Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology
Head of Communications Job Description
Job title: Head of Communcations, Milieux Institute
Supervisor: Director
Status: Contractual (Annual), part time to full time (24-35h/week)
Posting period: 15 April to 15 May 2021
Job entry: June 2021
Probation: 90 days
Milieux is an institute for research and research-creation at the intersection of the fine arts, digital culture and information technology located at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Milieux supports 200+ graduate students, dozens of faculty members, and several postdoctoral researchers working across eight interdisciplinary research clusters and numerous collaborative projects.
Milieux is seeking a Head of Communications to lead all aspects of the Institute’s internal and external communications. They will work closely with Milieux’s director, core staff, and leadership team to increase the visibility and impact of the Institute’s research and research-creation at Concordia, in Canada, and internationally.
This position requires a dexterous thinker who can move between independent creative and strategic thinking, collaborative multi-media work, and management. Responsibilities include developing, tracking, updating, and reporting on the Institute’s communications strategy; creating and disseminating materials that tell the story of Milieux through text, visuals, and other media; working collaboratively with staff, faculty, coordinators, and graduate students; and managing a team of student assistants and contracted workers.
This is not a position about shuttling information, but rather about developing innovation in research communication and community engagement as part of Milieux’s interdisciplinary research practice.
This role is organized around three primary goals:
To create opportunities of encounter with Milieux members, events and activities happening across the Institute’s research clusters.
To increase the visibility of Milieux members’ research and research-creation work, both within Concordia and through broader local, national and international academic and artistic networks.
To report on Milieux’s academic, community, and industry partnerships and collaborations.
Primary Responsibilities:
Tell the story of Milieux, both visually and in text
Develop and execute timelines for short, mid and long-term media outreach and public engagement plans, based on Milieux’s events programming and strategic communications goals
Provide support and expertise to cluster coordinators and members on showcasing their work for academic and public audiences
Serve as a primary communications liaison with University Communication Services, Faculty divisions, and the Office of Research as needed
Manage Institute documentation; coordinate student assistants; and make executive decisions on strategy and implementation, with emphasis on coordinating photographers to be present Milieux events and workshops
Produce the Annual Report in collaboration with a graphic designer
Work with a graphic designer and programmer to continue the ongoing update of Milieux’s website
Manage a social media assistant responsible for posting to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Participate in Milieux staff and Steering Committee meetings
Track engagement analytics related to web traffic and social media engagement; set goals and implement strategies for meeting them
Coordinate the production of posters and other visual materials for Milieux events (in collaboration with graphic designers)
Candidate Requirements:
Demonstrated experience managing contracted workers and/or part-time staff
Demonstrated academic, artistic or other work experience in a field related to the mandate of the Milieux Institute of Art, Culture and Technology
Up-to-date knowledge of the field of fine arts, digital culture and new media, in Canada and internationally
Understanding of research and research-creation in an academic environment; knowledge and experience of organization administration in a university setting
The Head of Communications will also have:
Excellent research and writing skills
Experience writing and producing material for public communication
Experience working with web analytics including SEO
Experience in social media management
Strong graphic design skills
Excellent organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines
Availability to work flexible hours on occasion, including evening and weekends
English and French an asset
Salary
$32-37 per hour
Concordia University is committed to Employment Equity and encourages applications from women, Aboriginal Peoples, visible minorities, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested applicants should submit a CV and cover letter to the attention of Harry Smoak at milieux.institute@concordia.ca by May 15, 2021.
