through active listening and appreciative inquiry and open to providing and receiving timely, constructive feedback. Open to experiment and improvise with new ways of approaching processes, tasks or problems. Ability to exercise tact and discretion. Lived experience as a member of historically, persistently and/or systemically marginalized communities, and/or professional experience working with historically, persistently and/or systemically marginalized communities, is an asset.