Coordinator, Campus Life & Communications at OCAD University

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work and create

Please note that internal job postings are open only to current permanent OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees and temporary OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees with one year of continuous service.

Reporting to the Manager, Student Communications & Campus Community, the Coordinator, Campus Life & Communications plays a key role in fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and engaged campus culture at OCAD University (OCAD U) by supporting the delivery of co-curricular programming and delivering student-facing communications. The role enhances the student experience by developing and sharing content that reflects the richness of campus life and helps build a strong sense of community. Working closely with student services and administrative departments across the University, the Coordinator contributes to the design and evaluation of initiatives that support student transitions and foster leadership development. The role also helps celebrate student involvement on campus by developing and sharing stories across digital communications platforms, including, but not limited to social media.

Summary of Responsibilities:

Co-Curricular Programming & Student Life Initiatives 

• Develop, implement, and evaluate co-curricular programming that supports student belonging, leadership development, and engagement in life at OCAD U. 
• Support the University’s Orientation and Welcome/transition programming for new students. 
• Contribute to the development of partnerships and revenue generating opportunities that support the Orientation budget. 
• Coordinate the Peer Mentor Program, including volunteer recruitment, training, engagement, supervision, and program evaluation. 
• Coordinate the registration and support of recognized student organizations (groups), including training and advising on activity planning, and promotion. 
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of annual recognition programming that celebrates student leadership and involvement across campus. 
• Supervise work-study and casual student staff (i.e. Student Monitors) supporting campus life programming and events. 
• Act as a liaison to support departments with information about student groups, peer mentors, and related policies and procedures. 
• Promote and maintain up-to-date information on student-focused opportunities such as community discounts, recreation, fitness, and wellbeing programs. 

Student Communications & Content Strategy 

• Using a shared services model, maintain and deliver student-facing communications in alignment with editorial calendars in collaboration with the Office of the Registrar and other Student Affairs stakeholders. 
• Attend regular editorial meetings and contribute to strategic communications planning. 
• Create, curate, and publish digital storytelling content that showcases student engagement, campus life, and both University and student-led programming. Content should reflect the OCAD U student experience and support the University’s strategic goals, including retention and student success. 
• Maintain content on student-focused web pages, academic calendars, and student-facing knowledge articles. 
• Coordination of student-facing social media channels, including content scheduling, monitoring, engagement, and evaluation. 
• Support publishing updates to student policies, program guides and related communications. 
• Ensure communications adhere to institutional guidelines, privacy standards, and accessibility requirements. 

General 

• Contribute to the development and implementation of departmental goals and objective setting in alignment with the University’s Academic & Strategic Plan. 
• Support assessment and continuous improvement efforts across both student engagement and communication initiatives. 
• Serve as a collaborative resource for student-centred storytelling and programming across Student Affairs and the wider campus community. 
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Manager, Student Communications & Campus Community. 

Qualifications:

Education & Experience 

• University degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience in a related field such as higher education, student affairs, communications, student leadership, or event coordination. 
• Minimum three (3) years of relevant experience, ideally in a post-secondary environment, involving co-curricular program design, student engagement, volunteer coordination, digital content creation, and communications. 

Communication & Interpersonal Skills 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated experience writing for student audiences. 
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, with the ability to interact effectively with students, staff, faculty, and external partners. 
• Demonstrated ability to exercise tact, discretion, sound judgment, and diplomacy. 

Program & Event Coordination 

• Experience planning, coordinating, and evaluating student engagement or leadership initiatives and events. 
• Experience supervising, training, or mentoring students or volunteers. 
• Ability to facilitate positive, inclusive and respectful group interactions and constructively navigate conflict or sensitive situations. 

Digital Skills & Content Creation 

• Strong digital content creation skills (photo, video, design) for social media and other digital communications platforms using platforms such as Canva, CapCut, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.  
• Knowledge of accessibility standards for digital communications and inclusive content practices. 
• Experience with student information systems, learning management systems, and enterprise communications tools is an asset.  

Organization & Initiative 

• Exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills. 
• Ability to take initiative, prioritise tasks, and meet deadlines under high-volume or shifting priorities. 
• Demonstrated capacity to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment. 

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 

• Demonstrated commitment to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and experience working with diverse student populations. 
• A commitment to promoting a respectful work and learning environment for students, faculty and employees.  

Other Requirements 

• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends to support events and student programming. 
• Fluency in an additional language is considered an asset. 

Compensation:  OPSEU Unit I, Appendix A, Grade A4; $57,486.45 to $75,566.13 per annum

Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, for a total of 35 hours per week.

Mode of Work: This position requires working on campus to deliver programming. Some hybrid flexibility is available, based on programming requirements and in collaboration with the supervisor.

Interested internal permanent OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 or temporary OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees with one year of continuous service applicants are invited to submit an updated *resume and cover letter (PDF) by selecting “Apply Now” below, no later than Friday, September 12, 2025.

*Please upload your resume and cover letter as one PDF. Please name your upload: FirstName_LastName-Job Code

As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-deserving communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.

We encourage members of designated equity-deserving groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.

In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous administrators, priority in hiring will be given to qualified racialized and Indigenous persons who self-identify as such in the application process. This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

OCAD University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact People & Culture for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities.

All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.