Ashkenaz Foundation

Director of Marketing & Communications

Position type: Full-time or Part-time. Flexible/negotiable depending on the skills and experience of the applicant, and any prior commitments they may have.

The Ashkenaz Foundation, a vibrant non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the presentation of world class Jewish music and art, is currently seeking a candidate to fill the position of Director of Marketing & Communications (DMC). Through its internationally-renowned, “Ashkenaz Festival” (featuring 250 artists in 90 performances for an audience of 60,000+ people) and an expanding slate of year-round programming, Ashkenaz showcases the work of leading contemporary artists from Canada and around the world working in all artistic disciplines. Ashkenaz’s mandate and programming encompasses a vast range of pan-Jewish music and art, including Sephardic, Ladino and Mizrachi traditions, and also strongly emphasizes fusion and cross-cultural exchange with artists from outside Jewish cultural traditions. The DMC will work closely with the Artistic and Managing Directors on communications related to all programming, including our expanded summerlong series of concerts and event, including the Ashkenaz Festival on Labour Day Weekend.

Responsibilities:

The DMC will play a central role in the overall communications, promotion, and marketing efforts of the Ashkenaz Foundation relating to its programming, brand, and public-facing image. Duties will include: planning and executing a social media campaign (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc) to increase audience engagement and viewership of new and archival programming content; helping to shape the voice and brand of Ashkenaz over digital and analog channels; helping to develop processes and protocols around digital engagement at the organization, including responding to incoming social and other media enquiries and applying customer service and public relations best practices; implementing systems for campaign measurement and capturing/monitoring results for evaluation and reporting, with demonstrated understanding of digital metrics and analysis; optimizing content for search engines;  implementing creative promotional campaigns; creating, proofreading and editing various print and web materials; layout and content creation for regular e-newsletters (use of Constant Contact); administrative management of programming info for website, mobile content, press releases; coordination with the festival’s external PR firm; PR outreach to organizations, communities and niche media where relevant to specific festival programs/artists; assistance with “street-team” postering and promotional campaigns; coordination with various community partners and peer organizations for cross-promotion of festival; if possible, creation and editing of online video promotions; general participation as a member of the Ashkenaz team.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience with social media as a marketing tool
• Outstanding communication skills (both oral & written)
• Excellent organizational/time management and problem-solving skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Detail-orientated
• Fluency with Microsoft Office, e-mail, Internet, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
• Experience working on websites (backend, Wordpress platform)
• Must work well both independently and as part of a team
• Must be positive, mature-minded, flexible and comfortable working in a fast-paced, time-sensitive, non-corporate environment
• Knowledge of and interest in music, the arts and/or Jewish culture is an asset
• Some experience with graphic design and/or video editing would be an asset

Please submit cover letter and cv by December 15, 2023 to:

Samantha Parnes, Managing Director

(e) sam@ashkenaz.ca

(w) www.ashkenaz.ca