Director of Communications + Public Affairs

Term: Start date immediately; one-year renewable contract

Deadline: Applications will be evaluated as they come in and interviews will be offered on a rolling basis.

 

Who We Are

Palette Inc. is a national not-for-profit which serves as a talent platform that meets the needs of Canada’s most innovative companies by rapidly upskilling mid-career workers for successful careers in the digital economy. Our vision is of a Canada where all people and organizations can thrive in the rapidly evolving knowledge economy. We believe that Canada can be a leader in innovation-driven economic growth by harnessing the limitless capacity of its people to adapt to change.

What We Need

We began operations at the beginning of 2019 and our primary focus has been to launch our pilot program, SalesCamp which upskills and transitions people from industries like retail to sales roles at some of GTA’s fast-growing tech companies. We have been generating research and impact through this pilot that we want to start sharing with the world. We’re also expanding our programming to new regions and fundraising to continually grow. A vision as big as ours requires an equally big communications strategy.

We’re looking for a Director of Communications and Public Affairs to join our team to lead the development and execution of our communications and stakeholder engagement strategies, including communications and marketing, public relations, thought leadership, partnership development and government relations. In this role, you will be a member of the senior leadership team responsible for successfully supporting  Palette’s strategic objectives through the lens of communications and public relations, a vital component of our programming and fundraising goals. 

Reporting to the Executive Director, you will support a growing team in developing high-level strategies and narratives that shape all communications and outreach activities, crafting appropriate communications plans for both national thought leadership activities and local/regional program promotion and outreach, and developing stakeholder engagement strategies for both fundraising and partnership efforts. Palette is a fast-growing startup on the cusp of significant expansion and this is an exciting and rare opportunity to directly shape and contribute to that growth at the ground level.

 

Who You Are

We’d love to hear from you if:

  • You have the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and execute communications and public relations plans at both national and local levels to multiple audience types, given that Palette has both strategic thought leadership ambitions as well as needs around specific program communication, marketing and promotion.

  • You are an extremely strong writer with experience in writing for media (op-eds, news releases), stakeholders (strategic plans, proposals) and have a natural ability for crafting key messages and building persuasive narratives geared at both public policy audiences as well as the broader public.

  • You are experienced in working with government at both federal and provincial levels, understand funding and budget processes and comfortable navigating government bureaucracy. 

  • You enjoy building strategic partnerships with key national and local stakeholders and are skilled at managing multiple stakeholder interests, as well as identifying new partnership opportunities that can be leveraged for organizational growth and building the needed relationships to achieve these goals.

  • You have experience working within the Canadian media landscape including successfully pitching reporters and journalists, and executing earned media strategies across both written and broadcast mediums.

  • You have a basic understanding of digital marketing tools, including Google and Facebook ads, drip marketing and social media campaigns, etc and how to effectively incorporate these kinds of tools into a communications plan. 

  • You can manage a team and create an environment where staff feel heard and supported. You’re comfortable delegating tasks, playing to peoples’ strengths and creating structure and processes where there are none.

  • You can collaborate with and report to other senior leaders on the management team, including the Executive Director, in direct and respectful ways. You are confident enough to develop opinions and assert them but humble enough to recognize when a better idea emerges and support it.

  • You are technology fluent and easily able to adapt to new software

  • You have a high degree of attention to detail while also being able to see the big picture 

  • You’re adaptable and comfortable rolling up your sleeves to pitch in to get the job done - we’re a small team with ambitious goals and you will have to do things outside of this job description

  • You’re excited about having the opportunity to make an impact on the future of work and play a critical role in our growth

 

We know this sounds like a lot! And it is - we’re a small but very fast growing organization and we’re looking for team members who share our willingness to take on big challenges. But you won’t be expected to do this alone. At Palette, you will be a part of a team that is deeply committed to supporting each other, that focuses on excellence in execution, values learning through doing by trying new things, and is building an organization where everyone can win together, fail together and grow together. We wouldn’t be doing what we do if we didn’t believe first and foremost in the boundless potential of people. Come join us!

 

Palette embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. If there is anything we can do to create a more comfortable interview experience for you, please let us know.

 

What Comes Next

If you’re excited to apply for this role, please submit your resume and in place of a cover letter, your responses to the four questions below to hello@paletteskills.org. 

 

  1. Why are you excited about this opportunity?

  2. Tell us about a particular communications project you worked on that you are particularly proud of and why.

  3. Tell us about a particular project you worked on that did not go as you hoped and what you learned from the experience.

  4. What's something new you recently learned that really caught your attention? Tell us about it.


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