Communications Specialist - 6 month contract

About Optima Living
Founded in 2007 by two friends inspired by their families’ dementia journeys, Optima Living was created to provide a more home-like experience in seniors housing and care. What began as a personal mission has grown into one of Western Canada’s leading senior living and continuing care providers.
Today, Optima Living offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Living, Long-Term Care, Brain Health, and Memory Care across Alberta and British Columbia. Our innovative approach includes Spark, Your Wellness, Your Way; our proprietary brain health and care model. As the only Top 10 Canadian senior living and care provider focused exclusively on Western Canada, we proudly serve more than 6,000 residents.
Guided by our North Star, Let us welcome you home™, we are committed to People, Place, and Community. With a resident-first philosophy and a focus on innovation, we are redefining aging with purpose creating communities where seniors live with dignity, connection, and joy.
This is a 6 month contract with an option to renew
Responsibilities
• Manages the day-to-day content calendar for internal and external publication including writing, editing and approving intranet posts, social media, our investor newsletter, blog posts, and our annual publications, such as our Year in Review and Responsibility Report.
• Assists with developing and implementing Optima Living’s communications strategy.
• Acts as an internal business partner by collaborating cross-functionally to support different aspects of the business with communications needs.
• Monitors Google reviews regularly and assist the communities to take necessary action to address the reviews.
• Supports media relations efforts, including drafting press releases, coordinating with media outlets, proactive pitching, and assisting with responses to media inquiries.
• Create supporting graphics using Canva or a similar program to accompany content
• Ensure the Optima brand voice is consistently reflected in our internal and external messaging.
• Assist in evolving internal channel and content strategy, using qualitive and quantitative insights to incrementally grow engagement and adoption
• Provide writing, editing, and design support for a variety of marketing collateral as required.
• Provide event planning support for Optima Living open houses, site events and rebrand/service launches as required.
• Develop metrics to measure the effectiveness of communications delivered and implement improvements to better inform our employees.
• Structure and coordinate executive town halls, newsletters, email blasts and other engagement initiatives to ensure clarity of organizational messaging.
• Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications and Experience
• Minimum 2-5 years of communications experience.
• Experience in an agency environment is an asset.
• Bachelor's degree in communications, or related discipline combined with experience.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills.
• Basic design skills in Canva, Creative Suite or similar program.
• Ability to multitask and manage a variety of projects simultaneously.
• Excellent personal communications skills and the ability to develop productive relationships with a variety of internal stakeholders including executives.
• Capacity to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Motivated self-starter with strong organization, time management and prioritization skills
• Proficiency in MS Office, SharePoint, Teams, Project Management software
Conditions of Employment
• Clear Police Information Check
• Clear Vulnerable Sector Check