Commitment to Team Diversity

CSCNS is committed to building a staff team that reflects and demonstrates valuing the diversity of the province. We strive to ensure a culture that supports a variety of perspectives and life experiences. We are committed to being an intentionally inclusive and equitable employer and creating an exemplary welcoming environment.

We are intentional in our recruitment approach and encourage applications from African Nova Scotians, those from Indigenous communities, other racially visible persons, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and persons with disabilities and will prioritize diversity in our selection process. If you are a member of one of these equity-deserving groups, please self-identify in your cover letter and/or resume.

Introduction

The Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia (CSCNS) supports community impact organizations across the province by offering capacity building and networking opportunities, resources and supports. Increasingly, we are engaging with the sector to understand its impact, priorities, challenges, and opportunities, to raise awareness its importance and advocate on its behalf. Research, analysis and strategic communications are critical areas of work to shape and amplify the voice of the organizations while informing policy decisions and resource allocations. Over the past year, internal capacity for research and communications has grown and we are now seeking a leader to oversee and advance this area of work.

About CSCNS

CSCNS was founded in 2012 following province-wide stakeholder consultations that revealed a need for a coordinated voice in the sector, sharing services, and developing core capacities. Three main priority areas emerged:

1. Human resources planning for attraction, retention, and training;
2. Setting priorities for the sector; and
3. Ensuring province-wide communication and engagement within the broader nonprofit sector in Nova Scotia and moving away from the Halifax-centric mindset.

Over time, these priorities have remained generally consistent. In early 2020, CSCNS released its 3-year strategic plan focused on sector education and innovation, collaboration, advocacy and celebration. More recently, we have focused increasingly on our commitments to Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization and Inclusion (JEDDI) in the pursuit of a vision of prioritizing to equity, wellbeing, and belonging for all. As an organization and settlers located in Mi’kmaki, we recognize that we are active beneficiaries of colonialism and that it is our collective responsibility to carry out long overdue, vital anti-oppression and reconciliation work. We are deeply committed to JEDDI and recognize that without it our vision and the positive community impact cannot be achieved.

Role Description

The Director, Strategic Communications and Research, reports to the Executive Director and works closely with the Director, Learning and Sector Development, as part of the CSCNS leadership team. This newly created position will oversee a small staff team focused on:

• Developing sector intelligence through a variety of research methods;
• Raising awareness of research and sector engagement findings to inform evidence-based decision-making;
• Shaping policy briefs and advocacy efforts;
• Communicating the work of CSCNS and external sector supports;
• Celebrating sector impact through storytelling, events and other communications; and
• Evaluating and reporting on the impact of CSCNS.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design a multi-year CSCNS strategic communications plan that integrates research, policy analysis, evaluation, and sector celebration;
• Stay abreast of federal and provincial policies affecting Nova Scotia nonprofit societies and charities;
• Support the Communications Manager in the execution of a communications plan, ensuring that the CSCNS web site and social media channels are regularly updated with sector funding opportunities, policies, programming, and other relevant content;
• Support the Research Analyst in the execution of a research plan focused on sector impact, priorities and challenges, and tracking changes over time;
• Ensure the CSCNS Board of Directors is regularly briefed on priority issues and is equipped with key messages relevant to the organization’s work;
• Support the development of regular policy briefs highlighting sector priorities and opportunities for systems change;
• Ensure research and communications efforts are designed with a JEDDI lens and are representative of diverse sector experiences;
• Work with an evaluator to implement the CSCNS evaluation framework and develop an annual impact report;
• Work with partners and team members to design and deliver an annual sector Day of Recognition event;
• Ensure the online sector map and data dashboard (currently in development) are regularly updated with new data;
• Support the development and implementation of new communications efforts aimed at raising awareness of the sector (e.g., podcast, storytelling, etc.);
• Support the Executive Director with policy and communications efforts related to the Nova Scotia Nonprofit Coalition;
• Develop and maintain a provincial network of sector relationships in the area of communications and research to work collaboratively in awareness-raising efforts;
• Identify and pursue potential funding and partnership opportunities to grow the team’s impact; and
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Director, Learning and Sector Development to act as a strategic lead for communications and research at CSCNS, providing strategic direction and oversight in support for the broader mandate of innovation and learning development.

Administrative/Operational Responsibilities:

• Lead human resources tasks associated with hiring and supervising the strategic communications and research team, including developing role descriptions, regular check-ins, feedback and coaching processes, leave requests, etc.;
• Ensure CSCNS policies and procedures and JEDDI commitments are followed by members of the strategic communications and research team;
• Contribute to the annual budgeting process and manage the budget for communications and research initiatives;
• Contribute to CSCNS strategic planning processes;
• Develop contracts and manage relationships with vendors and potential vendors;
• Utilize strong project management skills in the delivery of projects;
• Provide evaluation support by helping to develop metrics, evaluate activities and report on the progress and outcomes of projects and initiatives; and
• Apply continuous improvement efforts and evidence-based decision making as a critical component of project implementation.

Strategic Planning and Leadership Responsibilities:

• The Director, Strategic Communications and Research may be asked to be involved in special projects by the Executive Director when time permits, based on the current demands of the role;
• Work with the CSCNS Leadership Team to ensure JEDDI is centered across all aspects of the organization;
• Collaborate with the CSCNS leadership team to ensure strategic communications and research initiatives are integrated with other activities in the organization;
• Attend CSCNS board meetings, as requested;
• Attend CSCNS team meetings and retreats, and contributing to their design and facilitation as needed; and
• Provide input to organization-wide processes related to learning, culture, framework development, etc.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• The successful candidate will possess a university degree in a relevant field of study such as nonprofit leadership, public relations, marketing, etc. with emphasis on research skills.
• The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 6 years of experience in working with nonprofit organizations, through either work or volunteer experience.

CSCNS recognizes that learning happens in many ways and values perspectives from lived experience so equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

Role Specific Knowledge and Experience

• Leadership experience including managing a diverse staff team
• Experience designing, implementing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data using robust methods, to describe and publish findings
• Experience developing and managing budgets and working in Excel
• Experience managing contracts and vendor relationships
• Senior level communications experience in a nonprofit context
• Knowledge of priorities and policies affecting the Nova Scotia community impact sector in both urban and rural contexts
• A strong understanding of JEDDI issues and commitment to ongoing learning and JEDDI principles
• A passion for working with the nonprofit sector and an interest in advancing and promoting the growth of the sector
• Skilled communicator and effective public speaking, facilitation, and presentation skills
• High level of proficiency in MS365 environment (specifically Onedrive, Sharepoint, Word, Excel and Teams)
• Technology-curious with ability to quickly learn new software
• Ability to work in a virtual environment including reliable internet access
• Highly organized and self-motivated, enthusiastic with willingness to learn in an entrepreneurial and collaborative environment
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects, competing deadlines, and manage time effectively
• Demonstrated ability for creative thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset
• Team oriented and effective collaborator

Relationships/Contacts

Reports to: Executive Director
Supervises: Strategic Communications and Research Team (Communications Manager, Research Analyst, Evaluator, and other positions as the team evolves)

Internal/External Contacts:

• Staff from various levels of government including Municipal, Provincial, and Federal
• Stakeholders from member organizations and other nonprofit and voluntary sector leaders
• Stakeholders from other sectors including the private sector and academia
• Colleagues from national organizations supporting nonprofits
• Political members from all levels of government
• CSCNS Board of Directors

CSCNS Team Values and Behavioural Agreements

The CSCNS team is committed to creating a psychologically safe space for diverse perspectives. Team values, beliefs and group agreements are outlined below. All staff are expected to act in accordance with these agreements.

Abundance: We embrace a mindset of abundance because we understand that we have more to gain by working together and we recognize that everyone brings gifts to the team.

Beliefs:

• Working collaboratively makes us a stronger team.
• Diversity and lived experiences are our power.
• Our sum is greater than our individual parts.
• Everyone in the organization is both a leader and a learner.
• Competitive, protective mindsets work against our ability to embody our values.
• We need to incorporate joy into our work and celebrate the wins.

Group Agreements:

• We prioritize communication and knowledge sharing to avoid working in silos.
• We consult with team members on decisions that affect them.
• We value and seek out input and perspectives from across the team to avoid top-down ways of working.
• We create space for people to engage and contribute as their whole self.
• We prioritize learning from each other in a non-judgmental way to build our skills as a group and individuals.
• We come to communication agreements by listening and asking questions with curiosity and respect.
• We celebrate each other’s successes.

Courage: We are willing to boldly venture into new territory, showing up with humility and vulnerability and persevering when things get hard.

Beliefs:

• Visionary leadership includes a recognition that nobody has all the answers – we will make mistakes.
• Meaningful change requires trying new things, taking risks, and failing forward.
• We need to cultivate spaces of reflection so that we can learn from our experience and adapt as we go.
• We need to commit to unlearning engrained ways of being and knowing that are based on and perpetuate systemic inequities.
• We need to dismantle systemic inequities rooted in colonialism, oppression, and capitalism.

Group Agreements:

• We are willing to move forward with “good enough for now” rather than seeking perfection.
• We are committed to reflective processes so that we can be strategic in our work.
• We recognize that change is constant and are willing to adapt based on learning or being presented with new information.
• We admit to our mistakes and work to correct them or move forward.
• We learn together about trauma and oppression so that we can be an active part of systems change.
• We actively seek out different perspectives and knowledge to challenge our assumptions and beliefs.
• We recognize the impact and complexity of language and we are intentional about the language we use to empower or to avoid harm.

Trust: We create the conditions for showing up in ways that feel safe to be our authentic selves.

Beliefs:

• Relationships are at the heart of our work and the change we are striving to affect.
• We need to foster psychological safety to be able to navigate conflict.
• Deepening trust and psychological safety requires commitment to justice, equity, diversity, decolonization, and inclusion.
• Visionary, bold leadership requires an ability to work with tension.

Group Agreements

• We will take time to get to know each other to deepen our relationships and to listen.
• We use generous assumptions about intentions when calling attention to and leaning into tensions or having difficult conversations.
• We recognize that perceived defensiveness/ frustration/ apathy can be fostered when others are not feeling heard, and we strive to give space for everyone’s voice to be included without judgment or bias.
• In the spirit of a trauma-informed approach, we recognize that not all harm and conflict are equal.
• When disagreements happen, we are committed to finding a way forward that we can live with that aligns with our beliefs and group agreements.
• We offer and receive regular feedback with openness to adapting.
• We address challenges directly with each other in a way that honours each other’s personal needs and emotional bandwidth.
• We commit to reflective practices when things feel tough so that we can continue to evolve and build trust.

Working Conditions

The Director, Strategic Communications and Research is expected to maintain standard office hours with occasional evenings and weekends, as required, to accommodate meetings and/or training. The position may require travel around Nova Scotia.

CSCNS is a provincial organization and maintains a physical office space in Halifax. We are equipped to virtually work with and support team members who reside in other areas of the province.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $65,000 - $75,000, commensurate with education and experience. The compensation package includes vacation and a comprehensive health and dental plan.

COVID-19 Vaccinations

Any offer of employment will be conditional on the provision of valid proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 (Information on proof of vaccination can be found here), with the exception of cases where an individual has a valid and documented exemption in accordance with Nova Scotia Human Rights (https://humanrights.novascotia.ca/vaccines-workplace-and-other-public-sp...).

How to Apply

Please merge your cover letter and resume into one PDF and send to info at csc-ns.ca with the subject line Director of Strategic Communications and Research.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm on Sunday, February 13th, 2022!

Feel free to be creative in your application and be yourself!

source