Communications Specialist - British Columbia

Position Overview
The Communications Specialist supports the planning and execution of communications campaigns by creating compelling social media, website, and print content. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role works closely with Conservation Program staff to build the profile and momentum for CPAWS-BC's conservation work on land, freshwater and the ocean.

About CPAWS-BC
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is part of one of Canada's oldest nonprofit conservation groups. We have been protecting lands and waters in BC since 1978 and are dedicated to keeping BC's natural environment thriving forever. Nature is BC's best hope.

CPAWS-BC works on the unceded territories of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples have stewarded their territories since time immemorial and continue to do so today. The staff and board at CPAWS-BC recognize that decolonization is an ongoing process that requires all of us to be actively involved and responsible. CPAWS-BC is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within every aspect of our work to protect lands, freshwater, and the ocean.

We are a small, dedicated team located across BC. Join us to help safeguard homes for grizzly bears, migratory birds and orca, threatened grasslands, and vital stretches of boreal forest, keeping British Columbia wild forever.

Position Details

This is a permanent full-time position. Like all roles at CPAWS-BC, this position is funding dependent.

Location: flexible within British Columbia. The Communications Specialist can work from the CPAWS-BC office in Vancouver, or from a home/remote office within BC.

Work hours: CPAWS-BC operates on a 32-hour, 4-day work week, Monday to Thursday. Some evening and weekend work may be required.

Compensation: $66,950 annually, plus benefits.

Closing deadline: Applications will be reviewed as they are received, starting July 27. We encourage you to apply early.

Starting date: No later than October 01, 2026.

Responsibilities & Duties

Communications Leadership (25%)

• Designs and executes platform-specific growth and content strategies to advance the organization's conservation goals and grow CPAWS-BC's supporter base
  
• Collaborates closely with the Conservation teams to ensure content aligns with conservation goals and ensure accurate, on-brand messaging across various channels
• Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of communication efforts using metrics and feedback, and adjusts strategies and tactics in response
  

Content Creation and Production (50%) 

• Develops compelling content for digital platforms that effectively and accurately conveys information related to CPAWS-BC's conservation mission and campaigns
• Drafts written content including OpEds, blog posts, press releases, action pages, and other materials for target audiences
• Designs visually engaging graphics and visuals for communication materials, ensuring a cohesive and appealing visual identity in support of public relations efforts
• Embeds DEIJ principles in communication materials in alignment with organization practices

Supporter Engagement (25%)

• Manages social media profiles, engages with followers, and fosters community engagement
• Supports outreach efforts with local communities and groups, partners, and online 
• Integrates DEIJ considerations into communication content, promoting inclusivity in messaging
• Ensures that communication materials are accessible and can be understood by diverse audiences, making efforts to include those with a range of abilities and understandings
• Fosters inclusive conversations about environmental conservation across CPAWS-BC platforms and communications

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

No minimum education is required. CPAWS-BC recognizes the value of both formal education and lived experiences. We invite applications from candidates who are excited about this role and bring some of the following skills and experiences.

Knowledge & Experience

• Work experience in communications, public relations, or a related field, particularly in a nonprofit or ENGO 
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing compelling communications projects in the nonprofit space, especially in conservation
• Experience building relationships with and engaging with media, including local and digital news
• Experience in digital content creation, graphic design, and video editing in a professional capacity

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Graphic design expertise
• Video and image editing skills
• Attention to detail, consistency, and accuracy

Education

• Post secondary education in a related field, such as Communications, Public Relations, or Marketing may be useful but is not required

Competencies

Core Competencies

These are the essential skills and attributes we expect all staff in Specialist roles to bring to their teams and work at CPAWS-BC.

• Decision quality: makes sound decisions, even the absence of complete information, relies on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience and judgement when making decisions, recognizes when an 80% solution will suffice;
• Situational adaptability: picks up on situational cues and adjusts in the moment, understands that different situations may call for different approaches, adjusts behaviour to suit specific circumstances
• Nimble learning: learns quickly when facing new situations, experiments to find new solutions, takes on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks, extracts lessons learned from failures and mistakes
• Resourcefulness: orchestrates multiple activities simultaneously to accomplish a goal, gets the most out of limited resources, applies knowledge of internal structures, processes and culture mobilize resources
• Communicates effectively: is effective in a variety of settings, adjusts to fit the audience and message, provides timeline and helpful information to others across the organization, encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions

Behavioural Competencies

These are the essential skills and attributes we expect all staff members to bring to CPAWS-BC.

• Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Values differences: seeks to understand different perspectives and cultures, contributes to a work climate where differences are valued and supported, trusts others' diverse experiences, backgrounds and perspectives to get results
• Demonstrates self-awareness: uses a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses, is willing to admit mistakes and gain insights
• Self-development: shows personal commitment and takes action to continuously improve, accepts assignments that broaden capabilities, learns from new experiences and others as well as structured learning
• Instills trust: gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity

Application Process

To apply, please submit one combined PDF document that includes a one-page cover letter and your resume. We thank all candidates for their interest in the position. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

We encourage you to use your cover letter to tell us how your background and experience align with this role and share any information about yourself that you think is important for your application.

CPAWS-BC is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We know that research shows that society has conditioned communities of colour, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to apply for jobs only when they meet all or most of the listed requirements, even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about conservation in British Columbia, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.