Communications Specialist II - Faculty of Science

University of Waterloo•Waterloo, ON

2d•CA$73,695 - CA$92,119•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Waterloo is a leading global innovation hub focused on driving economic and social prosperity. The Marketing and Communications function enhances and protects the university's reputation by ensuring clear, credible, and purposeful communication across campus. The Faculty of Science communications team specifically highlights the university's scientific discovery, education, and impact. This role will primarily support the School of Optometry and Vision Science, focusing on its professional education, vision research, clinical care, and community service. The Communications Specialist will work closely with School leaders, clinicians, faculty, researchers, advancement colleagues, and campus partners to connect with various audiences, including students, patients, alumni, donors, health-care professionals, and the wider community. The position involves planning, delivering, and evaluating communications initiatives that align with institutional priorities, developing audience-focused content, and coordinating communications across multiple channels to support recruitment, engagement, and reputation goals. The role offers the opportunity to contribute to communications that advance optometry education, research, and patient care.

Requirements

University of Waterloo is a leading global innovation hub that drives economic and social prosperity for Canada and the world.
With more than 41,000 students, we are home to the world's largest co-op education talent pipeline, to game-changing research and technology, and to an unmatched entrepreneurial culture.
The Marketing and Communications function is responsible for enhancing and protecting the university’s reputation.
The communications function specifically leads by helping the university communicate with clarity, credibility and purpose, while developing governance, standards and protocols to uphold consistent, coordinated and effective communications across campus.
The Faculty of Science communications team brings Waterloo’s scientific discovery, education and impact to audiences within and beyond the University.
Within the team, this position will work primarily with the School of Optometry and Vision Science, where professional education, vision research, clinical care and community service come together.
Working closely with School leaders, clinicians, faculty members, researchers, advancement colleagues, and campus partners, the team connects prospective and current students, patients, alumni, donors, health-care professionals and the wider community with the School’s programs, expertise, and impact.
This role is an opportunity to contribute to communications that help educate future optometrists and vision scientists, advance optometric research, and support exceptional patient-centred eye and vision care.
The Communications Specialist, Faculty is responsible for planning, delivering and evaluating communications initiatives that support institutional priorities.
The role applies communications knowledge and professional judgment to develop, implement and refine communications activities across content, channels, campaigns, projects and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
Working within established communications strategy, governance and standards, the role ensures communications activities are coordinated, audience-focused and aligned with institutional priorities, messaging frameworks and business objectives.
Within Faculty, the role supports communications that build awareness, engagement and visibility for faculty programs, academic initiatives, research, teaching excellence, student experiences, events and community impact.
The role develops audience-focused content and coordinated communications that showcase faculty achievements, expertise and priorities while supporting recruitment, engagement and reputation goals.
The role works closely with faculty leaders, academic departments, schools, centres, researchers and campus partners to deliver communications across web, social media, email, publications and other channels.
As a Communications Specialist, you will provide end-to-end communications support for the School of Optometry and Vision Science.
You will independently plan and deliver multi-channel communications spanning academic programs, research, clinical services, community engagement, and advancement priorities.
This could include developing communications for patients and clinic audiences, sharing research and student stories, promoting programs and events, supporting fundraising and campaign initiatives, and strengthening engagement with alumni, donors, professional partners and the broader community.
Working across a varied and often highly specialized portfolio, you will gather information from School leaders, clinicians, researchers, and other contributors to identify stories, recommend communications approaches, create clear and compelling content, and coordinate projects from planning through publication and evaluation.
The role offers meaningful professional ownership and the chance to help one of Canada's leading optometry and vision science schools communicate its contributions to education, research, patient care, and the future of eye health.
Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

Responsibilities

Plans, develops, and delivers communications supporting faculty priorities, strategic initiatives, academic programs, events, research activities, and engagement objectives.
Develops audience-focused content highlighting faculty achievements, research impact, academic excellence, student experiences, partnerships, and community contributions.
Coordinates faculty communications across multiple channels including web, social media, newsletters, email, publications, presentations, and promotional materials.
Collaborates with faculty leaders, departments, schools, centres, researchers, and campus partners to ensure communications are accurate, timely, consistent, and aligned with institutional priorities.
Adapts content, messaging, and communications approaches for diverse audiences including prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, partners, and community stakeholders.
Evaluates audience engagement, content performance, and stakeholder feedback to identify opportunities to strengthen faculty communications outcomes and reputation.
Plans, coordinates, and delivers communications initiatives, projects, and activities aligned with operational and strategic priorities.
Translates objectives and requirements into coordinated communications activities, deliverables, and implementation plans.
Independently manages assigned communications work, ensuring alignment with scope, timelines, and intended outcomes.
Applies communications knowledge and professional judgment to adapt approaches based on audience, channel, and contextual needs.
Supports achievement of communications objectives through effective planning, coordination, and execution.
Develops and delivers communications content, messaging, and materials across a variety of channels and formats.
Researches, analyzes, and synthesizes information to create clear, accurate, and audience-appropriate communications.
Produces and edits communications products including web content, articles, presentations, key messages, briefing materials, and digital communications.
Applies editorial judgment to ensure communications are accurate, accessible, inclusive, and aligned with institutional standards.
Recommends content approaches and messaging strategies that support audience engagement and communications objectives.
Collaborates with stakeholders, subject-matter experts, and communications colleagues to support communications initiatives.
Acts as a key point of coordination for assigned projects, aligning inputs, expectations, timelines, and deliverables.
Provides advice and recommendations regarding communications approaches, messaging, audience considerations, and implementation requirements within defined scope.
Builds productive working relationships to support effective collaboration and delivery.
Resolves communications-related issues and stakeholder concerns within established frameworks and delegated authority.
Leads the day-to-day delivery of assigned communications initiatives, ensuring activities, deliverables, and stakeholder inputs are aligned to achieve intended outcomes.
Collaborates with communications, marketing, creative, and digital teams to support integrated communications delivery.
Exercises professional judgment to manage competing priorities, resolve implementation challenges, and adapt approaches to changing requirements.
Evaluates communications performance, audience engagement, and stakeholder feedback to identify trends, inform recommendations, and improve communications effectiveness.
Applies audience insight, performance information, and stakeholder feedback to strengthen communications outcomes within assigned areas of responsibility.
Recommends improvements to communications processes, tools, templates, and delivery approaches based on audience insight, stakeholder feedback, and emerging practices.
Contributes to development and adoption of consistent communications practices across the team.
Uses stakeholder feedback, audience insight, and performance information to strengthen communications effectiveness.
Maintains awareness of communications trends, technologies, and emerging practices.
Contributes to continuous improvement of communications services and outcomes.