Department: Student Affairs 

Job Type: Limited Term

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year) 

Campus: Waterloo 

Reports to: Manager, Student Affairs Communications

Employee Group: WLUSA 

Application Deadline: May 13, 2025

Requisition ID: 8833 

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources, and not to engage in conflict.  Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Student Affairs Communications, the Digital Media Coordinator (Student Affairs) is responsible for developing and executing digital media and communications strategies that ultimately enhance the undergraduate and graduate student experience and promote the various programs and services offered within the Student Affairs umbrella. This position creates content for multiple digital channels to support the overarching comprehensive communications strategy for the current student audience through web, written content, graphics, posters, social media content, videos, emails, and video podcasts. In all project work, data-driven insights to optimize communication efforts are prioritized.

Responsible for supervising the multicampus Student Life Content Team, comprised of two full-time co-op students and multiple part-time content creators, the Digital Media Coordinator will support all day-to-day logistics of reviewing, editing, and approving all content creation produced by the content team.

The ultimate goal of this position is to ensure that the student body feels supported in both their academic and personal journey here at Laurier by sharing information about support services, creating community, telling student success stories, and normalizing what life is like as a Golden Hawk. The Digital Media Coordinator must be committed to understanding all aspects of being a student at Laurier, including the wants, needs, and motivations of the current student audience, to inform content strategy and development. Special attention is given to ensuring equitable representation of, and relevance of content for, students across all Laurier campuses and locations.

This position has a university-wide mandate and is primarily based at the Waterloo campus, with some flexibility in hybrid work and occasional requirement to travel to the Brantford or Milton campuses with their own car. 

Accountabilities

Strategic Communications Planning 

• Designs multi-channel, digital communications content within Student Affairs to ensure timely messaging, implementation of best practices, and coordination of efforts across the department.

• Develops and maintains an action plan to successfully execute digital media projects by determining the correct audience, timelines, and tone of the messaging, as well as the correct digital channel(s) to use.

• Updates and tracks the progress of all projects in a central management tool to ensure activities and responsibilities progress accordingly towards defined deadlines and goals. 

• Responsible for researching new and innovative digital media initiatives to promote Student Affairs and its affiliate services, as well as the general student experience at Laurier.

• Maintains a strong knowledge base about the student life cycle, the wants, needs, and motivations of the current student audience, and all aspects of being a student at Laurier to inform content strategy and development.

Multimedia Content Creation

• Responsible for creating, and/or overseeing the creation of, numerous different media including, but not limited to, web, written content, graphics, posters, social media content, videos, emails, and video podcasts.

• Exercises creative initiative in the design and production of digital media to highlight Student Affairs as a whole, as well as the Student Life brand.

• Maintains a strong eye for graphic design, including knowing how to make good use of photo manipulation, colour contrast, and layout to create eye-catching and accessible graphics.

• Stockpiles photo and video content from all of Laurier’s campuses for use by Student Affairs and its affiliate services.

• Proposes, storyboards, films, and edits videos, most often for social media and web.

• Develops, maintains, edits, and updates web content related to Student Affairs and its affiliate services, while maintaining a strong partnership with the External Relations: Digital Experience team.

• Strategizes Instagram content in close consultation with the External Relations: Social Media team.

• Writes, builds, schedules, and releases emails for the current student audience, while coordinating with the External Relations: Integrated Communications editorial calendar to ensure messages don’t conflict with any planned institutional messages.

• Storyboards and produces both the audio and video components of a peer-led video podcast.

• Ensures that all media and communications conform to Laurier’s brand standards and style guides, as well as AODA standards.

Social Media Management: @studentlifeatlaurier on Instagram

• Content manager of the @studentlifeatlaurier Instagram account.

• Responsible for the development and maintenance of an editorial calendar for the account, in consultation with the student content team and Manager, Student Affairs Communications, that reflects all aspects of the student experience and highlights the services and programming offered by Student Affairs departments.

• Proactively seeks out opportunities to collaborate with campus partners on social media content to bring a peer-led perspective to key messages from departments or the institution.

• Supports and empowers student content team to create authentic, peer-led content, while ensuring that all content is a positive representation of Laurier and its student experience.

• Oversees the student content team’s daily content generation including the creation and posting of grid posts, stories, reels, highlights, etc.

• Edits and approves all content created by student content team prior to posting.

• Monitors all engagement on the account and responds to comments and direct messages, as needed.

• Tracks social media trends and other popular content amongst the post-secondary education sector to inform content strategy.

• Identifies any risks and/or opportunities for social media content and flags any concerns to the Manager, Student Affairs Communications, who will loop in External Relations, as needed.

Data-Driven Communications

• Determines and collects metrics to assess the effectiveness of communications, including social media insights, website traffic, email analytics, and student feedback.

• Utilizes surveys, focus groups, and other methods to collect quantitative and qualitative data about student engagement and communication preferences.

• Analyzes all available data to identify trends, make evidence-based decisions, and measure the impact of communications efforts.

• Uses insights to tailor content, messaging, and communication channels to better meet the needs and preferences of our diverse current student audience.

• Regularly report on communication metrics to the Manager, Student Affairs Communications and other leadership, as required.

Campus-Wide Collaboration

• Provides training, daily supervision, and support for two co-op students (typically based in Waterloo) and up to six part-time content creators across all of Laurier’s campuses.

• Works closely with individuals from all Student Affairs departments, most frequently those who support communications.

• Collaborates with numerous campus partners outside of Student Affairs on a regular basis, particularly all portfolios within External Relations.

• Supports internal communication efforts to faculty and staff to raise awareness of Student Affairs and its affiliate services.

• Trains and supports other members in the Student Affairs department in areas related to social media, Laurier brand standards, and email communications.

Reporting Relationships

This Position Reports to: Manager, Student Affairs Communications

Responsibility for other positions: This position hires, trains, and supervises two co-op students and up to six part-time content creators each academic term.

Qualifications

• University degree in Communications, Business, Marketing, or related field.

• Minimum three years of consecutive and recent experience in a communications, marketing, and/or student support role preferred; experience specifically at Laurier is an asset.

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic communication plans across multiple channels involving the creation and sharing of all types of varied multimedia communications (graphics, videos, social media, newsletters, webpages, articles, emails, video podcasts, etc.) is required.

• Experience working with and/or managing a team of student staff members is preferred.

• Knowledge and understanding of best practices for social media and design is required.

• Thorough command of, and demonstrated work experience with the technology, strategy, and judgment associated with running a social media account is required; experience with an official Laurier social media channel and/or an account tailored to a Gen Z audience is preferred.

• Exceptional copywriting and editing skills acquired through demonstrated work experience; ability to tailor communications to specific target audiences and various platforms (email, web, social media, etc.).

• Experience storyboarding, filming, editing, and subtitling videos for various platforms.

• Experience developing, maintaining, editing, and updating web content.

• Proven ability for accuracy and attention to detail when editing materials and following brand guidelines and standards.

• Passion and commitment to improving the student experience at Laurier.

• Strong organizational skills coupled with proven ability to effectively multitask, prioritize work, meet multiple-competing deadlines, and excel in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.

• Effective interpersonal skills, being able to exercise sound judgment, tact, and discretion when working and collaborating with diverse stakeholder groups including students, faculty, staff, and campus partners.

• Proven ability to work independently as well as in a team environment to successfully meet individual and team goals.

• Flexibility to adapt to unexpected and time sensitive demands.

• Research skills related to identifying new trends and market opportunities are required.

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to work with large datasets; proven record of data-driven decision making.

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office products, digital media tools, and video editing programs is preferred; experience using Canva Pro is required.

• Ability to uphold the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion through collaborative communications activities.

Hours of Work

This is a Full-Time, Limited-Term position for a duration of approximately two (2) years. The normal hours of work are 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility in hours may be required, including evening and/or weekend work. When possible, the manager will adjust the work schedule so that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week.

This position is eligible for a flexible work arrangement, as per Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy). All arrangement must be approved by the direct manager. In-person attendance for events, as required to meet operational needs, is expected. On occasion, this schedule may need to be adjusted to meet operational requirements.

Compensation 

Level: E

Rate of pay: $41.09 to $43.44 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $46.96 per hour. 

Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.