Date Posted: 10/23/2025
Req ID: 45692
Faculty/Division: Operations and Real Estate Partnerships
Department: Spaces & Experiences
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Description:
Spaces & Experiences (S&E) is a self-funded division of the University which operates housing, hospitality and campus services on the St. George campus, while supporting tri-campus development of revenue generating assets. The primary activities of the division include student and faculty housing, transportation, conferences & events, innovation space that supports commercialization of research, commercial and academic leasing, real estate acquisitions, food & beverage services and trademark licensing. The S&E team also leads the underwriting of new development opportunities, and the evaluation of joint-venture partnerships as part of the Four Corners Strategy, which seeks to deliver amenities to support the academic mission of the University (e.g., housing, retail, innovation space), while generating financial returns to invest strategically in the institution.
The Assistant Director, Marketing & Communications plays a pivotal leadership role in advancing the communications strategy and public profile of the Spaces & Experiences (S&E) portfolio. Reporting to the Director, Marketing and Communications, the Assistant Director serves as the strategic lead for internal and external communications, issues management, media relations, and executive writing. This role supports high-level institutional priorities, sensitive initiatives, and crisis response across complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
The incumbent also supervises a team of marketing and communications officers embedded across S&E business units, ensuring their work aligns with overall messaging goals and strategic objectives. Acting as a senior advisor to leadership—including the Director, AVP, and Managing Director—the Assistant Director develops and executes integrated communication strategies that reflect the institution’s voice and support its mission.
Qualifications
EDUCATION:
- University degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.
- A graduate degree or professional certification in a related area (e.g., Digital Marketing, Strategic Communications, or Brand Management) is considered an asset.
EXPERIENCE:
- A minimum of 7–10 years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, or public relations, preferably in a large, complex organization such as a university, public sector institution, or agency.
- Experience working in higher education, government, or a similarly complex, decentralized organization preferred.
- Proven experience in developing and executing integrated marketing and communications strategies, with demonstrated success in leading digital campaigns and issues management.
- Experience in managing digital communications – including web, email and social media – within the overall digital ecosystem of a parent organization. Strong track record of building online and social media PR profile, as well as traditional media relations.
- Experience supervising and mentoring staff, building high-performing teams, and managing cross-functional projects.
- Familiarity with Freedom of Information (FOI) protocols and procedures.
- Proficiency/knowledge in social media strategy and analytics
- Demonstrated experience developing speeches, reports, executive briefings, and sensitive internal and external correspondence.
- Experience in evolving a brand strategy to reflect the demands of rapidly changing marketplace, and in consistently applying brand standards to ensure unified marketing and communications.
- Demonstrated success growing revenues and/or increasing public interest, with tangible measures of growth.
- Experience in successfully developing and implementing strategic plans in complex organizations with multiple stakeholders.
- Experience in guiding and counseling senior leaders on strategic communications issues, including the development of messages, identifying audiences, mapping out initiatives and establishing criteria for success.
SKILLS:
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft persuasive messaging tailored to diverse audiences.
- Strong editing skills with attention to tone, clarity, and consistency.
- Excellent leadership and coaching abilities with experience managing high-performing teams.
- Demonstrated political acuity, diplomacy, and sound judgment in high-pressure or sensitive situations.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders in a dynamic environment.
- Strong understanding of brand strategy, marketing funnel planning, and content marketing.
- Experience managing multi-channel marketing campaigns, including email, web, paid media, and organic social.
- Proficiency with digital marketing tools and platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Meta Ads Manager, SEO tools, CRM/email marketing systems).
- Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator) for content production or supervision.
- Understanding of website content management systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal) and web integration best practices.
- Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive design for web and digital communications (e.g., AODA compliance).
OTHER :
- Familiarity with media monitoring tools and analytics platforms.
- Experience with project management tools (e.g., Asana, or similar).
- Understanding of higher education, institutional governance, and the university context is a strong asset.
Closing Date: 11/05/2025, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: Salaried
Personnel Subarea:PM
Appointment Type: Ancillary Operations
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: PM 4 -- Hiring Zone: $106,705 - $124,491 -- Broadband Salary Range: $106,705 - $177,843
Job Category: Administrative / Managerial
