About UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

At UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, our vision is to lead the most vibrant Jewish community in North America - a community characterized by its diversity, unity, compassion, generosity and commitment to Jewish values. Together with our philanthropic, volunteer and professional leadership, we’re changing lives.

As one of North America’s leading Jewish non-profits, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto works to preserve and strengthen the quality of Jewish life in Greater Toronto, Canada, Israel and around the world. UJA advances this mission through fundraising, programs, and research focused on our strategic pillars: fighting poverty and improving well-being, growing Jewish education and identity, countering antisemitism and hate, and strengthening connections with Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

About the Opportunity:

Communications is responsible for strategic communications planning and execution across UJA’s priorities, issues, initiatives, announcements, events, key messages, stakeholder communications, and public-facing materials.

This is a hands-on role for a strong writer, thoughtful communicator, and relationship-builder who is highly attuned to the Jewish community, public affairs, media, civic life, social conversation, and the broader public conversation. The Director will help UJA identify issues and opportunities early, craft clear messaging, and develop creative ways to bring UJA’s stories and priorities to key audiences.

The role includes developing messages and materials for community members, donors, volunteer leaders, partners, media, and other key audiences who help represent UJA’s work in the community. The Director will work with teams across UJA and with community partners to support coordinated, timely, and aligned communications.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Support strategic communications planning and execution for UJA priorities, campaigns, issues, events, announcements, and major initiatives.

• Develop messaging and communications materials for stakeholder, partner, media, community, digital, social, and owned communications.

• Translate complex community, organizational, policy, advocacy, and impact issues into clear communications for different audiences.

• Anticipate and identify emerging issues, risks, opportunities, media narratives, and social conversations that may affect UJA, Toronto’s Jewish community, or UJA’s role as a community leader.

• Bring forward clear recommendations on emerging issues and opportunities, including what is happening, why it matters, who needs to know, and what UJA should consider doing next.

• Prepare communications materials, including key messages, briefing notes, talking points, statements, Q&As, media lines, stakeholder updates, op-ed outlines, remarks, speech materials, executive correspondence, and other public-facing materials connected to UJA priorities, issues, announcements, and engagement with key audiences.

• Support rapid-response communications by gathering information, coordinating inputs, drafting materials, tracking developments, coordinating delivery to key audiences, and reporting back on reach, response, and follow-up.

• Support media relations, outreach, pitching, and creative story placement connected to UJA’s priorities, initiatives, events, stories, and public positions.

• Track follow-up, outreach, approvals, media opportunities, communications activity, reach, and response.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in strategic communications, public relations, public affairs, media relations, stakeholder communications, government relations, advocacy, journalism, or a related field.

• Strong writing, editing, and messaging skills.

• Strong news judgment and awareness of media, public conversation, social conversation, civic issues, and community dynamics.

• Demonstrated experience with issue identification, issues management, rapid-response communications, and sensitive public-facing communications.

• 3 years of demonstrated experience drafting key messages, statements, Q&As, briefing notes, stakeholder updates, media materials, op-ed outlines, remarks, speeches, executive correspondence, and other public-facing communications.

• 5 years of demonstrated experience writing for senior leaders, public officials, diplomats, executives, and organizational spokespeople is an asset.

• Ability to identify emerging issues, opportunities, and risks, and translate them into actionable communications recommendations.

• Strong relationship-building skills and comfort working in a complex stakeholder environment.

• Highly organized, collaborative, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.

• Knowledge of the Jewish communal landscape, philanthropy, advocacy, Israel-related issues, public affairs, or civic leadership is a strong asset.

*This is a full-time position. Salary Range: $110,000–$120,000 annually, based on experience. At UJA we support a flexible work schedule and all of our employees engage in hybrid work. Engagement and connection are key to supporting the best employee experience and we want to ensure that this puts balance and well-being at the forefront of our approach to ways of working. In addition to a rich time off policy, UJA’s offices are closed on all Jewish holy days (yom tov) and we support early office closures to observe the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat).

Qualified applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and resume.
Only those applicants invited for interview will be contacted. Please be advised that all offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of professional references and background checks including Social Media Account(s) and a Police Records Check/Vulnerable Sector Screening.

Commitment to Inclusion and Accessibility:

UJA Federation supports a diverse candidate and employment experience. We are proud of our dynamic professional team, which reflects the diversity of the Jewish community and general community alike in Greater Toronto. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all communities. We encourage you to follow us to get regular updates on open roles. We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace and believe this is essential to ensure that every member of our team can thrive.

We adhere to barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs.

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