National Communications Officer

Contract, Full Time Hybrid

The Canadian Mental Health Association is seeking qualified applicants for the role of a National Communications Officer to join the National Office team for a one-year contract full-time role in the Marketing and Communications team. This role is for you if you are excited at the prospect of moving the conversation of mental health to the forefront with Canadians in collaboration with our internal and external stakeholders.

About CMHA: Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada. Through a presence in more than 330 communities across every province and one territory, CMHA provides advocacy and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses, support recovery and resilience, and enable all Canadians to flourish and thrive. Our vision is a Canada where mental health is a human right. CMHA has been chosen as one of Canada’s best places to work by Forbes magazine in 2021 and 2022.

Reporting: National Director, Marketing & Communications

Position Summary: You will work closely with subject matter experts and other CMHA marketing and communications (MARCOM) representatives across the country. You are expected to work independently and within the team to support PR, social media, digital marketing, and corporate communications in English & French. As all public-facing materials are produced bilingually, French skills are mandatory.

Location: The role is based out of the CMHA National office in Toronto. To encourage collaboration and explore new ways of working, CMHA National supports a hybrid work model of 2 days in the office and 3 days working from home.

Responsibilities:

Create and promote engaging content in both English and French:

• Write and edit press releases, key messages, web articles and copy to promote and publicize key CMHA programs, initiatives and campaigns including Mental Health Week, government advocacy and policy releases.
• Develop and oversee the written EN and FR content for federation e-communications tools as well as the CMHA e-newsletter.
• Pitch and write story ideas for placement in general media outlets (online, print) as outlined through our PR strategy.

Collaborate with the team and contribute to the development and execution of nationwide marketing communications messaging and initiatives:

• Work closely with the MARCOM team, program and policy staff to develop and measure a National PR plan for this fiscal year, including responsibility for a Subject Matter Experts list, media lists, daily and weekly news monitoring and reporting and pitching. 
• Work collaboratively with the MARCOM team, program and policy staff on website updates, website projects and support with digital marketing campaigns, copy and creative.
• Collaborate with other members of the MARCOM team to help develop corporate communications products that may include presentations, briefing notes, brochures, pamphlets, posters, reports or other collateral as required.
• Take the lead on producing the CMHA Quarterly Newsletter and other email marketing campaigns, including planning content, managing timelines and contributions, managing database lists and design and layout in MailChimp.

Stakeholder engagement and relationship building internally and externally:

• Use exceptional stakeholder management skills while building and fostering relationships with internal and external partners, including CMHA branches, regions and divisions, sponsors and funders and vendors including translators, designers and other agencies.
• Work cross functionally on areas such as general communications & issues management (stakeholder relations & general public outreach).

Evaluate the impact and report on key analytics in line with our Nationwide Strategic Plan, National office Theory of Change and portfolio workplan:

• Use analytics (Cision) and monitoring tools to keep colleagues and the federation abreast of key issues and media coverage on trends and issues that intersect with mental health, including policy, research, funding, polling, statistics, etc.
• Produce daily media reporting document for CMHA National staff, highlighting mentions in the news (with Cision).

Support day to day operations:

• Effectively manage workflow and timelines pertaining to a variety of projects/tasks simultaneously, in various stages of completion.
• Actively participate in team meetings and provide input/suggestion/feedback on initiatives within the scope of the MARCOM team.

You should have:

• University or college degree a related discipline i.e., Journalism, PR, Business, Communications or Mental Health Promotion.
• Early-career or post-grad applications welcome, preference will be given to those with experience in public relations, communications, journalism, or media relations in a professional or volunteer capacity.
• Experience in a charitable or non-profit environment, with a focus on health, mental health, public health or population health is an asset.
• Understanding of journalism, news landscape, proactive media relations outreach including drafting, pitching, follow-up, interview logistics required to secure earned media in a competitive landscape.
• Understanding of marketing and digital communications strategy, tactics, planning and development, including messaging, copy, campaigns, social media posts, blog articles, email marketing and newsletters.
• Understanding of key issues in mental health, mental illness, public health, psychology and well-being, or interest in gaining expertise in this area.

You can demonstrate and have proficiency in:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software, including SharePoint, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and desktop publishing and graphic design software including but not limited to Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator).
• A thorough understanding of and expertise in digital and social media platforms including Facebook, Google Analytics, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.
• Interest in and knowledge of current developments and trends in media and communications.
• Excellent writing, editing and presentation skills with a strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently, to be proactive, and to handle uncertainty, ambiguity, and the challenge of quickly evolving goals.
• Capacity to collaborate across teams, capability to work independently or within group dynamics as required.
• A fast learner who follows trends and innovation in media and communications.
• Effectively able to work under pressure and manage change in a fast-paced environment.
• Bilingual (French & English) is an asset to have.

Compensation: $50,000-$55,000 per year commensurate with experience and qualifications; along with benefits, a flexible work environment and a workplace culture committed to personal wellbeing and psychological safety.

Benefits: Dental care, extended health care, life insurance, vision care, employee assistance program, flexible schedule, paid time off (vacation, sick and work life balance days), wellness program, work from home, hybrid work.

Working conditions: This is a full-time position, working standard office hours (currently 35 hours/week). This position functions in a normal office environment, using typical office equipment, with extended periods of sitting, telephone interaction and/or working at a computer and no unusual physical demands. CMHA National employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in accordance with our Vaccination Policy as a condition of being eligible for the recruitment process.

Are you a fit?

If you are interested in applying for the role, please submit a PDF copy of your resume along with a cover letter to [email protected] by November 11, 2022. The subject line should mention “National Communications Officer”. We thank you for your interest, CMHA recognizes the effort and time candidates take to apply for job postings; those selected for an interview will be contacted. We encourage you to reach out if you want to know more about our process or the role. 

To learn more about CMHA, visit: www.cmha.ca 

CMHA is committed to our workforce reflecting the diversity of the communities within which we work. As such, we explicitly encourage applications from people with lived experience of a mental illness, persons with disabilities, members of Black, Indigenous and racialized communities, people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and others who may contribute to the diversity of our staff. We invite you to self-identify in your cover letter. Please let us know if you require accommodations throughout the application process.