It’s an exciting moment for net-zero buildings. The potential for policies and industry innovation to transform the building sector is high, but the pace of retrofits and green new construction is slow. Join TAF’s Campaigns and Communications team to tell the stories that motivate action. This is a brand new position focused on generating interest in our Retrofit Accelerator, and spreading industry awareness of the multiple benefits of net-zero buildings.

About TAF

TAF is a regional climate agency that invests in low-carbon solutions for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and helps scale them up for broad implementation. We are experienced leaders and collaborate with stakeholders in the private, public and non-profit sectors who have ideas and opportunities for reducing carbon emissions. We advance the most promising concepts by investing, providing grants, influencing policies and running programs. We’re particularly interested in ideas that offer benefits beyond carbon reduction such as improving people’s health, creating new green jobs, boosting urban resiliency, and contributing to a fair society. TAF is a proud member of the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) network.

For the GTHA to be carbon neutral by 2050, much needs to be done, and quickly. TAF staff are focused on enabling the acceleration and scale-up of low-carbon solutions so that we reach that goal. We’re on the leading edge of urban climate change solutions and our work makes a tangible difference. We build meaningful relationships with all kinds of stakeholders – from thought leaders advancing concepts to the people who implement change on the ground. Join our dedicated and collaborative team to contribute to the value and impact of our work.

Applying to work at TAF

Building an inclusive team with a shared purpose is critical to our work and mandate. We are Equal by 30 signatories and believe that equity, diversity, and inclusion make climate action more just, durable and effective. We also believe that teams work best when they vary in background, experience and approach, including diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different.

We understand that candidates come with different types of experience and backgrounds that might not appear to align with the requirements we’ve listed here. But if you’re excited by this job posting and to work at TAF, and think you’d be a great fit for this position, we encourage you to apply. Our application process asks you to answer a few job-related questions using a platform and process that anonymizes applications and gives applicants the chance to show their skills and fit for the job versus simply evaluating on-paper qualifications. If you require any accommodations to fully participate in the hiring and selection process, please reach out to our People team at jobs@taf.ca.

About TAF’s Communications & Campaigns Lead

The Campaigns and Communications Lead facilitates the design and implementation of communications and campaigns to accelerate retrofits and net-zero buildings in the GTHA. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Campaigns and Communications and working collaboratively with the Retrofit Accelerator team, the Lead is responsible for audience growth and engagement, narrative development, media relations, content production, social media, and channel partnerships to advance policy, funding and successful project outcomes for TAF’s teams and partners.

What you’ll do:

Campaign Development & Implementation

  • Provide overall support for the design, implementation, and evaluation of campaigns.
  • Monitor media and narrative trends to track and influence content related to net-zero buildings and policies.
  • Mobilize support for building performance standards through stakeholder outreach and organization.
  • Develop relationships and collaborate with diverse industry partners to coordinate engaging events and webinars.

Content Delivery

  • Capture progress and disseminate learnings via building site visits and case studies, research takeaways, documentation of community impacts, and human-interest profiles.
  • Scan for and produce market research, tours, reports, and other content to promote positive impacts of robust building codes and standards for new and existing buildings.
  • Develop creative briefs and coordinate production of digital and video content including website, blog, social media accounts, newsletters, and media releases.
  • Collaborate and coordinate with TAF’s external creative services agency and/or ally networks to support content planning, production and distribution.

Partnerships & Outreach

  • Develop and manage relationships with buildings industry partners and stakeholders (associations, engineering firms, financial institutions, etc.) to generate project leads, campaign input and/or support and other stakeholder engagement requirements with TAF teams.
  • Ensure high quality TAF staff participation in external events and presentations, to grow market awareness and interest.

Communications Planning & Reporting

  • Undertake monitoring and reporting on campaigns and engagements to oversee progress, including analysis and recommendations for direction forward.
  • Produce content calendars and plans, including managing and overseeing production needs schedules in coordination with TAF teams
  • Manage contacts via CRM and email platform, and use related analytics tools to track progress on lead generation efforts.

Requirements

Requirements for success in this role are outlined below. Those listed under Essential have been determined as required immediately, to ensure successful undertaking of tasks and responsibilities. Those listed under Helpful are vital to the role but can be learned on-the-job, developed over time and part of professional development.

Skills

Essential to have:

  • Writing: Writes clear, compelling, and targeted content that engages specific audiences and meets various campaign objectives.
  • Copyediting: Reviews, corrects, and refines written content to ensure clarity, coherence, accuracy, consistency, and adherence to style and brand guidelines to enhance overall readability and effectively engage the target audience.
  • Marketing: Develops, implements, and supports strategies and campaigns to generate building owner leads for the Retrofit Accelerator.
  • Social media: Leverages various platforms, tools, and trends to create meaningful interactions and drive engagement across digital platforms to support knowledge transfer and lead generation.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Able to identify, collaborate, and build relationships with different individuals and groups (mostly in the building / real estate sector), understanding needs, managing expectations, fostering trust, to support retrofit project success and contribute to TAF’s net-zero building goals.
  • Interpersonal communication: Comfortable interacting with different team members and community partners, actively listening and responding clearly, with the ability to explain complex technical information to non-experts in a way that is easily understood.
  • Time and task management: Ability to work independently and efficiently manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines within a dynamic and fast-paced work environment. Manages time effectively to allow for attention to detail and thorough review and polish of work.

Helpful to have

  • Graphic design: Creates visually compelling and effective design that communicates messages clearly and maintains a consistent brand identity.
  • Media relations: Experience writing for media and media pitches, briefing journalists, and developing media strategies

Experience and Qualifications

Essential to have

  • Post-secondary degree or diploma in communications or marketing, or equivalent work experience.
  • At least three years of professional experience in a communications or marketing role or related field.

 Helpful to have

  • Experience using digital communications tools such as Mailchimp, WordPress, Hootsuite, SalesForce, Meltwater.
  • Web development experience.
  • Knowledge of and passion for building decarbonization.

What’s in it for you:

In addition to your salary, you’ll benefit from:

  • Paid time off:
  • 15 vacation days per year to start.
  • A generous and compassionate personal leave policy.
  • TAF-wide office closures on 13 City-designated and statutory holidays (includes Easter Monday, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day), as well as the week between Boxing Day and New Years’ Day.
  • Comprehensive employer-paid extended health, vision, dental, life insurance and long-term disability benefits package after successful completion of your three-month probationary period.
  • Contribution to your retirement savings plan after one year of employment.
  • Supplies for your virtual office setup, including a monthly stipend for internet and other.
  • Access to financial support and time off to pursue relevant professional development.

The intangible stuff:

  • In consultation with your supervisor, flexible work hours and remote work options.
  • Work that directly helps to reduce carbon emissions and improve health, create new green jobs, boost urban resiliency, and contribute to a fairer and more just GTHA.
  • Direct exposure and opportunity to advance climate action with partners and stakeholders from across sectors and across the GTHA
  • Staff socials and lunches, picnics, and many other activities.
  • Team-wide trainings and learning.
  • Input to and participation in TAF’s annual and strategic planning.
  • A work environment that’s seeking to be open and inclusive, supported by a staff-led Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group

Next steps:

This link will take you to our application page.

You’ll upload your resume (no cover letter is required) and answer some questions that are related to your relevant experience and day-to-day job. You don’t need to do it all in one sitting; you’ll get a direct link and will be able to come back and edit until you click submit. After the job closes, your answers will go through our de-biased sift process: all answers will be anonymized, randomized and then scored by members of our team. Responses will be screened for AI-generated content (e.g. ChatGPT), and candidates who misuse these tools may be disqualified.

If your responses to the questions score in the top 10% of applicants, we’ll review your resume. We use this step to confirm that you meet our minimum qualifications for the role, and to learn more about you, but place more value on your responses to our sift questions than just your on-paper experience.

If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you join us for an in-person interview at our Toronto office (virtual interviews can be accommodated on request). After that, the top candidates will be invited to complete a technical assessment and participate in a second interview. In the final stage, the TAF hiring manager will connect with your professional references to hear about what it’s like working with you from your past colleagues.

Depending on the volume and quality of applications received, we may add an additional step to our process. We anticipate it will take about six weeks from the job posting closing date to making a hiring decision. Whether you are successful or not, you will hear back from us once the process is complete. We appreciate your applying to work at TAF!