Communications Specialist
Employment: Contract position February 14, 2022- March 31, 2023
Hours: 7 hours @ 3 days/week
Location: Virtual in BC (preferably with the ability to meet occasionally in the Lower Mainland)
Wage Range: $27-$30/hour ($29,484 – $32,760 annual salary)
About the BC Alliance for Healthy Living Society (BCAHL)
The BC Alliance for Healthy Living is a registered not for profit society that first came together in 2003 with a vision for ‘healthy living for all British Columbians through every stage of life’. BCAHL promotes healthy living to prevent chronic disease by mobilizing leading health organizations to collaborate on health policy and programs. The BC Alliance for Healthy Living is an alliance in the truest sense – the leaders of some of the province’s largest and most influential health organizations make up the representatives that govern BCAHL and determine strategic priorities and directions.
BCAHL advances health promoting policies, programs and environments that support the physical and mental well-being of British Columbians. Since 2005, BCAHL has provided oversight for health promotion programming that have affected tens of thousands of British Columbians reaching across BC– from the far north Daylu Dena Council near Lower Post to Sooke in the southwest to Sparwood in the southeast of the province. As an advocacy group, we work with government and hold them accountable to promote wellness and prevent chronic disease. To learn more about BCAHL please visit www.bchealthyliving.ca
Position Overview:
BCAHL is looking for a dynamic communicator with a passion for health and wellness who is an organized self-starter and keen to help out across a range of mediums – from blogs to podcasts to social media and websites.
The Communications Specialist will work closely with the Manager of Communications and Executive Director to assist in the development and implementation of comprehensive communications that support strategic objectives of the BC Alliance for Healthy Living. The successful applicant will have exceptional writing skills and will be required to support the development of engaging materials to connect with diverse audiences, such as: reports, presentations, website and social media content, blogs, e-newsletters, podcasts and press releases.
This position requires someone who is able to comprehend and distill public health concepts, scientific literature and other types of research and translate them into plain language. Knowledge translation and exchange activities will be an ongoing part of the work.
We are a small, busy and multi-tasking staff team who work remotely. It’s essential that the candidate is able to work virtually from their own office and is comfortable working independently. As public health orders allow, it is expected that we will meet in-person on a semi-regular basis in the Vancouver area. We are looking for a team member who is a self-starter but able to take direction and collaborate with others. Flexibility is necessary to manage multiple priorities and respond to emerging issues and a sense of humour is essential.
Required skills and knowledge
- A university degree or equivalent in communications, public relations, marketing, public health or social sciences.
- Knowledge of the principles of health promotion, chronic disease prevention and health equity.
- Familiarity with branding, marketing and promotion, and public relations.
- Exceptional writing ability with strong grammar and editing skills.
- Social media skills – experience using a range of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Understanding of graphic design and how to use visual content to reinforce key messages in reports, infographics and content for websites and social media.
- Ability to collect metrics and use analytics to measure success of campaigns or projects.
- Confidence in speaking and presentation and adept interpersonal skills. Tact and good judgment required.
- Demonstrated ability to show initiative and ingenuity.
- Project coordination experience – establishing and maintaining effective relationships with vendors/suppliers and stakeholders, ensuring project milestones are met, tracking key deliverables, reporting on progress and associated administrative functions.
The following skills would be considered additional assets in this role:
- Experience developing e-newsletters, webinars and podcasts, including using platforms like SoundCloud, MailChimp and Adobe Audition.
- Experience in media relations, including writing press releases, op-eds and pitching stories to media.
- Government relations experience.
- Ability to use WordPress, Adobe Creative Cloud and Canva.
Compensation
Salary is negotiable within the range based on experience. Benefits include paid vacation at 9 days per year plus time off when the office closed for the holidays at the end of the year (December 23-January 3).
Application Information:
Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter outlining their relevant experience and interest in the position to BC Alliance for Healthy Living Society by email to: info@bchealthyliving.ca
Application deadline is Sunday, January 30, 2022. Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. We thank all applicants for their interest.
BCAHL is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.