Senior Communications Specialist, Editorial and Executive

David Suzuki Foundation; United States; Hybrid; USD 51,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Four-day workweek

Hybrid work opportunities

Benefits package

Job summary

The David Suzuki Foundation is seeking an experienced Senior Communications Specialist, Editorial and Executive to lead writing, editing and strategic messaging across DSF channels. The role partners with senior leadership and multiple teams to ensure consistent voice, brand integrity and impactful content.

Responsibilities include editing diverse materials, driving editorial standards, ghostwriting for the Executive Director, shaping communications plans, and managing media relations to advance

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic communications.
• Track record of leading national initiatives and producing high‑impact content as a writer, editor or producer.
• Exceptional writing skills, capable of simplifying complex issues for diverse audiences.
• Experience implementing editorial standards and protocols.
• Strong media relations skills, including securing placements and handling inquiries.
• Experience in executive communications, crisis communications and brand management.
• Experience in non‑profit, community or government communications working with diverse stakeholders; Indigenous relations experience is an asset.
• Proven ability to develop and execute communications plans.

Responsibilities

• Edit and review cross-organizational content, including technical reports, media releases, briefing notes, letters, articles and op-eds, digital content, etc.
• Coach staff to continuously improve internal writing quality and capacity.
• Support brand messaging and narrative development aligned with the Foundation's overarching communications strategy.
• Identify, refine, test, and embed key messages across all DSF content.
• Produce hallmark content to position us on environmental and social justice issues and promote key narratives.
• Monitor media for opportunities and risks, sharing insights with the communications team.
• Counsel individuals and teams, providing additional support to communications specialists as needed.
• Draft high-quality media releases, editorials, emails, briefings, web/social content, and ad copy as required.
• Develop public-facing responses to support front-line staff.
• Ghostwrite/edit speeches and memos for the Executive Director and Leadership team.
• Pitch news stories/op-eds, cultivate journalist relationships and manage media inquiries.
• Support the Executive Director's social media strategy and content.

Skills

Strategic comms

Writer/editor

Media relations

Editorial standards

Executive comms

Non-profit comms

Communications strategy

Job description

ABOUT US

The David Suzuki Foundation is a Canadian environmental non-profit organization, founded in 1990. We operate in English and French, with offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. We are a Canadian settler organization working to advance climate solutions, help nature thrive and build sustainable communities, respecting the rights, title and sovereignty of Indigenous nations. We believe Indigenous leadership is key to our collective future. We aim to work with a broad spectrum of people and organizations throughout Canada, including Indigenous communities, all levels of government and people who care about environmental justice, to find solutions to create a sustainable Canada.

We use scientific research, traditional ecological knowledge, innovative policy and legal solutions, communications and public engagement to pursue our mission to protect nature's diversity and the wellbeing of all life, now and for the future. We envision a world where we all act every day on the understanding that we are interdependent with nature and with each other.

To address the intersection of the climate and biodiversity crises with social justice and equity, the David Suzuki Foundation is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. As an organization, we are on a transformative journey to embed these values, decolonize our practices and become an anti-racist organization. Join us in creating a socially and environmentally just world, where diverse identities, lived experiences and world views are valued as essential to our collective future.

Department: Communications and Engagement

Terms: Permanent Full-Time Position (34 hours per week, Tuesday - Friday)

Location: Hybrid. Proximity to one of our three offices is preferred: Vancouver (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ territories), Montreal (Kanien'kehà:ka territory) or Toronto (Tkaronto, the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples).

Work environment: The position is hybrid, with a combination of remote work and 1 day per week required in-office. Note that it will be eventually expected to move to 2 days per week.

Reports to: Senior Manager, Communications

Salary: Senior Specialist, Wage Band 1: $71,083 (until August 31, 2026); effective September 1, 2026: $73,215

Application deadline: August 27, 2026, 9am PDT / 12pm EDT

Expected Start: October 2026

Type: Unionized Role

THE ROLE

The David Suzuki Foundation seeks an experienced Senior Communications Specialist, Editorial and Executive for our Communications and Engagement team. You will master the Foundation's strategic position, voice, and values within Canada's socio-political landscape, translating complex strategies into authentic messages while supporting PR, driving engagement and protecting our brand.

This role reports to the Senior Manager, Communications, and partners with the Engagement Director, Executive, Leadership and People, Culture and Equity teams, alongside colleagues across the organization.

Your primary focus is ensuring communication consistency and quality through editing, contributing to high-level strategy and producing core content that reinforces our narrative, voice and brand. You will also support the Executive Director and Leadership team with social media strategy, messaging, speechwriting and internal communications.

You are a versatile communicator comfortable across all mediums and an exceptional writer/editor producing inspiring, actionable content. You carry out executive and brand communications to high standards, ensuring strong representation across all DSF channels (web, email, social, media relations) with measurable results.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Editing

• Enforce style guidelines and partner with the Communications team to ensure all content consistently reflects DSF's voice, tone, and brand.
• Edit and review cross-organizational content, including technical reports, media releases, briefing notes, letters, articles and op-eds, digital content, etc.
• Coach staff to continuously improve internal writing quality and capacity.

Editorial and brand communications

• Support brand messaging and narrative development aligned with the Foundation's overarching communications strategy.
• Identify, refine, test, and embed key messages across all DSF content.
• Produce hallmark content, such as the Science Matters program (with David Suzuki and SMEs), to position us on environmental/social justice issues and promote key narratives.
• Monitor media for opportunities and risks, sharing insights with the communications team.
• Counsel individuals and teams, providing additional support to communications specialists as needed.
• Draft high-quality media releases, editorials, emails, briefings, web/social content, and ad copy as required, collaborating with Digital and Engagement teams to optimize for all channels.
• Develop public-facing responses to support front-line staff.

Executive and internal communications

• Support Executive and People, Culture and Equity teams by editing job postings, presentations, intranet content, policies, memos and announcements to engage staff and foster culture.
• Ghostwrite/edit speeches, articles, presentations and memos for the Executive Director and Leadership team members, ensuring authentic alignment with organizational strategy.
• Pitch news stories/op-eds, cultivate journalist relationships and manage media inquiries/speaking opportunities to boost Executive/Leadership visibility.
• Support the Executive Director's social media strategy and content.
• Monitor media for emerging risks/opportunities, escalating critical items to management and leadership as needed.
• Co-develop executive communications with leadership to navigate crises, mitigate reputational risk, and shape public response.

Communications team processes

• Manage the development, implementation and maintenance of the internal Communications Framework, guided by input from the wider team.
• Build internal capacity by managing communications briefs/templates and helping managers embed best practices into org-wide processes and training.
• Implement community moderation protocols, draft responses to social media comments, monitor sentiment and share trends and insights with the team to inform strategy.
• Manage the Foundation's ISBN Canada account and assign IDs to eligible publications.

Other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

We understand that experience can look different for everyone. Please share yours as it relates to:

• 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic communications.
• Track record of leading national initiatives and producing high-impact content as a writer, editor or producer.
• Exceptional writing skills, capable of simplifying complex issues for diverse audiences.
• Experience implementing editorial standards and protocols.
• Strong media relations skills, including securing placements and handling inquiries.
• Experience in executive communications, crisis communications and brand management.
• Experience in non-profit, community or government communications working with diverse stakeholders; Indigenous relations experience is an asset.
• Proven ability to develop and execute communications plans.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE

• Exceptional written, oral, and interpersonal skills in English (French is an asset).
• Ability to produce clear, strategic content tailored to diverse audiences and channels.
• Meticulous attention to detail, strong editing skills, and deep brand-management knowledge.
• Strong media relations knowledge; existing outlet relationships are a significant asset.
• Thrives under tight deadlines, managing high volumes of writing/editing efficiently.
• Quick learner adaptable to dynamic, information-rich environments.
• Resilient, flexible and effective both independently and collaboratively.
• Transparent, emotionally intelligent collaboration style that builds trust and psychological safety.
• Experience coaching colleagues and guiding teams through ambiguity and change.
• Deep commitment to environmental/social justice, operationalizing equity, diversity, decolonization and inclusion in strategy, messaging and audience engagement.
• Experience in public interest advocacy within Canadian and/or Indigenous contexts.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Four-day workweek
• Competitive salary and generous benefits package
• Hybrid work opportunities
• Supportive work culture
• Chance to make a difference and help improve the health of our planet and all life on it

The David Suzuki Foundation is strongly committed to equity and diversity and to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace. We especially encourage applications from equity-deserving groups; specifically Indigenous and racialized people, members of the LGBTQIA2S+, trans and gender-diverse communities, women and people with disability, chronic illness and/or neurodiversity.