Location: Ottawa

The Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall is a bilingual diocese that shares the Gospel with residents from Akwesasne and Champlain in the east to Mississippi Mills in the west. It offers opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ through its parishes to people of all ages who want to learn more about Him, grow closer to Him, and serve Him through their unique gifts and talents. You can connect with the Archdiocese at archoc.ca and on social media using the handle ottawacornwall.

The Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall serves over 400,000 Catholics who worship and serve the Lord in 127 parish communities. Culturally rich and diverse, the Archdiocese's parishes are French-speaking, English-speaking, bilingual, and a dozen national language parishes.

The position of Director of Communications and Mission Promotion will report directly to the Chief Administrative Office (CAO) and will work out of our Ottawa office located at 1209 Michael St. in Ottawa.

Position Description

The Director of Communications and Mission Promotion is responsible for serving as the chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. This includes formulating and executing an overall communication strategy that enables the Archdiocese to fulfill its mission internally and externally.

The Director is responsible for all communications including web communications, email, social and print media, as well as facilitating communication with parishes and ministries. The Director also creates marketing campaigns and materials for projects and initiatives of the Archdiocese and its ministries. The Director is the primary contact for media inquiries and serves as the spokesperson for the Archdiocese when appropriate.

Duties & Responsibilities

Internal, External Communications, and Media Relations

• Work with the various departments to assure good internal and external communication;
• Work collaboratively with all Archdiocesan departments and across the Archdiocese (parishes) to ensure messaging is consistent with the archdiocesan communications strategy and policy and reflects the pastoral priorities and vision of the archbishop;
• Create, recommend, and provide communication resources and tools to share with the head of the different Archdiocesan departments.

Marketing

• Oversee the design, production and posting of appealing digital content, including website, social media posts, podcasts, videos, web banners and images to ensure that new and consistent information (articles, photos, events, etc.) is posted regularly and up to date. Oversee those responsible for that content;
• Manage the strategic and creative design of the communications activities and materials of the Archdiocese and its ministries;
• Work with the other departments to assist them to create and produce marketing and communications material to promote their ministries, initiatives, and events;
• Oversee editorial direction, design, production, and distribution of all archdiocesan publications;
• Coordinate videotaping, production, and editing for Archdiocesan events;
• Oversee the marketing campaign for an annual Archdiocese fundraising appeal;
• Work closely with both the English and French pastoral leaders to assure that all communications are adequately bilingual and culturally sensitive.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage communications budget;
• Manage communications staff;
• Handle other duties as assigned.

Ideal Profile

• Understanding of the Catholic Church, its tenets and culture, and respect for its leadership and parish volunteers;
• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in communications or public relations, along with a minimum of 6 to 8 years’ experience in marketing, public relations and communication, in a comparable responsible position. Prior experience in religious communications preferred;
• Knowledge of Church organizational and operational procedures;
• Thorough knowledge of communication principles and practices with exceptional ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in both official languages;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work within a team setting, to communicate with all levels of the organization and adapt quickly to change;
• Skills in audio/video production are an asset;
• Strong creative, strategic, analytical, and organizational skills;
• Impeccable copywriting and copy-editing abilities;
• Ability to make presentations, provide training, mentoring, and supervising;
• Able to maintain effective working relationships with parishes and the media;
• Must be able to handle multiple projects/priorities at once;
• Bilingual in English and French required (written and spoken).

Work Conditions and Location

• 37.5 hours per week;
• Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., occasional evenings, weekends;
• Work in an office environment with individual workstations;
• Workplace: 1209 Michael Street, Ottawa.

What is Offered

• Full-time position;
• Casual work environment;
• Health and dental benefits after 3 months;
• Pension plan after 6 months;
• Free parking.

This is a unique opportunity for a dedicated and passionate leader. To apply for this position, please submit your application and related materials to before December 4^th, 2023, and state the title of the position in the subject line of your email.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those under consideration for the role will be contacted.

Under section 24(1)(a) of the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall has the right to give preference in employment to Roman Catholic applicants.

The Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. In keeping with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requirements, all qualified persons are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

In compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If contacted for an interview, applicants should make any accommodation needs known at that time.