Senior Partner, Communications and Marketing

at  University of Alberta

Department VER Strategic Communications
Posted date February 6, 2025
Closing date February 20, 2025
Position Type Full Time - Operating Funded

POSITION SUMMARY

Are you a passionate leader and team builder? Do you excel at meeting complex opportunities with strategic and creative thinking? Now is your time to shape the future alongside a high-performing team at one of Canada’s top universities. As Senior Partner, Communications and Marketing, you will leverage all facets of your dynamic professional experience and lead the way forward working with a team of experts to devise compelling strategy, communications and marketing solutions.
Reporting to Strategic Communications within the External Relations portfolio, the Senior Partner, Communications and Marketing will work with a high-performance team of professionals to develop communication and marketing strategies at the College or Vice-president portfolio level, provide strategic advice to university leadership, and lead and integrate the work of Communications and Marketing partners and Communications Associates to support the communication and marketing needs of the university.
Your contributions will include staff supervision, strategic advice, strategy development and more. In this role, you will be responsible for the communications and marketing outcomes for your portfolio at the university. As Senior Partner, you will also integrate and advance the university’s commitments to equity, diversity and inclusivity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Undergraduate degree in a related area (a combination of experience and education will also be considered)
• 5 -7 years of progressive leadership, communications and marketing experience
• Supervisory experience, education, and/or training
• Expertise in client management in a complex organization (ability to work with all levels of staff and management)
• Demonstrable experience in achieving strategic outcomes through actionable communications and marketing plans
• Solid understanding of and experience in editorial strategy, internal communication, issues management, media relations, alumni and donor communications, and social media management
• High degree of professionalism, sound judgment, tact and diplomacy
• Strong research, project management, negotiation, and brokering skills
• Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, networking, and relationship building skills
• Ability to balance competing priorities and meet and manage client expectations
• Solid working knowledge of academic culture and the U of A policies, procedures, and organizational structure
• Experience writing cases of support for fundraising

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with alumni and donor relations preferred
• Knowledge of research security protocols considered an asset
• Experience in issues identification and management preferred
• Knowledge of media relations preferred
  At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.
  We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.
  The University of Alberta is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women; First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply.
  Note: This opportunity will be available until midnight February 20, 2025, Edmonton, Alberta local time

• Developing and managing strong relationships with academic and administrative leaders, portfolio staff and external organizations (locally, provincially, nationally and internationally)
• Setting clear performance expectations for partners, communications associates and team members and developing staff talents and skills.
• Overseeing and integrating all communication within assigned portfolio and ensuring all communications and marketing strategies developed within the portfolio are consistent with the University of Alberta’s one university brand, institutional strategic priorities and integrated marketing and communications strategy
• Working with partners and Centres of Expertise to develop integrated marketing and communications strategies in alignment with the institutional brand and strategic priorities
• Liaising between portfolio leadership and External Relations Centres of Expertise to ensure understanding of and strategic support for initiatives
• Identifying emerging issues and sector trends affecting assigned portfolios and the university as a whole.