La Siembra Co-operative’s Director, Marketing and Communications Immediately

Role Summary

Reporting to the Director of Marketing and Communications, the Communications Manager is responsible for creating deep, credible and authentic connections with consumers to increase awareness and appreciation for the Camino brand.

Brand Management and Stewardship

• Participate in the development and maintenance of Camino’s brand vision, brand position, brand architecture, and voice
• Ensure adherence to brand guidelines, story, attributes, imagery and messaging across all communication channels
• ​Work closely with the Marketing Manager to ensure brand and message consistency and integration 

​Consumer Engagement

• Plan consumer show strategy, develop special show promotions and engagement activities, oversee execution and evaluate ROI
• Develop and execute the social media strategy; stimulate interactions and reach through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the blogging community
• Develop and manage relationships with brand ambassadors, bloggers, and traditional media to encourage coverage of the Camino story and new products
• In collaboration with the Marketing Manager, coordinate product demonstrations to optimize Camino’s brand visibility and awareness
• Provide thought leadership and digital best practices in SEO, SEM, PPC, and new emerging digital platforms

Sponsorships

• Develop Camino’s sponsorship program strategy and guidelines, oversee execution and communication
• Ensure sponsorships are leveraged to provide the highest possible level of Camino brand profile;
• Develop a mechanism for sponsorship evaluation
• Identify potential sales, fundraising and promotional opportunities resulting from sponsorship

Content Development

• Participate in the development of the digital roadmap and Web strategy with a focus on consumer usability, engagement and path to purchase
• Create compelling content for all materials targeted to consumers, including news media, social media, newsletters, website, marketing tools etc.
• Develop and manage relationships with partners, educators as well as within the social justice network; support them in telling the Camino story.
• Support other stakeholder communications ie: investor newsletters and annual report.  In collaboration with the Marketing Manager, develop the Camino recipe sharing program

Consumer Insights

• Champion consumer insights with the goal of having a constant understanding of the evolving needs, wants and motivations of our consumers
• Perform market research through consumer surveys and/or focus groups; capture consumer feedback from shows, social media, etc; analyze findings and make recommendations to guide future marketing activities

Sales Support

• In collaboration with the Marketing and Communications Director and Sales Manager, support Camino's e-commerce strategy by developing seasonal offers and promotions
• Promote special product offers through Camino's consumer communication channels, including social media, newsletter, website, liaison with bloggers, etc

Qualifications

• University diploma in Communications, Marketing, Business Administration or similar -
• 3-5 years of experience in communications with a strong focus on digital media
• Experience with developing and/or maintaining websites; SEM and SEO
• Experience developing social media strategies with a strong track record of consumer engagement
• A good story teller with proven success in leveraging traditional media (print, web, press release, public relations, etc.) as well as social media to yield results
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral in English and in French and comfortable in both Anglo and Franco Canadian cultures
• A team player who can operate autonomously and take initiative; ability to work in a high-paced and co-operative environment
• Ability to identify himself or herself to La Siembra’s vision, mission and values

Assets

• Interest in social justice issues
• Knowledge and experience in the food industry
• Knowledge of fair trade model
• Knowledge of the organic food industry
• Spanish language skills

About La Siembra

La Siembra was established in 1999 as a worker-owned co-operative in the Ottawa-Gatineau region of Canada. Under the Camino brand, La Siembra became the first registered importers of Fair Trade certified cocoa and sugar in North America. As Canada's leading top of mind Fair Trade and Organic chocolate manufacturer, Camino has national distribution in over 3,000 retail accounts including mass markets such as Loblaw, Save-on Foods, Metro and is a dominant brand within the Natural channel.

Today, La Siembra is profitable with over $7 million in annual revenue and supports 39,000 small-scale family farmers and producerco-operatives globally. With a solid growth trajectory, Camino is well-positioned to capture a significant share of the Canadian confectionary market and be a national and international leader in the world of Fair Trade and Organic cocoa, sugar and coffee.

La Siembra envisions a world where people collaboratively build vibrant local and global communities, fostering diverse and sustainable economies through equitable trade and environmental stewardship.

The workers of La Siembra Co-operative are committed to a model of equitable trade rooted in co-operation and the social solidarity economy. We offer consumers high-quality ethical products through partnerships with producer co-operatives that foster sustainable livelihoods and community development. We believe in meaningful, dignified employment and are guided by the co-operative principles, by the Fair Trade principles, and by a respect for the environment. La Siembra is a worker Co-op. This means that employees are also owners of La Siembra. Members (also called “worker-owners”) participate democratically in the governance of the company under the principal of “one member, one vote”. Membership is open and voluntary and requires that workers invest in the co-op financially and participate in its governance.

With a staff of 12 people located in Ottawa, Ontario our key functional areas include: Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance and Executive Leadership.

Our office is located in Ottawa, Ontario.

Please apply by email with cover letter, resume and salary expectations by October 18, 2013: jennifera@lasiembra.com

We thank all interested applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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