MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, CONTRACT

Business Link Alberta (“BLA”) is a government-funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners across Alberta. For more than 30 years, BLA has helped thousands of prospective and existing entrepreneurs through webinars, events, conferences, and personalized one-on-one consultations. In addition to providing guidance on how and where to access support, BLA has also administered grant funding programs on behalf of the government.

BLA collaborates with a wide range of service providers, funding organizations, and small business support agencies throughout the province. Each year, BLA serves more than 5,000 clients from across Alberta, including those in rural communities, and urban centers.

Our Mission

Business Link Alberta helps Alberta’s small businesses start and succeed.

Our Values

• Inclusive
• Impactful
• Non-Judgmental

Our Culture

• Innovative
• Transparent
• Open-Minded
• Collaborative
• Respectful
• Belonging

POSITION SUMMARY

Business Link Alberta is seeking an experienced Marketing & Communications Specialist to provide temporary support to the Marketing & Communications team through March 31, 2027.

Reporting to the Director, Marketing & Communications, this role supports the delivery of integrated marketing, communications, and community engagement initiatives that connect entrepreneurs across Alberta with BLA’s programs and services.

This is a hands-on role suited to someone who can contribute immediately, work independently, and manage assigned projects from brief to completion with minimal supervision. The Specialist will clarify objectives, ask focused questions, coordinate the necessary resources, and deliver accurate, engaging work within established timelines and approval processes.

The role supports a broad range of activities, including content creation, social media, paid advertising, email marketing, website updates, webinars, events, sponsorships, community engagement, out-of-home campaigns, and new initiatives.

Priorities will evolve based on team needs. The successful candidate will bring strong practical experience, sound judgement, and the flexibility to move between projects while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines. They will be comfortable learning BLA’s internal processes quickly and using core marketing tools without extensive training.

Key Relationships:

• Director, Marketing & Communications
• Marketing & Communications team
• Client Service team and other internal teams
• Community partners, sponsors, and service providers
• Entrepreneurs and small business clients

LOCATION & WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Calgary, Alberta (hybrid model)
• Minimum three days per week in-office or in face-to-face settings
• Occasional travel within Alberta (approximately 4–6 times per year)
• Availability to attend occasional meetings and events outside regular business hours.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Marketing, Communications, and Content Creation

• Research, write and edit blogs, website content, client stories, newsletters, and other marketing materials.
• Translate interviews, background information, and subject matter into clear, engaging and accessible content for different audiences and channels.
• Write and edit content in Canadian Press style, maintaining alignment with BLA’s brand and voice.
• Create, schedule, and publish organic content for BLA’s social media channels.
• Monitor social media channels and engage with clients, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare and distribute Business Link Alberta’s bi-weekly e-newsletter using Mailchimp.
• Update and publish website content in WordPress, including editing pages and layouts using Elementor.
• Create graphics and marketing materials using Canva.
• Support promotional campaigns for webinars, events, programs and BLA services.
• Support paid social media campaigns, including Meta advertising.
• Support out-of-home advertising campaigns, including coordination of creative assets, timelines and promotional materials.
• Support the collection and development of client stories, testimonials, photos and video content.
• Proofread materials for accuracy, consistency and brand alignment.
• Help maintain content calendars, campaign schedules and project timelines.
• Monitor social media channels and support engagement with clients, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Assist with marketing performance tracking and reporting.

Community Engagement and Sponsorships

• Support community engagement activities across Alberta, including outreach, event participation and follow-up.
• Assist with identifying and coordinating community engagement opportunities.
• Help maintain records related to outreach, sponsorships, events, and partner activity.
• Support sponsorship initiatives, including prospect research, materials, tracking and follow-up.
• Assist with sponsor recognition and fulfillment of sponsorship commitments.
• Support communications with ecosystem organizations, community partners, and stakeholders.
• Prepare presentations, handouts, signage, and other materials for community engagement activities.

Webinars, Events and Promotions

• Support the promotion and delivery of BLA webinars, workshops and events.
• Assist with speaker coordination, promotional materials and attendee communications.
• Support webinars and event platforms such as Zoom and Eventbrite.
• Prepare event materials, signage, presentations, handouts, and digital assets.
• Help coordinate photographers, videographers, designers, printers, and other suppliers as required.
• Support event set up and tear down, attend events and photograph and post on social channels
• Support post-event follow-up, surveys, reporting, and content.

New Initiatives and Team Support

• Support the rollout and promotion of new programs, campaigns, and organizational initiatives.
• Assist with research, planning and development of marketing and communications materials for new initiatives.
• Help organize files, creative assets, contact lists, and marketing resources.
• Support invoice tracking, purchasing, and basic budget administration.
• Assist with media relations, public relations, and stakeholder communications as required.
• Support research, data collection, and preparation of reports and presentations.
• Take on short-term marketing and communications projects based on team priorities.
• Provide general support to the Marketing & Communications team as needed.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

This is a hands-on role. Candidates must have demonstrated experience using the following platforms and tools and/or be able to work in them with minimal training:

• Meta Ads Manager: Creating, managing and monitoring paid campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.
• Social media: Creating, scheduling and publishing content for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
• Mailchimp: Creating, formatting, scheduling and distributing email campaigns, including BLA’s biweekly e-newsletter.
• Canva: Creating and adapting graphics, social media assets, presentations, event materials and other marketing materials.
• WordPress (using Elementor): Updating and publishing website content, including editing pages and layouts.
• Microsoft Office: Proficiency using Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Microsoft Outlook and Teams: Comfortable using Outlook and Teams for day-to-day communication, meetings, collaboration and file sharing.
• Microsoft SharePoint: Accessing and organizing files.

Experience with Google Analytics, Zoho or similar marketing and CRM tools is considered an asset.

The successful candidate will be comfortable learning BLA’s internal processes quickly and independently managing assigned work from start to finish.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in Marketing, Communications, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Minimum 2–3 years of experience in a marketing, communications, or related role
• Demonstrated experience working independently in a hands-on marketing or communications role.
• Ability to take a project or brief from direction to completion with minimal supervision.
• Strong writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Demonstrated ability to write and edit in Canadian Press style.
• Experience writing blogs, website content, social media posts, newsletters and other marketing materials for different audiences and channels.
• Ability to turn information, interviews or subject matter into clear, engaging and accessible content.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and changing priorities.
• Sound judgement and the ability to identify what needs to be done, flag issues and keep work moving.
• Detail-oriented, dependable and adaptable.
• Collaborative and able to work effectively with internal teams, clients, suppliers and community organizations.
• Knowledge of Alberta’s small business and entrepreneurship ecosystem, including organizations, programs and resources that support entrepreneurs, is considered an asset.
• Excellent writing and storytelling skills with a demonstrated ability to craft compelling content for diverse audiences across multiple channels.
• Detail-oriented, proactive, and adaptable, with a strong sense of initiative.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with professionalism, diplomacy, and flexibility.
• Ability to analyze data and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Basic understanding of marketing analytics and performance metrics.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

CONTRACT TERM

This is a temporary contract position beginning as soon as possible and ending March 31, 2027.

COMPENSATION

Compensation will be based on experience and aligned with comparable roles in other not-for-profit and government funded organizations.

Business Link Alberta is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. We value collaboration, transparency, and innovation in serving Alberta’s small business community.