Organization: Right To Play International
Department/Division: Global Marketing and Communications
Work Location: Toronto, Canada or London, UK
Work Arrangement: A combination of in-office and remote-working in accordance with Right To Play’s work arrangement and the operational needs of the department
Authorized to work in: Canada or UK (Eligible to work legally without requiring sponsorship or work permit)
Target Hiring Range: CAD74,000 – 77,862 / GBP 45,000 – 49,000 per annum (dependent on successful candidate’s work location)
Target Start Date: Immediate
Contract Duration: Full-time /Permanent
Application Closing Date: May 2, 2023 23:59 EDT
ABOUT US:
Right To Play is a global organisation that protects, educates and empowers children to rise above adversity through the power of play. We help millions of children each year to stay in school and out of work, to prevent life-threatening diseases and to stay safe from exploitation and abuse. We are the leading global development organization that uses play to transform the lives of children and youth impacted by poverty, war, disease and inequality.
Established in 2000, Right To Play reaches children through experiential programming in 15 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. These programs are supported by our headquarters in Toronto, Canada; London, UK and seven national offices across Europe and North America.
With a shared passion for our mission, our Culture Code guides how we act and interact based on five core pillars:
- Accept Everyone – Be intentional about inclusion
- Make Things Happen – Seek opportunities to lead and innovate
- Display Courage – Act with integrity
- Demonstrate Care – Look after yourself and one another
- Be Playful – Have fun at work
Please visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we do, and watch this video to find out about the five pillars of our Culture Code.
ROLE SUMMARY:
Reporting to the VP, Marketing and Communications, the Lead Writer and Content Specialist is Right To Play’s chief storyteller, and a key member of the Global Communications Team.
You will develop effective and compelling written content and stories that raise awareness of the challenges that limit children’s rights and potential, mobilize support for programs, and position Right To Play as a global leader in protecting, educating, and empowering children to rise above adversity through the power of play.
This is a role for a versatile self-starter with lots of natural curiosity about the world, sharp critical thinking skills, sound editorial judgement, and sensitivity to complex political and cultural contexts and of the power dynamics implicit in storytelling. While the role involves a lot of head-down research and writing, the Lead Writer must also be a seasoned collaborator who is able to work with colleagues in all parts of the organization, and to build relationships with external vendors and stakeholders.
You will be responsible for writing for a variety of platforms and in a variety of formats, including brand messaging, web and social media content, marketing copy and campaigns, press releases, reports, fact sheets, impact stories, email appeals, video scripts, executive briefs, and speaking notes. You will edit, copyedit and proofread communications produced by other members of the team and staff across the organization to ensure they are aligned with the brand tone and of a high level of quality. And you will help to develop and implement Right To Play’s global annual editorial calendar and communications plan.
In your role as a leader on the Global Communications Team, you will work collaboratively with colleagues to identify story opportunities and lead end-to-end story and content development. You will manage communications projects from conception to completion, leading teams to collaborate effectively. You will also provide training and coaching to colleagues across the organization on how to use brand messaging and develop compelling communications.
This is a terrific opportunity for a creative, motivated, and strategic storyteller to work with a dynamic organic and team to create compelling communications that engage, inspire, and delight partners and supporters in countries around the globe.
Some international travel might be required.
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WHAT YOU’LL DO:
#1: Writing and Content Development (70% of Time):
- Brand collateral and key messaging: Develops brand collateral and key messaging, ensuring that products are aligned with Right To Play’s brand tone and persona, and that they advance Right To Play’s brand promise. Monitors and enforces brand consistency across the organization across all marketing and promotional products and assets, in accordance with RTP’s brand guidelines. Updates brand messaging as needed.
- Donor communications: Develops and edits donor communications, including content for our Global Annual Report, marketing and fundraising campaigns, emergency appeals, and donor stewardship collateral.
- Digital stories and content: Conceptualizes and writes web content, including Upriser stories and Program Spotlights, as well as social media content. Considers audience needs, channel specs, and sector trends and proposes new and innovative formats and approaches for content.
- Campaigns: Contributes to the development of awareness, engagement, and fundraising campaign plans and content.
- Video scripts: Develops and writes video scripts and works with internal teams and external vendors to create dynamic videos that bring the brand to life, inspires our audiences, and communicates impact.
- Press releases, fact sheets, media pitches, op-eds, and paid content
- Impact and program communications
- Internal communications: Assists the VP, Marketing and Communications, the CEO, and the Executive Team with internal communications and correspondence as needed.
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#2: Project Management, Planning, and Measurement (15% of Time):
- Ongoing project management and planning: Manages communications projects from the concept stage to completion, delivering projects on spec and on time.
- Strategy and planning: Contributes to the organization’s quarterly editorial planning and annual communications plan, as well as project communications plans.
- Measurement and evaluation: Contributes to the measurement and evaluation of content and campaign performance and generates insights.
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#3: Training and Coaching (10% of Time):
- Develops and delivers resources and trainings that build capacity in the areas of storytelling, content gathering, writing, messaging, and brand consistency.
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#4: Perform Other Tasks as Assigned (5% of Time)
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WHAT YOU’LL BRING (ESSENTIAL):
EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION:
- Undergraduate degree or college diploma in journalism, professional writing, communications, or equivalent work experience
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum of seven years of experience in the field of writing and editing
- Experience developing and deploying brand messaging
- A proven track-record of creating effective written communications for diverse audiences, including boards of directors, donors, government stakeholders, mass-market supporters, media, and internal staff audiences
- Experience writing for a variety of platforms and in a variety of formats, including brand messaging, web and social media content, marketing campaigns, press releases, reports, fact sheets, impact stories, email appeals, video scripts, executive briefs, and speaking notes.
- Experience leading multi-stakeholder writing and/or communications projects, collaborating with designers, developers, and other communications professionals, and building relationships with external vendors
- Experience with publication design for digital and print
- Experience providing writing and messaging training and coaching
- Experience tracking analytics (web and social media) and deriving insights that can help drive editorial decisions-making
COMPETENCIES/PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:
- Proactive self-starter who shows initiative and is able to manage own workplan
- Comfortable working both independently and in a team setting. Able to collaborate effectively and build understanding and consensus in groups
- Strategic and critical thinker with excellent editorial judgement and persuasive writing skills
- Demonstrates excellent listening skills, and an ability to successfully receive and respond to feedback
- Proven ability to engage with and distill complex and/or technical subject matter into plain language communications, and to adapt the tone, register, and level of information of a piece of writing for different audiences
- Excellent time management and organizational skills, with the ability to handle multiple projects concurrently, set priorities, and remain flexible
- Passion for storytelling and able to bring urgency, dynamism and impact to life
- Assiduous, with excellent attention to detail
- Diplomatic, with well-developed interpersonal and verbal communication skills
KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:
- Familiarity with grammar and usage rules, and how to implement house style. Produces clean, accurate copy as a rule
- Well-developed research and fact-checking skills; able to evaluate the factuality and accuracy of information sources
- Familiarity with website publishing and digital content creation
- Familiarity with a variety of marketing tactics, including but not limited to face-to-face fundraising, email marketing and lead-generation, digital advertising, and sponsored content
- Familiarity with SEO principles and strategies
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365, website CMS like Wagtail or WordPress, email marketing clients like MailChimp, and the major social media platforms
LANGUAGES:
- Fluency in spoken and written English
BONUS IF YOU’LL BRING (NOT ESSENTIAL):
- Experience working in a non-profit
- Experience working in a global environment where differences in language, usage and tone are considerations
- Experience working in an environment where Child Safeguarding is a priority
- Experience with / knowledge of ethical storytelling best practices
- Experience in fundraising and/or marketing environments
- Knowledge of basic HTML and CSS
- Knowledge of social advertising
- Fluency in French or Arabic
WHAT YOU’LL GET:
The opportunity to collaborate with an innovative global team who are passionate about working with children and youth. You will gain experience working for a globally recognized organization with a healthy culture premised on our Culture Code (accept everyone, make things happen, display courage, demonstrate care and be playful). You will be immersed in an environment where learning and development is encouraged and valued, and “play” is appreciated as a core avenue to building community.
- Competitive salary and benefits
- Flexible work arrangements (e.g. work from home and flex hours)
- Up to 5 personal learning and development (L&D) days per year
- Annual learning week
- Annual staff recognition awards
- Opportunity to connect with employees across our offices (Global Buddy Chat, Facebook Workplace)
- Opportunity to engage in global projects and initiatives
- Wellness programs
- Playful activities and events