Senior Associate, Portfolio Engagement & Communications

MaRS Discovery District•Toronto, ON

9d•CA$60,000 - CA$70,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a one year, fixed-term contract. The Senior Associate, Portfolio Engagement & Communications is a marketing specialist responsible for driving continuous engagement and retention across MaRS’s venture portfolio. This role isn't just about sending updates; it’s about architecting the "venture journey." By leveraging lifecycle marketing, sophisticated automation, and data-driven insights, you will ensure our founders and partners are consistently deriving value from the MaRS ecosystem. You will act as the bridge between Product, Program, and Communications teams to create a seamless, high-value user experience.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in Marketing or Communications
4+ years professional experience in marketing and digital engagement
Strong capabilities in Mailchimp, GSuite (Calendar, Sheets, Slides)
Familiarity with digital community platforms and CRM/email marketing tools, including Salesforce
Understands best practices in producing high-performing copy for digital media
Strong copywriting skills tailored to startup/founder audiences
Ability to multi-task and comfortable working in a fast paced environment
Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills
Strong ability to work independently and collaboratively, and to learn quickly and problem solve
Exceptional time management skills
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada, reside in Ontario and be willing to work out of our Toronto office (101 College Street) a minimum of 3 days per week.

Nice To Haves

Experience with end-to-end lifecycle campaigns
Experience with product marketing design and implementation
Experience with leading impactful email campaigns for curated audiences
Online community management skills with a strong track record of fostering peer networks
Data-driven mindset and decision-making
Great ability to build rapport with founders and ecosystem partners.
A proactive, solutions-oriented attitude with a passion for supporting startups and founders

Responsibilities

Design and execute end-to-end lifecycle campaigns (acquisition, onboarding, retention, and re-engagement) to maximize venture participation in the MaRS Connect platform including the Digital MaRS Community
Produce high-converting copy for digital channels, maintaining MaRS brand guidelines across all touch points
Build and manage Mailchimp drip campaigns and automated workflows, ensuring the right message is received by the right contact at the optimal time
Participate in bi-weekly meetings with the Connect Product team to review metrics, identify drop-off points, and recommend improvements to improve stickiness
Spearhead the use of AI tools to customize the venture experience by segmenting and identifying profile changes that trigger personalized and relevant content
Working closely with the Core Portfolio team, MarCom and Learning Solutions team execute multi-channel promotional strategies for virtual and in-person events (Peer to peer sessions, Small Group Advisory, panels and cohorts) focusing on clear value proposition messaging to attract busy founders and their teams
Lead a unified intake process for marketing and communications requests going to the venture portfolio, ensuring the portfolio is never “spammed” and the messaging remains clear
Manage and execute on requests for collateral creation, copywriting, Mailchimp administration, event promotion, and messaging that go to the venture portfolio
Provide specialized support to program teams (e.g., Learning Solutions, Cohorts, thematic areas) by developing content and ensuring it reaches the right audience through the right channels
Maintain clarity and coordination of messaging to the venture portfolio through shared calendars, planning tools, and request-tracking workflows