Job Title-

Digital Marketer & Social Media Specialist

• Reports to – Communications & Design Manager, Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition
• Duration- October 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025, with possibility of renewal
• Current Annual Salary Classification- $55,000-65,000
• The position is full-time, 35 hours a week, and will be conducted remotely.

About the Position

The Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC) is an alliance of organizations, networks, institutions, and communities working together to better understand and advance ocean literacy in Canada. COLC is nationally and internationally recognized as a catalyst and centre for ocean literacy collaboration, research, and innovation. COLC is administratively based at the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI), led by Dalhousie University.

Launched in late 2018, COLC’s initial project was to lead a Canada-wide research initiative to better understand Canadians’ varying relationships with the ocean and to examine how ocean literacy is understood and practiced across the country. In June 2020, COLC published the final regional and national reports of the Understanding Ocean Literacy in Canada study, establishing the first research baseline of ocean literacy in Canada. The findings from this study directly informed the co-development process of Land, Water, Ocean, Us: A Canadian Ocean Literacy Strategy published in March 2021, making Canada the first country in the world with a national ocean literacy strategy. Currently, COLC is leading the implementation of the National Strategy through the coordination of joint action projects, such as Ocean Week Canada for example, and co-leading global initiatives such as the Ocean & Society Survey, and Ocean Decade Vision 2030 Challenge 10 white paper.

About OFI:

OFI is one of the world’s most significant ocean science research and training collaborations with partnerships extending globally, across many sectors such as university, government, research institutes, industry, NGO, and philanthropic. OFI administers several ocean research and training programs, including the Canada First Research Excellence Fund program, Transforming Climate Action: Addressing the Missing Ocean, a partnership between Dalhousie University, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Université Laval, and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Job purpose

The Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC) is seeking a highly motivated and skilled communications professional to join our dynamic team. Reporting to COLC’s Communications & Design Manager, the Digital Marketer & Social Media Specialist role is focused primarily on: developing and executing digital communication strategies for social media, web content, newsletters, and report dissemination; managing social media accounts; tracking and maintaining communications metrics and databases; researching and developing innovative ideas for web and social media content.

The ideal candidate should have experience in digital marketing, knowledge of SEO and SEM, and a passion for environmental conservation. They should also possess excellent communication and organizational skills, the ability to work collaboratively with a team, as well as independently, with a strong attention to detail, time management, and accountability.

Duties and responsibilities

Strategic Communications Planning:

• Develop and execute digital communication strategies for newsletters, social media, web content, and report dissemination to ensure maximum reach
• Research digital trends and create innovative content ideas
• Monitor performance metrics to improve digital efforts
• Stay updated with industry best practices and technological advancements
• Plan content calendars for social media websites, newsletters, and other digital platforms
• Collaborate with other departments to align digital strategies with overall organizational goals
• Attend regular meetings with the Communications team to provide guidance to the Content Creator on the type of content needed based on strategic goals, audience insights, and performance data

Social Media & Email Marketing:

• Manage and maintain social media accounts with engaging and relevant content
• Assist in planning and executing social media campaigns
• Support email marketing campaigns, including list segmentation, and performance tracking
• Research ocean literacy communication trends and best practices
• Manage and grow COLC’s presence on social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, X/Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Develop and implement social media advertising strategies and manage budgets
• Engage regularly with followers and respond to inquiries in a timely manner.

Reporting:

• Support campaign progress reporting using data analytics
• Monitor social media and web analytics to evaluate effectiveness of of digital strategies and campaigns
• Update contact lists for accurate communication with stakeholders (partners, community)
• Prepare regular reports on digital marketing performance and provide actionable insights
• Track and report on emerging trends and their potential impact on COLC’s digital strategy

Website:

• Collaborate with web developers and designers to enhance website functionality and optimize user experience
• Ensure the website is consistently up-to-date, visually engaging, and aligned with COLC’s brand guidelines
• Implement SEO best practices to improve search engine ranking and increase organic traffic
• Monitor website performance and analytics to identify areas for improvement and recommend updates
• Stay informed about web design trends and emerging technologies, providing recommendations for improvements

Administration and COLC project office:

• Support internal communications/operations within COLC’s national project office as needed
• Assist with project management tasks, including scheduling, coordination, and documentation
• Assist with internal meetings and communications to ensure alignment with digital marketing efforts

Qualifications

• This position requires the applicant to have completed a relevant undergraduate/graduate program (e.g., communications, marketing, or related field).

Competency requirements:

• Excellent communication and writing skills, with the ability to write clearly and concisely for a variety of audiences
• Experience using graphic, video editing, and marketing software (such as Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Mailchimp, Google Ads)
• Experience with social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) and website content management systems (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.)
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Self-motivated with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn

Strong Assets:

• Bilingual in English and French
• Understand HTML and CSS is an asset
• Understanding of ocean and climate science, education, and communication

Working conditions

• Occasional work after hours and on weekends may be required.
• Occasional travel within Canada may be required.
• The employee will be eligible for either remote work or hybrid work (combination of in-person work on campus and remote work) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and university guidelines.

How to apply

Interested applicants are invited to submit (1) a résumé and (2) a cover letter to to COLC’s Operations Manager, Roxanne Barney, at