M.A.Desautels Faculty of Music
Position number: 37804
Date posted: June 11, 2026
Marketing and Communications Officer (Music and Art) - AA3 (AESES)
New Regular Continuing Full-Time (Budget Funded)
Work schedule:
35 Hours/week (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm)
Salary:
$31.30 to $44.11 per hour ($56,966.00 to $80,280.20 per annum)
Expected Start Date
August 4, 2026
For more information please contact: Sarah Rout - [email protected]
MINIMUM FORMAL EDUCATION/TRAINING:
- Undergraduate degree in communications, marketing or other related specialization required.
EXPERIENCE:
- Three years of directly related communications/marketing experience is required.
- An acceptable equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
- Experience developing and executing annual multi-stakeholder strategic marketing and communications plans is required, including hands-on budget management, expense tracking, and financial reporting.
- Experience managing institutional brand guidelines and creating promotional resources to maintain consistency across multiple divisions is required.
- Experience in managing social media platforms for organizations, including content creation, scheduling, and engagement required.
- Experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams and external partners to achieve organizational objectives is required.
- Prior experience in producing periodic reports and summarizing data related to strategic marketing and communications plan milestones required.
- Experience building and sustaining relationships across diverse groups, including prospective students, working professionals, alumni, and executive leadership is required.
- Demonstrated understanding of the importance of, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA), including experience with the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and building relationships with Indigenous communities is required.
- Experience working in the arts considered an asset.
- Knowledge of the cultural sector, including music and the visual arts, is an asset.
- Experience in higher education is an asset, ideally dealing with student recruitment, alumni relations, and academic faculties.
- Experience supervising a team is preferred.
- Proven experience writing media releases, backgrounders, managing media relations, and acting as a communications advisor during sensitive public-interest issues is preferred.
- Strong track record of researching and writing high-level, compelling journalistic stories, articles, and profiles is preferred.
- Experience facilitating interviews is preferred.
- Proven experience planning, executing, and evaluating small-to-large-scale events, conferences, recruitment fairs, or festivals from conception to completion is preferred.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Demonstrated exceptional oral and written communications skills with a proven ability to draft and edit copy, produce clear, concise, briefing materials and content for different audiences and a high level of creativity and problem-solving skills is required.
- Proven track record of successful strategic communications planning and implementation is required.
- Leadership skills are required.
- Ability to analyze marketing data, evaluate campaign metrics, and present statistical reports directly to executive leadership required.
- A solid understanding of print and digital communications platforms is required.
- Strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize conflicting demands are required.
- Strong project management skills to handle multiple entities simultaneously are required.
- Exceptional attention to detail required.
- A high level of integrity, a high degree of independence, diplomacy and the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment are required.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and oversee a broad range of marketing and communications projects from concept to completion is required. This includes, but is not limited to:
- communications strategies
- print publications
- social media strategies
- web content development
- advertising
- market research
- Demonstrated ability to deliver steady, high-quality results over time, is required.
- A proven track record in working with all levels of staff, administration external stakeholders and others is an asset.
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Suite is required. Experience managing subscription lists and deploying newsletters using email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp) is an asset.
- Satisfactory work record, including satisfactory attendance and punctuality, is required.
Communications/Marketing:
Responsible for the promotion and advancement of the mission of the DFOM/SOA and increasing the awareness of the academic profile of the Faculty/School through strategic marketing, planning and development, and outreach.
- Generates and executes an annual strategic communication plan for the DFOM/SOA, including the School of Art Gallery, Prep Studies Division and Desautels Concert Hall.
- Develops marketing communications plans (or creative briefs) and strategies for projects relating to matters of public interest, alumni relations, student recruitment and community engagement, including research and preparation, disseminating stories, promoting faculty and research to media and relevant stakeholders, including, when appropriate, storytelling and news articles posted on UM Today.
- Leads the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of the annual cycle of all communications initiatives in areas of strategic importance (student recruitment, ensemble recruitment, student and/or faculty led initiatives, research projects, alumni, diversity and inclusion, etc.), including contributing to the institutional advertising campaign in collaboration with Strategic Marketing and Communications (SMC), and developing independent advertising and marketing campaigns, events and website and social media content.
- Proactively identifies and acts on opportunities and potential marketing communications issues related to the Faculty/School.
- Works with faculty and executive team to create and implement new content and design of web pages.
- Tracks, analyses, and provides Dean/Director with statistical data on website traffic.
- Produces communications for faculty and staff audience and, when appropriate, for the UM Intranet.
- Produces high level, well researched, accurate articles, and identifies potential new key messages to advance the profile of the Faculty/School and its faculty and staff.
- Researches content development best practices to ensure the DFOM/SOA is utilizing a variety of communications platforms including print publications, web content and video, social media, and in-person presentations.
- Oversees and coordinates external communications between the Faculty/School and external stakeholders relating to matters of public interest, alumni and partner relations, stewardship, recruitment, and community engagement in line with a communications vision and strategic direction for the Faculty/School’s brand and identity. This activity includes researching, and preparing all media releases, in coordination with Media Relations, advisories, backgrounders and fact sheets on behalf of the Faculty/School, disseminating story ideas to media, promoting faculty stories, facilitating interviews and ensuring appropriate spokespersons are representing the Faculty/School on key messages, and highlighting the results of research to media and relevant stakeholders,
- Oversees and facilitates communications with respect to outreach activities and consults on student recruitment events (high school outreach, career fairs and Open House).
- In collaboration with the Faculty and School Recruitment Committees, participates and supports in the development and implementation of a recruitment strategy.
- Identifies opportunities to build relationships with Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous) and communities to target recruitment efforts at Indigenous students.
- With respect to UM’s strategic priorities, highlights the Faculty/School’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in all aspects of work.
- Supervises the Communications Assistant implementation of the DFOM/SOA social media posts and other content, ensuring alignment with the units’ strategic marketing plans.
- Works in consultation with SMC in order to align Faculty communications.
- Develops brand resources and promotional materials to maintain brand consistency across the Faculty/School. This includes regularly providing support to faculty and staff on the proper use of faculty brand resources.
- Employs best practice strategies and effective project management to achieve intended objectives according to intended timeline and budget.
- Ensures compliance with appropriate copyright and FIPPA regulations.
- Prepares and analyses reports summarizing marketing data and statistics relevant to the Faculty/School.
- Undertakes special projects and assignments as directed by the Dean/Director and performs other duties as required.
Outreach (events and alumni relations):
- Develops and executes programs and events that support relationships between prospective and current students, alumni, faculty and the university.
- Works with External Relations to ensure accurate and complete alumni database records that capture contact, biographical and career information of alumni, as well as tracking participation.
- Creates opportunities for meaningful alumni participation in activities that build a sense of connection between alumni and the institution/faculty and appropriate alumni/donor recognition.
- Manages mailing lists with internal and external stakeholders to distribute newsletters.
- Leads the administrative team for the promotion of the Faculty and School’s programs at internal and external recruitment fairs, events, conferences, and festivals.
Administration:
- Tracks expenses related to marketing and communications for monthly reporting.
- Assists with interviewing and hiring additional staff for communications team.
- Supervision of and assignment of tasks to Communications Assistant and Events Coordinator.
- Acts as a back up for the Communications Assistant and Events Coordinator, covering their respective responsibilities (social media posts, website updates, newletters, etc.) and urgent requests when needed.
- May be required to perform related duties not exceeding skills and capabilities as required.
Candidates should submit a cover letter, CV and portfolio of previous marketing samples; portfolio can be submitted to
[email protected] directly.
Overview of the School of Art:
The School of Art offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Studio, 240 students), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Art History, 10 students), Diploma in Art (30 students), Master of Fine Art (10 students), and Master of Arts in Art and Architectural History (8 students). There are 16 administration office staff, 7 studio technicians, 20 full-time faculty members, 20-25 sessional instructors, teaching assistants, student monitors and work study students serving approximately 300 undergraduate students and 10 grad students. The approximate budget for the School of Art is $5 million.
Overview of the Desautels Faculty of Music:
The Desautels Faculty of Music offers a Bachelor of Music degree (approximately 130 students), a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Performance (4 students), a Master of Music degree (25 students), Master of Arts in Music Research degree (5 students), and a Bachelor of Jazz Studies (50 students). With a total enrolment of approximately 225 students, they are offered specialized study in solo performance, chamber music, large ensembles, music education, musicology, and music theory, as well as a wide range of music electives. The Desautels Faculty of Music has an extensive outreach program which includes the Division of Preparatory Studies, offering quality individual and group instruction to students in Winnipeg and the surrounding area. The Division presently contracts 30-40 teachers and provides lessons to approximately 200 students, in addition to early childhood classes, and group programs for elementary-aged students. The Desautels Faculty of Music has 32 full-time faculty, 30-35 Sessional Instructors, 70 contract employees, approximately 15 graders/markers/teaching assistants and 20 student technicians/librarians, and 7 support staff. The Desautels Faculty of Music's operating budget is almost $7 million.
The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).
If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected] or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.
Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provisions of "The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act" (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae will be provided to participating members of the search process.
