Communications Manager

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Location: Hamilton, ON

Work Arrangement: In-office

Reports To: Director of Operations

Direct Reports: Marketing and Communications team

Salary: $75,000

ABOUT US

International Needs Canada is part of a global development organization with 34 partner countries worldwide. Our vision is “Transformed Lives, Changed Communities,” which we pursue by empowering women and children to reach beyond their circumstances and chart their own paths in life. International Needs Canada is a Christian organization and works alongside local partners to remove those barriers through sponsorship, sustainable development, and projects that create lasting change.

ABOUT THE ROLE

INCA is building a dedicated marketing, communications, and fund development function - and this role leads it. Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Manager will build and own the organization's marketing, communications, and fund development strategy, translate it into an implementable and measurable annual plan, and lead a team to execute it.

This is a strategic and hands-on leadership role. You'll work with leadership on direction, work with partner countries to strengthen the stories and reports that fuel our marketing, own every channel INCA uses to reach donors and new audiences, and build the team that turns strategy into consistent output. The ultimate goal: put INCA's leadership in front of the right people, and build a funding base that is broader, deeper, and less dependent on a small number of major gifts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Planning

• Review and give input to INCA's marketing, communications, and fund development strategy together with the leadership team, and translate it into an implementable, measurable annual plan

• Balance maintaining and improving existing processes - appeals, website, donor reports, social media - with deliberately growing new areas, particularly partnership development (churches, businesses, podcasts, champions, etc.)

• Direct the department’s twin objectives: (1) Deepen Existing Relationships to convert single/lapsed givers into recurring partners, and (2) Engage New Audiences through targeted acquisition

• Build a systematic partnership strategy targeting corporate CSR, churches, businesses, schools, podcasts, and brand champions

• Set annual marketing/communications goals and manage the department budget

• Report regularly to leadership and the Board on progress against strategy and KPIs

Partner Storytelling & Content Pipeline

• Work directly with partner countries to train them on storytelling and reporting

• Leverage creative storytelling formats, such as Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, podcast clips, partner trip deputations, and immersive digital updates, to bring donors closer to the mission

• Turn partner-submitted stories, reports, and updates into professional marketing material (appeals, social content, web content, donor reports)

• Maintain a content and photo library that keeps a steady pipeline of credible, outcome-focused stories flowing from partners to donors

Channel Ownership & Alignment

• Own all marketing and communications channels - website, email/CRM, social media, print, events - end to end

• Ensure all channel touchpoints (social, email, website, print, events) maintain an intentional donor journey with a clear next step - converting cold reach into sponsorship, attendance, or multi-year giving

• Optimize and scale peer-to-peer engagement events while driving partner trip participation

• Ensure every channel's activity ladders up to and reinforces the high-level strategy, rather than operating in isolation

• Maintain consistent brand, voice, and messaging across all public-facing communications

• Develop and maintain a channel-specific and omni-channel content calendar

Fund Development Support

• Own campaigns and appeals tied to named funding priorities, working closely with the leadership team on donor relationships and major-gift cultivation

• Establish ongoing donor stewardship practices - ensuring every supporter experiences systematic, meaningful gratitude and sees the clear impact of their gift

• Implement Raiser’s Edge donor segmentation and journey mapping to re-engage lapsed donors and move existing supporters into recurring giving tiers

• Use donor segmentation and journey mapping to inform targeted communications for both existing donors and donor acquisition

• Develop fundraising and donor-facing material as needed - pitch decks, presentations, donor reports, campaign appeals

• Actively participate and champion donor relationship and fund development activities

Team Building & Management

• Build and manage a team to execute tactical marketing and communications activities

• Set workflows, priorities, and quality standards for the team; manage freelance/contract support as needed

• Coach and develop team members as the function grows

Monitoring & Analytics

• Track performance across channels and campaigns using key metrics (engagement, conversion, donor acquisition/retention, ROI)

• Use data to evaluate what's working and refine strategy and channel investment accordingly

ABOUT YOU

• You align with INCA's Christian faith foundation and mission, which this role is responsible for representing to partners and the public

• You have proven experience developing and executing a marketing, communications, or fund development strategy - not just running individual campaigns

• You've built or managed a team

• You're comfortable moving between strategic planning with leadership and hands-on execution when needed

• You see yourself as part of a global community where people help each other, and you're motivated by mission-driven work

• You communicate clearly and build trust easily - with donors, partners, and international colleagues alike

• You're personable and relationship-oriented - you build rapport quickly and are comfortable representing INCA directly with donors, partners, and community leaders, not just working behind the scenes

• You're comfortable presenting - donor meetings, board updates, church or community engagements - and can speak to INCA's work with confidence and warmth

• You read a room well and adjust your tone for the audience, whether that's a major donor, a partner-country team, or the team you're building

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with email marketing platforms such as Constant Contact or Mailchimp

• Experience with donor management/CRM systems such as Raiser's Edge (or comparable)

• Proficiency with design tools such as Canva and the Adobe Creative Suite

• Experience managing social media platforms and paid digital advertising campaigns

• Strong written communication and storytelling skills

• Proficiency with analytics tools to track and report on campaign/channel performance

• Work or volunteer experience in the not-for-profit or charitable sector (preferred)

• Experience working with international partners or in a cross-cultural context (preferred)

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, fund development, or a related field (preferred)

• A combination of relevant education and experience will be considered

WHAT WE OFFER

• The opportunity to work on a strong, dynamic, and relational team and build a function from the ground up and make a global impact

• Benefits package (dental, extended health, disability and life insurance, vision care, RRSP match)

• Casual dress code

• On-site parking