Public Relations Manager

Communitech helps founders start, grow and succeed

At Communitech, we’re all about the F word. Founders.

We were built by tech founders who saw the need for a community of support to help ensure the future prosperity of Canada.

No other innovation hub can say that, which is pretty cool.

Established in 1997, our mission has been our guide ever since. We’re here to support the founder at every stage of their journey, providing accelerated opportunities to access talent, capital and sales.

As Canada’s tech supercharger, we help founders :

Hire and retain the smartest, brightest and most experienced people

Access growth financing at every stage

Sell to the biggest customers at home and around the world

Connect the right people at the right time peers who have been there before, coaches who can guide them through the difficult spots and partners from all over Canada

We’re looking to grow our team with passionate people people who believe in our mission and who are willing to do what it takes to help our founders succeed.

If you like to work collaboratively, get s#!t done and be a champion for Canadian tech, we want to hear from you. Wonder what it’s like to work at Communitech? Learn more at

Communitech is a hybrid organization headquartered in downtown Kitchener, Ontario. In-person connection is important to us, so we get together regularly for special events, collaboration days and team socials, and we ask our team members to work onsite from our Kitchener facility for a minimum of 2 days per week.

We are a flexible, people first environment and want to allow our people to make decisions and choices about where they work to support work life balance within clear guidelines.

Position Summary

Based in Waterloo Region, the Public Relations Manager will join the Communications team to help Communitech communicate the value and impact of its activities through effective relationship building and storytelling.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, the Public Relations Manager will be news-focused and deadline-driven fully responsible for generating earned media about Communitech’s efforts to grow a world-leading technology cluster in Waterloo Region.

This role will be responsible for overseeing the representation of a positive organizational image and branding to members of the media, Communitech clients and stakeholders and the general public.

You will prepare and distribute news releases, articles and online communications and co-ordinate media events. The Public Relations Manager will use all forms of media and communication to build, maintain and manage the representation of the organization both internally and externally, in order to establish and maintain goodwill.

Other duties include monitoring publicity and conducting research regarding concerns and expectations of the organization's stakeholders, and to determine the success of Communitech’s communications and PR initiatives.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain a regularly-updated media database.

Establish and maintain strong relationships for the organization with members of the media (both traditional and emerging), regionally, nationally and internationally.

Use journalistic writing techniques to craft and edit media advisories, news releases, social media releases, and other briefing and background materials for external audiences.

Effectively pitch news stories to media through proactive and reactive media relations.

Organize events, including media tours, press conferences, exhibitions and press tours.

Identify audience and appropriate formats for media relations activities.

Liaise with and answer enquiries from members of the media, public stakeholders and other organizations.

Maintain highly effective two-way communications with stakeholders and employees to identify opportunities, effectively train media spokespeople on key messaging, align media relations efforts with those of the marketing / communications, online and social media teams.

Cultivate relationships with key spokespeople within client companies, who can effectively speak to the depth and breadth of the Waterloo Region technology cluster.

Collate and analyze media coverage, making recommendations to help improve and refine communications strategy.

Understand and use a wide variety of media forms and format requirements.

Measure effectiveness and return on investment of public and media relations strategy.

Build community relations by attending various events and representing the organization in a professional manner.

Produce reports for internal analysis.

Identify and develop relationships with vendors and suppliers to augment internally-driven public and media relations activities.

Articulate our organizational mission and vision statements.

Ensure that all PR support aligns with Communitech’s brand and marketing plans.

Manage projects effectively, clearly articulating objectives, meeting deadlines, managing resources and reporting progress as required.

Perform other duties as necessary.

Essential Skills and Qualifications

5+ years of direct work experience in a public relations or media relations role.

Outstanding verbal communication skills.

Superb writing, content development and editing skills.

Knowledge of the tech industry.

Direct experience working with journalists and a keen understanding of journalistic principles and practices.

Excellent understanding and working knowledge of brand building and brand management.

Highly-effective project management, prioritization, multi-tasking and time management skills to meet deadlines.

Proven ability to prepare media proposals with a blend of focused research, strategy and creativity.

Energetic, self-motivated, and results-oriented.

Proven team player who is both flexible and adaptable.

A well-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution and people management skills.

Thorough knowledge of the principles of effective communications and mass media, publicity, advertising, community relations and government relations as they relate to our organization.

Ability to plan, organize, and effectively present ideas and concepts to groups.

Ability to critically analyze information from a variety of sources and recommend courses of action to be taken.