Marketing & Public Information Officer
Competition #: PIO0726
Location: 3420 22 Street, Springbrook, Alberta
Schedule: 32 hours per week over four days
Compensation: $23.00–$26.00 per hour, based on experience and demonstrated ability
Position type: Permanent
About the Canadian Fire Rescue College
The Canadian Fire Rescue College is a private emergency-services training institution located near Red Deer, Alberta. We deliver professional firefighter, rescue, emergency-management and specialized certification programs to students and active-duty emergency responders from across Canada.
We are seeking a motivated and capable Marketing & Public Information Officer to lead the College’s day-to-day marketing, student-recruitment and public-information activities.
This is not a passive social-media position. The successful candidate must be willing to actively build relationships with fire departments, training officers, emergency-services organizations, alumni and industry partners while also managing digital advertising, content creation, website updates and public communications.
Position overview
The Marketing & Public Information Officer will work directly with College leadership to develop and carry out practical marketing strategies that increase program awareness, generate qualified inquiries and help fill upcoming classes.
The successful candidate will be expected to combine:
- Digital marketing and paid advertising
- Social-media and content management
- Fire-department outreach and relationship development
- Marketing-budget planning
- Website management
- Public relations and media coordination
- Recruitment reporting and analytics
The Officer will have access to CFRC instructors, management, alumni, current students, facilities, training exercises and emergency apparatus as marketing assets, but must be capable of organizing and driving campaigns independently.
Primary responsibilities
Marketing strategy and budgeting
- Prepare annual, quarterly and program-specific marketing plans.
- Develop proposed budgets for paid digital advertising, print materials, promotional products, events, travel and other marketing activities.
- Allocate approved spending among Meta, Google, email, print, sponsorships, department outreach and other appropriate channels.
- Track actual spending against approved budgets.
- Monitor cost per inquiry, cost per application, cost per registration and overall campaign performance.
- Recommend when marketing funds should be increased, reduced or redirected.
- Provide regular reports to management showing results, challenges and recommended next steps.
Student recruitment and department outreach
- Build and maintain relationships with fire chiefs, deputy chiefs, training officers and other department decision-makers.
- Develop and maintain a database of departmental contacts, training needs, follow-up dates and potential opportunities.
- Contact fire departments by telephone, email, virtual meeting and in-person visit.
- Promote CFRC courses to both individual firefighters and employer-sponsored students.
- Identify departments with upcoming apparatus purchases, operator-training needs, succession requirements or specialized training gaps.
- Attend relevant association meetings, conferences, department events and industry functions when appropriate.
- Coordinate senior-level introductions or meetings involving CFRC management and instructors.
- Use alumni and existing CFRC relationships to obtain introductions and expand the College’s departmental network.
- Develop follow-up strategies that turn one-time inquiries into ongoing training relationships.
Digital marketing and advertising
- Plan, create and manage paid campaigns through Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads and other appropriate platforms.
- Define target audiences, campaign objectives, spending limits and conversion goals.
- Create or coordinate advertising copy, graphics, photography and video.
- Monitor campaign performance and adjust audiences, creative materials and spending as required.
- Develop retargeting, email-marketing and lead-nurturing campaigns.
- Track the source and quality of inquiries, applications and registrations.
- Work with administrative staff to improve lead follow-up and registration conversion.
Social media and content creation
- Develop and maintain a consistent social-media content calendar.
- Create and publish professional content across CFRC’s social-media platforms.
- Photograph and film training exercises, student activities, events, apparatus and campus operations.
- Produce short-form videos, graphics, advertisements and promotional materials.
- Highlight student achievements, instructor expertise, upcoming courses and College initiatives.
- Monitor comments, messages and public engagement and respond or escalate matters appropriately.
- Maintain an organized digital library of photographs, video, graphics and completed marketing materials.
Website and communications
- Maintain and update the CFRC website, including course information, dates, photographs, announcements and landing pages.
- Review website performance and identify barriers that may prevent visitors from becoming applicants.
- Draft professional website copy, email campaigns, brochures and promotional materials.
- Prepare and distribute press releases, media advisories and public announcements.
- Coordinate media inquiries, interviews, filming requests and public-information activities.
- Assist CFRC representatives in preparing for interviews and public appearances.
- Monitor the College’s public reputation and identify opportunities for positive media coverage.
- Refer sensitive, controversial or emergency communications to the Director for approval.
Required qualifications
- College diploma or university degree in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, digital media, business marketing or a related field.
An equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience may be considered.
- Minimum of two years of professional experience in marketing, digital communications, social-media management, public relations or a related role.
- Demonstrated experience managing paid digital advertising campaigns.
- Experience preparing campaign plans, proposed budgets and performance reports.
- Experience managing organizational social-media accounts.
- Strong professional writing, editing and verbal-communication skills.
- Experience creating graphics, photographs and short-form video content.
- Experience updating websites through WordPress or another content-management system.
- Ability to interpret advertising, social-media and website analytics.
- Confidence contacting organizations and decision-makers by telephone, email and in person.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines and follow-up commitments.
- Ability to receive direction, accept feedback and work independently.
- Valid driver’s licence and reliable transportation.
Preferred qualifications
- Three or more years of directly relevant marketing or communications experience.
- Experience preparing or administering an annual or quarterly marketing budget.
- Strong working knowledge of Meta Business Suite, Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads and Google Analytics.
- Experience with Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud or comparable design software.
- Experience writing press releases or coordinating media inquiries.
- Experience with email-marketing platforms or customer-relationship-management systems.
- Google Ads, Google Analytics, Meta or other relevant professional certifications.
- Experience marketing post-secondary education, professional training, public safety or emergency-services programs.
- Existing familiarity with the Canadian fire service or municipal emergency-services environment.
Fire-service experience is considered an asset but is not required.
What CFRC offers
- $23.00–$26.00 per hour, based on education, experience, portfolio and demonstrated capability.
- A consistent four-day workweek.
- Thirty-two paid hours per week.
- Alberta Blue Cross health and life insurance benefits with employer contribution.
- Free staff meals while campus meal service is operating.
- Private on-campus accommodation may be available for a successful candidate who requires it.
- A distinctive and visually engaging working environment.
- Direct access to training exercises, emergency apparatus, instructors, students and industry professionals.
- Opportunities to build a strong portfolio across digital marketing, public relations, photography, video and campaign management.
- Opportunity for future wage growth and expanded responsibility based on performance.
Schedule and work location
The normal schedule will consist of four eight-hour workdays each week. Regular workdays will be established with the successful candidate.
This is primarily an on-campus position in Springbrook, Alberta. Occasional evening, weekend or off-site work may be required for major training exercises, ceremonies, media events, department visits or industry functions. Schedule adjustments will be provided whenever reasonably possible.
Application requirements
Applicants must submit:
- A current résumé.
- A brief cover letter explaining their interest in the position.
- A portfolio or examples of relevant work, which may include:
- Social-media content
- Paid advertising campaigns
- Graphics
- Photography or video
- Press releases or professional writing
- Websites or landing pages
- Marketing plans or campaign reports
Applicants should clearly identify their personal contribution to any work completed as part of a team.
Candidate assessment
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a timed, in-person practical assessment.
The assessment may require candidates to:
- Review sample Meta advertising and website analytics.
- Identify potential weaknesses in an existing recruitment campaign.
- Develop a plan and proposed budget to fill a specialized firefighter-training program.
- Recommend digital advertising, email, department outreach and relationship-development activities.
- Explain how CFRC staff, instructors, alumni and management could be used effectively.
- Prepare sample outreach or promotional content.
- Present and defend their recommendations to the interview panel.
Applicants must be able to explain and support all work submitted during the hiring process.
How to apply
Please submit your résumé, cover letter and relevant portfolio materials to:
Erik Ives, Director
Canadian Fire Rescue College
[email protected]
Please use the subject line:
Application – PIO0726
Applications will remain open until a suitable candidate is selected.
Pay: $23.00-$26.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company car
- Company events
- Dental care
- Discounted or free food
- Extended health care
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Vision care
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Springbrook, AB T4S 2E6: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Language:
Work Location: In person
