Demand Generation Specialist
Marketing & Communications | Full-Time, Permanent, Hybrid-Toronto
Applaud – People in Public Service is looking for a relationship-builder, opportunity-spotter and results-focused professional to join our Marketing & Communications team as our Demand Generation Specialist.
Applaud is a membership association dedicated to recognizing, celebrating and amplifying the value and impact of public service. We connect current and former public service employees across Ontario and provide our members with programs, resources, recognition and benefits designed to support them throughout their careers and beyond.
The Opportunity
If you enjoy meeting people, building professional relationships, and turning connections into measurable results, this could be the role for you.
As our Demand Generation Specialist, you will help grow Applaud’s membership across the Public Sector in Ontario.
Working as part of the Marketing & Communications team, you will turn Applaud’s membership growth strategy into action - identifying new audiences, developing relationships with employers and professional networks, participating in conferences and events, creating recruitment opportunities and helping convert interest in Applaud into membership.
This is not simply an outreach role. We are looking for someone who can identify where the strongest opportunities exist, build a pipeline, follow relationships through, measure results, and use data to determine what is working.
What You will Do
You will:
- Develop and execute recruitment and outreach activities that contribute to Applaud’s annual membership growth objectives.
- Build relationships with public-sector employers, HR leaders, associations, employee networks, Long Service Recognition clients and other organizations that can connect Applaud with prospective members.
- Identify new workplaces, communities, networks, and audiences where Applaud has opportunities to grow.
- Research and recommend conferences, professional events, employee gatherings and outreach opportunities based on audience fit, recruitment potential, cost and expected return.
- Represent Applaud at conferences, meetings, presentations, networking activities and public-sector events.
- Work closely with Marketing & Communications colleagues to develop targeted campaigns and convert awareness and interest into membership.
- Develop and manage a pipeline of prospective organizations, contacts, leads and recruitment opportunities.
- Use Applaud’s CRM to document relationships, manage follow-up and track leads from initial contact through to conversion or closure.
- Establish recruitment targets and measures for events, campaigns, and outreach initiatives.
- Analyze membership acquisition, conversion and recruitment results to understand which channels and activities are generating the strongest results.
- Evaluate the return on investment of conferences, sponsorships, events and other recruitment activities.
- Recommend where Applaud should increase, adjust or discontinue recruitment efforts based on results and member insights.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this position is more than how many events you attend or contacts you make. It is about turning relationships, events, partnerships, and marketing opportunities into measurable membership growth.
The Demand Generation Specialist will contribute to an annual recruitment target of approximately 1,500 new members, while helping Applaud expand its reach across priority OPS, BPS and municipal audiences.
You will also help us better understand how our members find us - giving Applaud stronger information to make decisions about where we invest our time and resources.
What You Bring
You are a strong relationship-builder who is comfortable starting conversations, developing new networks and following opportunities through results.
You will ideally bring:
- Post-secondary education in marketing, communications, public relations, business, community engagement, association management or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience in membership development, business development, community engagement, outreach, marketing, stakeholder relations, or a related role.
- Demonstrated success in building professional relationships and developing new networks.
- Experience representing an organization at conferences, events, presentations, or community activities.
- An understanding of marketing, lead generation, audience development and relationship-based recruitment.
- Experience using data to evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns, events, or outreach activities.
- Experience using CRM systems to manage contacts, relationships, leads, pipelines, and follow-up.
- Strong communication, presentation, networking, planning, and organizational skills.
- The ability to manage multiple relationships and initiatives while remaining focused on measurable results.
Experience working in the public sector, association, non-profit or membership environment would be an asset.
Why Applaud?
At Applaud, our work is about people.
We are building a community that recognizes and celebrates the people who dedicate their careers to public service. This role provides an opportunity to help expand that community across Ontario while developing meaningful relationships with public-sector organizations, employers, associations, and networks.
You will join a collaborative team where ideas are welcomed, results matter and data help us improve how we serve and grow our membership.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and cover letter, outlining your relevant experience and interest in the position, to [email protected].
- Use “Demand Generation Specialist” in the subject line.
- Application Deadline: October 9, 2026
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Applaud – People in Public Service is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive recruitment process. Accommodation is available throughout the recruitment and selection process upon request.
