Join the country’s most trusted environmental organization and become a force for good.

ABOUT US

We find solutions for living within the limits of nature. Through a combination of evidence-based science and active public engagement, we seek to motivate Canadians to take action on the pressing environmental challenges we face. With headquarters in Vancouver and regional offices in Toronto and Montreal, we address issues from coast to coast to coast, in both official languages. With the support of scientists, academics, progressive businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations and hundreds of thousands of Canadians we aim to achieve this vision: “That within a generation Canadians act on the understanding that we are interconnected and interdependent with nature, and with each other.”

CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES

Our current strategic and annual plans outline several organizational priorities. The Communications and Engagement Department is involved in all of these, and leads on the Right to a Healthy Environment (Blue Dot) project.

1. Strategic Goal: Building and engaging a community of 350,000 Canadians by 2017.

2. The Right to a Healthy Environment: This long-term national campaign is building a grassroots movement to guarantee every Canadian the right to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live in a healthy environment. Our goal is simple: to have all levels of government recognize every Canadian’s right to live in a healthy environment, no matter who they are or where they live..

3. Climate & Energy: We are addressing Canada’s shift to a low carbon economy. The focus is on the clean energy and technology sector, as well as sustainable transportation in our largest cities. Involving Canadians in this shift is core to achieving success.

4. First Nations Engagement: We are reviewing our approach to First Nations Engagement, with a focus on the work we will undertake, and the relationships we hope to develop.

ABOUT THIS POSITION

Effective communications and engagement are defining features of the David Suzuki Foundation. The Director is responsible for creating the communications and engagement agenda, and providing the leadership for informing and mobilizing Canadians to take action on critical environmental issues. The Director is an experienced and genuine leader who provides coaching and mentorship to ensure that staff learn and grow, and who actively demonstrates excellent communication and team building skills.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Director, Communications and Engagement

Band: D, Director

Terms: Permanent, full-time position

Reporting: Reports to the CEO

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Holds core accountability for the effectiveness of DSF’s communications, engagement, and digital strategies.

• Builds trusting, collaborative and productive relationships within the department and across the organization to deliver integrated strategic results;

• Participates in the development of the strategic and annual plans, and leads the department to achieve approved departmental and national campaign goals;

• Coaches, develops and motivates the team to achieve maximum impact;

• Builds a culture of continuous organizational learning by working with managers to focus on evaluation, give and receive feedback, and implement change based on lessons learned;

• Monitors and manages the departmental budget, and ensures that funds are deployed to the greatest impact; empowers departmental managers and project leads to manage teams and budgets with clear systems and protocols;

• Acts as a sounding board for the management team, CEO, and the Board on digital strategy, public engagement, and communications issues:

• Champions team contributions to organizational development; regularly collects and communicates best practices within the team and organization to ensure continuous improvement;

• Engages directors and managers from regional departments in achieving narrative and strategic consistency in communications, engagement, and digital outputs in both official languages;

• Engages in public speaking, and acts as a spokesperson to further DSF’s goals;

• Ensures that DSF is a trusted and credible resource for environmental solutions, through multiple channels in both English and French;

• Ensures that communications support DSF’s charitable status and reflect organizational values.

2. Builds a strong, collaborative, multi-disciplinary internal team, and an external network of partners.

The strength of the Department is dependent on the calibre of its people and their ability to work to their potential. The Director develops a team that can support the entire organization in its projects and research, but also pursue core projects that the Department leads.

Success will be measured by creating a high-performing team with the right skills and resources to address the issues the organization is facing. The Director leads a team of managers, provides guidance in creating annual work plans, and provides feedback on performance. This includes:

Working with the Communications Manager to:

• Ensure that external communications strengthen DSF’s reputation while meeting project objectives;

• Ensure the quality and relevance of DSF’s communications is consistently of a high calibre;

• Conduct reputational audits, analyze the results, and make recommendations to address weaknesses;

• Stay abreast of program and issue developments in order to provide informed comment as needed;

• Develop relationships with editorial boards and reporters to ensure DSF can contribute effectively to public discourse;

• Develop organization-wide communications standards and guidelines to protect and enhance DSF’s effectiveness;

• Ensure that there is adequate and consistent editorial control over all of DSF’s content;

• Ensure that DSF’s aim to be a truly national organization is reflected in all communications.

Working with the Communications Manager (Quebec Region) to:

• Ensure the quality and relevance of DSF’s French communications is consistently of a high calibre;

• Establish robust and effective internal processes for the translation and adaptation of materials and/or initiatives for all national and bilingual campaigns;

• Establish collaborative and inclusive processes and practices to ensure adequate and effective integration and representation of the region’s specific objectives and cultural specifications;

Working with the Public Engagement Manager to:

• Ensure that DSF is on the leading edge of public engagement and community building practice by bringing new knowledge to the team;

• Champion key public engagement programming to advance DSF’s goals (i.e., annual challenges, online community building, and distributed leadership strategies), and which make the most of DSF’s unique assets;

• Effectively lead major departmental projects, such as Blue Dot / Right to a Healthy Environment, through effective collaboration with management, regions and other departments, and in keeping with DSF overall strategies, funding commitments and mission;

• Manage interdisciplinary and interdepartmental processes and frameworks (such as DSF’s spectrum of engagement) that align and integrate public engagement initiatives across the organization.

Working with the Digital Strategy Manager to:

• Support strategic data driven decision making across all campaigns, projects and initiatives;

• Support learning and create opportunities for nimble campaign tactics;

• Ensure DSF’s digital platforms are accessible, relevant and easy to navigate, up-to-date, and considered a trusted source of information on Canadian environmental issues;

• Prioritize and resource the organizational transition to managing relationships through Salesforce;

• Empower the digital strategy team in implementing content strategy across the organization;

• Make strategic decisions regarding CRM, digital tools, and website development.

The Department will also build collaborative relationships with other organizations and partners in order to fulfill its communications and engagement goals.

3. Supports Departments and Regions.

Communications and engagement are “distributed qualities” that underpin all that the organization does. The Director plays a unique role in ensuring that the department supports the communications and engagement activities of the entire organization.

4. Leads national projects and supports regional work.

National projects that are primarily based on communications and public engagement activities will be led by the Communications and Engagement Department.

Most recently this has involved DSF’s campaign to achieve recognition of environmental rights, Queen of Green programs, and a federal election strategy.

In addition, the Department supports the work of the Regions, who are undertaking regional projects and initiatives that require skills and experience that are present in the Departmental team.

5. Leads the crisis communications and teachable moments team at DSF.

There will be moments when the organization must respond to emerging issues – including those that are related to DSF’s core work, attacks from those who oppose the organization’s positions, or opportunities to accelerate organizational priorities. Being able to do so is dependent on timely and relevant communications, and the Director is responsible for convening a small group of staff to identify and develop appropriate responses.

6. Participates as a member of DSF’s management team to ensure the overall success and impact of the organization.

Directors at DSF are responsible for the overall health and success of the entire organization. That means working effectively as a management team, ensuring financial objectives are met, achieving healthy employee engagement, building relationships with funders, participating in fundraising activities, and prioritizing organizational objectives first.

Directors also play a role in ensuring DSF’s core values can be clearly communicated by all staff and volunteers, that they are embedded in every aspect of our work, and that they help determine how we perform our roles.

Education and Experience

• At least 5 years’ experience leading a high functioning team in communications, public engagement, digital strategy, media relations, or related fields;

• A master’s level degree in a relevant discipline;

• Experience in more than one sector is an asset (government, academic, non-profit, and/or private sector);

• Strategic planning and financial management experience;

• Sound knowledge of communications and engagement tools, technologies, policies, and practices;

• Solid knowledge of the political landscape in Canada;

Skill sets and qualities

• Strong personal values that fit with DSF’s mission and values, demonstrated through professional or community involvement;

• Successful leadership and management skills, preferably within a complex organizational structure;

• Collaborative and empowering management style;

• Excellent communicator, internally with colleagues and externally as an organizational spokesperson;

• Ability to write quickly, clearly and strategically, with appropriate styles for different audiences;

• Proven success in leading people through change, including changes to processes, systems and technology, job roles and organizational structure;

• Strong understanding of what it means to put “people at the centre” of an organization’s work in ways that can maximize social change; 

• Systems thinker with proven strategic planning and strong project management skills;

• Networking and alliance-building experience liaising with senior levels of government, NGOs, funders and the private sector;

• Confident negotiation, facilitation and conflict management skills;

• Experience building shared vision and effective collaboration through dialogue and other stakeholder engagement techniques;

• Ability to develop and lead a team culture that supports innovation, experimentation and learning;

• High degree of financial literacy, including the ability to manage budgets;

• A positive team player who thrives in a busy environment, champions change, and is highly functioning in a dynamic work setting;

• Understands and respects individual work styles, and adapts as required to effectively deal with a variety of individuals;

• Fluent English skills required, French language skills are highly desired (intermediate level or better spoken French).

Application process: 

Please submit your cover letter and resume explaining why you are interested in this opportunity by going online to: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/about/employment/ and clicking on the "I'm Interested" link.  

The deadline for applications will be August 16th 2015.

We recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and encourage applications from Aboriginal people, members of a visible minority and people with a disability.