City : Ottawa

Category : Temporary Assignment or Contract

Industry : Education

Employer : University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa—A crossroads of cultures and ideas

The University of Ottawa is home to a dynamic community of over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroad of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We believe in the power of representation, and that increasing the diversity of our faculty and staff supports this objective. Our goal is to provide students with the best possible learning experience, in an environment that reflects the diversity of its people, their ideas, and their identities. 

We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. Our employees come together around the shared purpose of constant improvement, personal development, service excellence, teamwork and a passion for learning with a desire to make uOttawa and the world a better place. Everyone's contributions are valued, we all play a part in making uOttawa a world-class institution. Most importantly, we make it possible for you to achieve your full potential. Because at uOttawa, you belong!

*Title under review.

Position purpose:
At ease in a “mobile first” and a social media-driven operating environment, the Content Creator is an entrepreneurial branded content specialist who conceives, creates and develops relevant, persuasive, shareable and interactive content for distribution through uOttawa’s owned channels (digital and traditional) and externally through Omni-channel platforms. The primary role of the Content Creator is to curate, create and disseminate branded uOttawa content to:

• Amplify the uOttawa brand across all media including advertising (all forms), video, social media, web, online/print publications and other current, and emerging digital platforms.
• Foster positive and measurable digital interactions with uOttawa and the sharing of uOttawa branded content.
• Raise awareness of uOttawa
• Enhance its reputation and image

The Content Creator drives the planning and timely dissemination of uOttawa branded content (primarily digital) across internal and external platforms, monitors its performance and analyzes metrics on an ongoing basis with the aim of continuous improvement. At the University of Ottawa, Branded content blurs conventional distinctions between advertising and editorial content, and is created and distributed by the University to help connect with the hearts and minds of our audiences – with the clear goal of fostering engagement and interaction with the university.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

•   Using a proactive and Omni-channel approach, creates (directs, films, records, edits, writes, adapts, etc.) relevant, persuasive and original mobile-first branded digital content for a vast array of traditional and digital platforms. The latter can include all the
popular social media platforms, web, apps, email, blogs, online advertising (all forms), video (corporate, promo, vox pop, etc.), audio and more, and arranges for its timely dissemination through uOttawa owned networks and external Omni-channel platforms.
•  Creates compelling branded content for the Communications Directorate and University clients for some print publications, traditional advertising, infographics, direct mail, event collateral, promotional signage and more.
•    Develops and executes a comprehensive approach SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) to maximize uOttawa’s online presence and sharing of its branded content.
•    Works with the Communications Directorate to review core brand values, brand messages and positioning as required.

• Works with the Communications Directorate to review core brand values, brand messages and positioning as required.

What you will bring:

• Undergraduate degree in communications, marketing or digital communications/marketing or an acceptable equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum 4 years’ experience in creating branded content primarily for digital. Some experience with producing branded content for print would be considered an asset
• Strong knowledge of content creation process; ability to conceive and create common, effective content that can be published and succeed in an Omni-channel environment.
• In depth knowledge of Google analytics and other digital measurement tools, social media tools in particular, and the ability to analyze the data to improve performance of content
• Proven success in creating professional branded content that is compelling, persuasive, onbrand and capable of engaging a broad range of audiences and fostering positive interaction
• Excellent understanding of best practices and principles of branded content marketing, digital advertising, social media, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), video and photography composition and production, copywriting and marketing in general
• Highly developed story-telling skills and the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling and engaging content
• Strong organizational, planning and analytical skills, excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work on several projects at once and manage tight deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team, and to interact with creative professionals within a fast-paced environment
• Sound judgment, initiative, creativity, imagination, flexibility, tact and diplomacy
• High standards for accuracy, responsiveness, integrity and discretion
• Omni-channel and social media-savvy with solid technology experience with CMS, HTML
• editing, software (e.g. WordPress, Drupal), video and image editing software (e.g. Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, etc.)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in both official languages (French and English)
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends

Bilingualism: French and English (spoken and written); to be considered for this position, candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Key Competencies at uOttawa:
Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa: 

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realise an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.