Location: Markham, Ontario

Job Description:

Job Summary

The Communications Specialist will be the point of contact for all communications sent to our Field (stores, DMs, RMs), Corporate and Distribution Center Teams. The Communications Specialist in partnership with the Communications Manager will play an integral role in shaping Pet Valu Communications Standards, Processes and Procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, assisting with the development of communication standards and strategies, developing, and maintaining a proper communications schedule around day-to-day communications, assessing and executing translation requests, store openings/store closings, holiday communications, emergency communications and event communications (Conference, Regional Meetings, etc.). This role will handle all aspects of communication & translation intake/coordination, from initial contact with internal partners to delivery of the final communication (including translated version).

** Candidate must be fully fluent and bilingual with strong written and verbal business communication skills in both French and English**

Essential Details and Responsibilities

• Partners with departments to refine communications: addressing the need for the communication, reviewing missing details, facilitate translation (key customer facing and corporate documents) and ensuring audience understanding.
• Assess and provide recommendations pertaining to method and style of communication to improve retention and response.
• Assess translation requests for completeness, complexity, and accuracy. Provide suggestions for improvements where necessary.
• Plan, schedule and monitor assigned communication and translation projects working with internal teams and external vendors.
• Support Manager with the development of communication strategy and standards.
• Develops a communications calendar/schedule.
• Writes, proofreads, and edits communications using proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling for all submitted materials in English and French.
• Reviews communications for relevancy to receiving audience.
• Ensures the overall flow and process flow of communication are appropriate.
• Reviews communications for appropriate visual aesthetics and accuracy.
• Develops communications templates for company use.
• Assists departments in determining the urgency of the communication (e.g. sales impacting, direct effect to customers, direct effect to stores).
• Ensure compliance with corporate and brand standards.

Experience, Education, Certifications

• Associate degree or certification in English, French or Business preferred.
• 2+ years’ experience in a retail environment.
• 4+ years’ experience in a corporate environment preferred.
• 4+ years’ experience in writing multiple communications for varied audiences a plus.
• Fully fluent and bilingual with strong written and verbal business communication skills in both French and English.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office: Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Excellent knowledge of Adobe Applications: Reader and Photoshop a plus.

Competencies

• Written Communications – is able to write clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles; can get messages across that have the desired effect.
• Understanding Others – understands why groups do what they do; picks up the sense of the group in terms of positions, intentions, and needs; what they value and how to motivate them; can predict what groups will do across different situations.
• Time Management – uses his/her time effectively and efficiently; values time; concentrates his/her efforts on the more important priorities; gets more done in less time than others; can attend to a broader range of activities.
• Decision Quality - Makes good decisions (without considering how much time it takes) based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment; most of his/her solutions and suggestions turn out to be correct and accurate when judged over time; sought out by others for advice and solutions.
• Listening – practices attentive and active listening; has the patience to hear people out; can accurately restate the opinions of others even when he/she disagrees.
• Customer Focus – is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.

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