As we settle into some exciting new projects for some new and some long-term clients, we’re making a few additions to the team. Is it tempting fate to say that we’re thinking 2022 will be great?
Berlin is an award-winning Edmonton-based agency in the business of positioning our clients to win on issues of public interest. Our goal is to create space for great people to do great work and we are looking for a full-time Communications Strategist to join our growing team.
We have four core values that we bring to our work and all our projects:
- Humanity – We acknowledge and respect the humanity in ourselves and others.
- Curiosity – We are curious about the world around us and the culture we live in.
- Intent – We don’t do things by accident.
- Grit – We find a way to make it happen.
And, as an agency, we consistently punch above our weight. Our award-winning team is small and made up of best-in-class folks. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside our public relations leaders, our creative director, our senior consultants and the rest of the team. We work closely as a unit and you’ll be part of that top-performing, supportive and integrated group – there’s no real creative/accounts divide here, and the partners at Berlin work alongside the rest of the team as we work to solve complex, interesting and meaningful challenges. You’re not going to be stuck doing simple, boring bits as you learn the ropes – here, you will be right in the fun, challenging work with us, from day one.
We are looking for a dedicated and thoughtful communications strategist with 3-6 years of professional experience in a communications role ideally at an advertising agency or in a communications-related position. We are open to discussion around the appropriate title for this role based on your areas of expertise.
The successful candidate will be expected to provide strategic and writing support for Berlin’s key clients. Clearly articulated strategies, key messaging and brand insights are a critical part of our success on any given project. Working closely with senior consultants and reporting to an account director, you will be tasked with developing communications insights and messages that will support the foundation of much of the work that Berlin undertakes. That includes stakeholder engagement, report writing, communication plans, brand insight and development, media releases and backgrounds, OpEds, and key message development. From time-to-time, we may also get you to provide strategy and writing exploration on marketing campaigns.
In this posting, we’ve outlined the skills and qualifications that we find best prepare people for this kind of role. Most of all, though, we want someone who is an extraordinary writer, someone with strong attention to detail and a commitment to quality and exceeding expectations. If you lack any of the specific qualifications we list in the posting, but think that you have the right qualities, please feel free to make a case for yourself. Some of our strongest account people have come from sociology, journalism, politics or design backgrounds – but they embody our values, write well and are fully committed to our clients and projects.
In the short-term you’d be joining a team who is working from home but connected through regular team video calls and direct messages. However, we plan to be back in our office in downtown Edmonton in some way in the future. Pre-Covid perks include health benefits for you and yours, flex days, professional development trips and top-shelf office coffee. We’ve still got most of them but these days the trips and coffee have been replaced with virtual learning opportunities and occasional treats delivered to your door.
Purpose of the role:
- Strategic and thought leadership
- Support in research and insight generation
- Client brand development
- Elevating the quality and impact of our written communication
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and champion Berlin’s brand positioning strategy process.
- Working with project team to create compelling written content including key messages, brand positioning strategy documents and audience assessment reports.
- Review and analyze primary and secondary research to find key audience insights
- Assist project teams with developing creative briefs
- Development of content strategies
- Various written communications, including but not limited to social media, long-form information, web copy, OpEds and press releases.
- Maintains a clear understanding of generational and audience characteristics and behaviours.
- Lead stakeholder engagement projects
- Collaborates with creative and account management team to shape direction of campaigns.
Behavioral competencies
- Ability to read between the lines and dissect information to find insight into the client’s business challenges
- A desire to have the work we do reflect well on them – ownership and commitment to excellence.
- Can articulate the intent, spirit and vision for a strategic approach, and sell that approach by relating it to the business needs of the client.
- Alignment with our core values
- A natural inclination towards creative use of language. Someone who loves to explore the nuance of language and who wants to harness the power in that nuance
Qualifications and Experience:
Required:
- 3-6+ years in progressively responsible communications or strategic advisory roles
- Experience presenting to internal or external clients
- Extraordinary writing and communications skills
Helpful:
- Experience working at an advertising agency or in-house agency model environment
- Experience working with government, public-sector, and/or member-based organizations
- Bachelor’s Degree in business, arts, or communications
We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome diversity and encourage applications from all qualified individuals. Wherever we’re able, we want to add people to the team that will bring a new perspective – diversity in lived experience brings so much value to a team like ours, and we’re always looking to find new ways to do that.
The annual salary range for this position is $60,000 to $70,000 and includes:
- three weeks of vacation
- five days of personal flex time
- an extended Christmas break
- phone allowance
- learning and education allowance
- health benefits plan
Berlin ensures that we provide our employees and clients a safe and healthy environment. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we require that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination as part of the hiring process. We will accommodate employees who are unable to be vaccinated for medical or other reasons protected by human rights legislation in Alberta.
If you’re interested in applying, please e-mail a cover letter, resume to our Account Director, Willie Lee no later than March 18, 2022.
Please don’t wait to send in your application; we will be reviewing them and conducting interviews on an ongoing basis. We’re grateful for everyone’s interest, but only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Thanks for your interest – we can’t wait to meet the next Berliner.