Manager, Communications & Community Relations

Full-time; Permanent

Date Posted: March 15, 2024

Who we are… 

The Pacific National Exhibition is an iconic institution in BC, famous for bringing generations of people together to celebrate and build memories. This 114-year-old, non-profit organization has an annual operating budget of over $70 million dollars and generates revenue through four activity streams:  the 15 day annual summer Fair and winter Fair which average more than 700,000 people annually, Playland amusement park which welcomes 400,000 guests annually including Fright Nights, and a busy year-round portfolio of events including concerts, trade shows and film, cultural and community events.  In total we bring over 2 million people through the site each year. The fourth activity stream is park care and facility maintenance.  The PNE is proud of the work it does at Hastings Park and has a vibrant team that is passionate about events, guest experience and delivering memorable experiences. 

At the PNE, we strive to create an environment that reflects our organization’s core values: Enthusiasm, Excellence and Evolution. With a focus on these core values, we are committed to achieving our mission which is to “Deliver Memorable Experiences” for all who interact with the PNE whether it is our guests, our employees, or the community. 

The PNE’s Sales, Marketing & Business Development Department oversees the company’s marketing, corporate partnerships, group sales, facility sales, business development and TicketLeader. Our team are hardworking and motivated individuals that have a passion for the Events Industry and the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). \

The Communications & Community Relations Manager reports to Vice President Sales, Marketing and Business Development with a dotted line to the Director, Marketing. They will play a key role across the entire organization by facilitating the communications strategy as it pertains to content, platforms, and audience groups both internally and externally.

This position will work with key internal stakeholders to centralize and focus messaging across the following audience groups: guests, clients, suppliers, partners and employees.

Why join our team?

• Inspires an exhilarating and fun-loving workplace
• Supports a flexible work environment
• Innovates in both concept and process
• Thrives and promotes a fast-paced sales & marketing culture
• Collaborates with all departments in a positive and proactive way
• Proud to be a part of the growth of one of Vancouver’s most iconic institutions
• Proud to be ranked in the top 10 as one of BC’s most loved brands – BC Business 2020

Organization Mission, Vision, and Mandate

At the PNE, we strive to create an environment that reflects our organization’s core values: Enthusiasm, Excellence and Evolution.  With a focus on these core values, we are committed to bringing joy to our guests, our employees, and our community through our mission to “Deliver Memorable Experiences”. Our vision is to be “BC’s choice for diverse events and experiences 365.

The PNE operates Hastings Park on behalf of the City of Vancouver and is governed by a City Council appointed Board of Directors whose purpose is to ensure the continued success of the PNE, while working in harmony with the local and city-wide community, business, management, and staff.

What will you do this year?

In your role as Communications & Community Relations Manager your primary accountabilities will be as follows:

This position will spend, on average, 40% of their time on leading community relations (liaising with neighbors, leading advisory meetings to ensure cohesive and supportive communication, implementing community programs and ensuring our good neighbor initiatives are implemented); 40% of their time on internal communications (liaising with internal department leads, capturing organizational updates, writing and editing, and disseminating content on the appropriate platforms to targeted audiences); and, 20% of their time on supporting external communications (preparing key speaking points and frequently asked questions for suppliers, clients, partners, vendors, and guests, managing external stakeholder survey, analyzing and reporting results).

The duties include, but are not limited to:

Community Relations:

• Support VPs with the community advisory group and lead the youth council and neighborhood focus group including facilitating nomination process, agendas, meeting content and reporting results.
• Maintain relationships with the Hastings-Sunrise area community groups, BIA and neighbors and represent the PNE at community events.
• Manage community programs such as donations, neighborhood grants, events, and neighborhood ticket recognition.
• Manage all community communications including newsletters, website content, social content and provide exceptional neighborhood-guest experience.
• Manage, facilitate, and report on all good neighborhood initiative needs such as sound mitigations, neighborhood cleanliness, public safety, and traffic congestion.
• Support organizations’ community engagement and consultation requirements.
• Support Office of the President in ensuring the public board meeting community content is developed, prepared, and communicated.

Internal Communications:

• Provides a fresh outlook on broader communication strategy for the organization.
• Develops strategy to improve communications for hard-to-reach staff groups in a decentralized environment including those without PNE email/ MS teams
• Makes recommendations on best practices regarding content, timelines, tools and audiences.
• Establishes interdepartmental relationships to help support ongoing communications partnerships.
• Reviews and evaluates the organization’s internal communications performance on a regular basis, establishes proper measures of performance, and as needed provides feedback for modification.
• Leverages current internal communications tools (Microsoft Teams, Ungerboeck etc.) for maximum efficiency and retention of content.
• Ensures a cohesive voice and messaging across internal departments.

External Communications:

• In conjunction with marketing develop stories and content from across the organization and the community for social, website, presentations, and corporate storytelling.
• Takes complex information about the five activity streams and creates content that is easy and fun to engage with.
• Supports the PNE Media Relations and Government Relations leads to ensure that all key public messages are translated across key communication channels (internal and to external business community relationships) to ensure consistency.
• Provides internal departments with external communication tools like key speaking points, frequently asked questions and organizational updates for their suppliers, clients, vendors, partners and guests.
• Plan, write and manage the design, content, and production of the PNE Annual Report.
• Modeling the PNE’s core values of Excellence, Enthusiasm and Evolution and leading the team using CART (Communication, Accountability, Respect and Trust)

What else?

• Must have a degree in corporate communications, marketing, public relations, or journalism.
• Must have 5-8 years of communications experience with a focus on internal communications, corporate communications, and community relations.
• Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and output.
• A passion for live entertainment and nonprofit industries.
• Knowledge of unionized working environments and/or large decentralized teams is an asset.
• Excellent writing skills and oral communication with the ability to easily establish new relationships internally and externally.
• Ability to influence and affect change.
• Experience partnering across large, highly collaborative teams, able to effectively communicate and work with individuals at all levels within and outside the PNE organization.
• Strong judgment and resilience in the face of challenge.
• Intellectual rigor to tackle complex comms and reputational issues and support the development of robust solutions.
• Project management skills.
• Strong acumen around social media platforms.
• Successful candidates must undergo a Criminal Record Check.

Who are you?

• Strategic and creative
• Results-oriented collaborator
• Able to meet tight deadlines and work effectively in a high-pressure environment
• Tactful change maker
• Committed to striving for excellence
• Creative and collaborative team player
• Eager to make a difference
• Appreciates an environment that runs actively on weekdays, evening and weekends all year

Where and when to APPLY? 

Applications can be submitted via the PNE website at www.pne.ca/jobs and will be accepted until the role is filled. 

Preference will be given to candidates who submit their resume/cover letter before Sunday, April 28. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Additional Information 

The PNE's compensation offerings are in alignment with a pay-for-performance pay philosophy that recognizes individual, and teamwork performance. The role is a permanent, full-time position with a typical salary range of $75,000 - $90,000 per annum.  The starting salary will be based on the successful candidate’s competencies, including but not limited to knowledge, skills, experience, and internal pay structures.  As a part of the PNE's total compensation package, this position may be eligible for other benefits subject to program eligibility requirements.  

The PNE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating an inclusive workforce that reflects the diverse community we proudly serve. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or age. If you require any support or accommodations throughout any stage of the recruitment process, please contact the People & Culture Department at hr@pne.ca.