Marketing and Communications Specialist

Marketing and Communications Specialist

Location: Toronto ON
Employment Type: Full-Time Permanent
Department: Programming & Partnerships
Reports to: Director of GoEU
Vacancy: This posting is for a new vacancy
Salary: 60000-75000K
Company Overview
At Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC) were at the center of Canadas fastest-growing startup ecosystemwhere global founders come to scale raise capital and build their future. Through flagship programs like Horizon Pivot GoEU and Land & Expand we connect entrepreneurs with the partners capital and growth strategies they need to succeed. Learn more at .

As TBDC continues to strengthen Canadas position as a global destination for innovation two flagship initiatives - GoEU and Horizon - are playing a critical role in connecting Europes most promising startups with Canadas thriving innovation ecosystem. Together these programs are building meaningful partnerships across Europe and Canada helping innovative companies expand internationally while creating long-term economic impact.

About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join TBDC during a period of significant international growth.

We are looking for a creative digitally savvy and execution-focused marketing professional to help tell the stories behind GoEU Horizon and TBDCs growing portfolio of innovation programs. You will play an important role in building awareness engaging founders and partners and showcasing the impact these programs are creating across Europe and Canada. Working closely with the marketing team you will create compelling content manage digital campaigns uncover founder success stories execute outreach initiatives coordinate marketing projects and support strategic communications that strengthen TBDCs international presence. Were looking for someone who embraces modern marketing technology and enjoys leveraging AI tools automation and digital platforms to create smarter faster and more impactful marketing campaigns.

If you enjoy storytelling startup ecosystems digital marketing and working in a collaborative fast-paced environment wed love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities
Content & Communications

• Develop engaging blogs articles website content newsletters and thought leadership pieces.
  
• Create compelling content for GoEU Horizon and other TBDC initiatives.
  
• Maintain editorial calendars and publishing schedules.
  
• Coordinate content production with designers video partners and internal stakeholders.
  
• Ensure consistency in messaging and brand voice across all communications.
  
• Support development of presentations brochures event collateral and marketing assets.
  

Social Media & Digital Marketing

• Manage day-to-day social media publishing across TBDC programs.
  
• Develop monthly content calendars aligned with campaign objectives.
  
• Create engaging posts highlighting founders partners events and ecosystem successes.
  
• Monitor community engagement and respond to audiences in a timely manner.
  
• Track performance and recommend opportunities for continuous improvement.
  
• Manage and optimize social media using platforms such as Sprout Social.
  

Founder Success & Storytelling

• Identify founder success stories through CRM program teams and ecosystem partners.
  
• Conduct founder interviews and develop compelling success stories.
  
• Create case studies testimonials and founder spotlights.
  
• Build and maintain a consistent pipeline of stories showcasing program impact across Europe and Canada.
  

Email Marketing & Outreach

• Develop and execute email marketing campaigns for founders partners and stakeholders.
  
• Manage audience segmentation and mailing lists.
  
• Support automated nurture campaigns and program communications.
  
• Monitor campaign performance and optimize future campaigns based on analytics.
  
• Support outreach campaigns to ecosystem partners and stakeholders across Canada and Europe.
  

Marketing Technology & AI

• Leverage AI tools to support content creation research campaign planning and marketing productivity.
  
• Create effective prompts and AI workflows to accelerate high-quality marketing output.
  
• Use AI responsibly while ensuring all content meets TBDCs quality accuracy and brand standards.
  
• Stay current with emerging AI tools and recommend new technologies that improve marketing effectiveness.
  
• Support marketing automation initiatives through CRM and digital marketing platforms.
  
• Continuously identify opportunities to streamline marketing processes using technology.
  

Research & Marketing Support

• Research startup ecosystem trends across Canada and Europe.
  
• Monitor innovation entrepreneurship and investment news.
  
• Conduct competitor partner and market research to support campaigns.
  
• Prepare background research briefing notes and marketing insights.
  
• Support marketing efforts that strengthen awareness and engagement across priority European markets.
  

Marketing Coordination

• Coordinate marketing deliverables across multiple projects and timelines.
  
• Work closely with designers video editors agencies and external vendors.
  
• Support campaign execution from concept through delivery.
  
• Assist with webinars events founder showcases and promotional activities.
  
• Ensure projects are delivered on time and to a consistently high standard.
  

Qualifications
Education

• Bachelors degree in Marketing Communications Business or a related discipline.
  

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in marketing communications or digital marketing.
  
• Exceptional writing editing and storytelling skills.
  
• Experience managing social media platforms for an organization or brand.
  
• Hands-on experience with email marketing platforms.
  
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
  
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
  
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  

Technical Skills

• Experience using CRM platforms preferably Zoho CRM for campaign management segmentation and reporting.
  
• Experience using social media management platforms preferably Sprout Social.
  
• Demonstrated proficiency using AI tools such as ChatGPT Claude Gemini or Microsoft Copilot to support marketing research and content development.
  
• Strong prompt-writing skills with the ability to use AI effectively while maintaining quality and brand consistency.
  
• Comfortable working across a modern marketing technology stack and quickly adopting new digital tools.
  

What Success Looks Like in Year One
We will define clear OKRs with you before you start so you always know where you are driving. You will be responsible for driving marketing and communications to support the sales and recruitment engagement and support of 70 companies. Broadly success looks like:

• Content drives awareness. GoEU Horizon and TBDC programs are supported by a consistent cadence of high-quality blogs newsletters website updates social content and campaign materials that strengthen brand visibility across Canada and Europe.
  
• Campaigns generate engagement. Email social and digital campaigns produce measurable engagement including improved open rates click-through rates website traffic event registrations and qualified interest from founders and partners.
  
• Marketing operations are organized and measurable. Editorial calendars campaign timelines marketing assets and CRM data are accurate current and visible allowing senior management to understand what is being delivered what is performing and where improvements are needed.
  
• Founder stories showcase impact. A steady pipeline of founder success stories case studies testimonials and ecosystem highlights clearly demonstrates program outcomes and strengthens TBDCs reputation with founders partners and stakeholders.
  
• AI and marketing technology improve execution. AI tools automation CRM and platforms such as Sprout Social are used responsibly to improve speed consistency content quality reporting and campaign performance.
  
  

Benefits and Perks
We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support your health well-being and work-life balance including:
Comprehensive health and dental benefits

• Vision care coverage
  
• Life insurance
  
• Paid time off
  
• Flexible float days
  
• Convenient on-site parking
  
• Opportunities to participate in company events team activities and employee experiences
  

TBDC does not use AI-enabled tools to support application screening. Final hiring decisions are made by real people.

Required Skills:

Qualifications You arrive with a database / rolodex. An existing active network of corporate government investor or ecosystem contacts is a core requirement of this role not a nice-to-have. Youre in the ecosystem you know people and people look up to you. 35 years in the startup ecosystem (e.g. startups accelerators VCs corporate innovation or government programs) with strengths in business development partnerships and ecosystem engagement. We weight background and fit over an exact number of years. Demonstrated experience planning and producing events dinners or convenings that bring senior stakeholders together. A skilled relationship builder and communicator trusted by stakeholders for clarity professionalism and consistent delivery. Experienced in lead sourcing and outbound prospecting; comfortable using AI and CRM tooling to run a pipeline. Quick-thinking and strategic able to synthesize complex information and present it clearly across audiences. Organized adaptable proactive and energized by a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment. Collaborative with a strong sense of ownership and commitment to team outcomes.

Employment Type : Full Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1