Take a Hike Foundation is seeking a Marketing & Communications Manager to become part of our Development Team. We are looking for a seasoned and skilled marketer and digital media expert to join a Development Team that describes themselves as “passionate, hard-working, collaborative, respectful, and flexible”. We encourage you to send over your application!
The Organization
Take a Hike empowers youth who experience vulnerability to change the trajectory of their lives with a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. Take a Hike engages youth with intentional, continuous clinical counselling, experiential land-based learning, and community. Our public school district partners provide high-quality education, and together, we empower youth with the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school, build healthy relationships, and achieve success – however they define it.
For more information on the program, please visit www.takeahikefoundation.org.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
Reporting to the Director, Marketing and Communications and acting as their close operational partner, the Marketing & Communications Manager leads execution across three connected areas of impact: brand consistency, audience growth, and donor communications. You will translate strategy into campaigns, tools, and content that move the needle on visibility, donor and audience engagement, and Take a Hike’s reputation as a leading voice in youth mental health.
A true marketer, the Marketing & Communications Manager directs work across teams and vendor partners to deliver content across Take a Hike’s digital channels to its audience and community and owns the quality and consistency of that work. This person will engage and inform the Take a Hike team with compelling content that supports donor engagement, community building, and reputation growth, building deep trust in Take a Hike Foundation. The ideal candidate has an analytical mindset, a love for creating content and community, and the judgment to lead a small but mighty function. They have the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. The Manager will stay ahead of digital marketing trends, hold a thorough understanding of audience engagement across channels, and bring a deep respect for best practices related to CASL and Take a Hike’s Privacy Policy.
In their first year, the Marketing & Communications Manager will develop and lead a comprehensive digital marketing plan to grow Take a Hike Foundation’s audience across all digital channels (social, website, email). They will work closely with the Director, Marketing and Communications to define KPIs and lead the analysis of digital channels, ensuring Take a Hike succeeds in donor engagement, lead generation, and brand trust.
Key Responsibilities
Brand Consistency
- Champion consistent, donor-centric storytelling and brand voice across all campaigns and channels.
- Own website content, design, and user experience standards, ensuring information stays accurate, on-brand, and optimized for the audience.
- Manage vendor and agency relationships, writing clear creative briefs and approving on-brand assets, including video, digital ads, signage, print, and internal tools and templates.
- Graphic design and content production, using Adobe Creative Suite and other tools, to ensure a consistent look, tone, and quality across digital channels.
- Promote, protect, and enhance Take a Hike’s reputation and brand through proactive media relations.
- Collaborate with the Director, Marketing and Communications on media strategy, monitoring coverage and identifying opportunities for response and thought leadership.
- Develop media materials and communication plans that reflect Take a Hike’s brand and mission.
- Support third-party event organizers on event marketing and engagement, ensuring consistent use of the Take a Hike brand.
Audience Growth
- Develop and lead a comprehensive digital marketing plan to grow Take a Hike’s audience across all digital channels, including social, website, and email.
- Set and manage KPIs, analytics, and reporting across digital channels in partnership with the Director, Marketing and Communications, to guide strategy and investment.
- Own paid and organic digital marketing strategy, including SEO, SEM, AEO, and social media advertising, optimizing spend and performance.
- Lead campaign project management, using calendars, briefs, and other tools to coordinate contributors, deliverables, and timelines.
- Pilot new formats, channels, and approaches to keep Take a Hike’s storytelling fresh and distinctive, while staying true to organizational tone and mission.
- Analyze marketing and website data to optimize campaigns, the user journey, and conversion, translating findings into recommendations for future strategy.
- Stay ahead of digital marketing trends and best practices, bringing forward ideas that push beyond conventional nonprofit marketing.
- Ensure all digital marketing activity complies with CASL and Take a Hike’s Privacy Policy.
- Act as a digital subject matter expert and trusted partner to teams across departments
- Research the digital and fundraising technology landscape to improve the Take a Hike’s digital practices, tools and donor experiences.
Donor Communications
- Partner with fundraisers to develop case-for-support documents, impact reports, and donor-facing collateral.
- Build and maintain a shared content library so fundraisers can move quickly without waiting on ad hoc requests.
- Track which materials and messages resonate with donors and feed that insight back into future content and strategy.
- Collaborate with the Individual and Annual Giving team to ensure campaigns are donor-led, data-driven, and optimized in real time.
- Shape strategies to acquire new donors in partnership with the Development team, aligned with organizational goals.
- Own the email marketing program (Mailchimp), including the Wayfinder newsletter, thought leadership content, distribution lists, and calendar, ensuring donor and audience touchpoints are consistent and on brand.
- Support execution of the digital fundraising strategy to maximize recurring and one-time gift revenue across digital fundraising tactics, such as search, display, social, and native.
- Manage FundraiseUp and other digital fundraising tools to support user-friendly, reliable and high-converting donation experiences.
May be asked to perform other tasks which are related but not necessarily regular duties.
QUALIFICATION & REQUIREMENTS:
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field, plus five or more years of relevant experience, including experience leading or managing marketing initiatives.
- 5 years experience with integrated marketing campaigns and managing external vendors, contractors, or agency partners.
- At least 3 years' experience planning, leading, and evaluating initiatives.
Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities
- Working knowledge of market research, surveys, and data analytics, with the ability to set and report on KPIs.
- Proficiency with content management systems.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire confidence among staff, leadership, and other stakeholders.
- Ability to think strategically and manage competing priorities in a high-volume, results-oriented environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with individuals and teams at all levels, internally and externally.
- Excellent organizational and time and project management skills, with the ability to manage changing priorities, often amid ambiguity.
- Ability to work with confidential information, data, and materials.
- Strong computer skills, with comfort using the Microsoft Office suite and a basic knowledge of CRM databases (Salesforce is an asset).
- Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite and graphic design.
Terms Of Employments & Working Conditions
- This is a full time, hybrid role based out of the Vancouver office, with a combination of onsite and work from home eligibility.
- Ability to participate in organizational events and external meetings is required.
- A clear criminal background check with vulnerable populations is required.
Compensation
The starting salary for this position is between $68,340 to $80,400, based on experience. In addition to the salary, we offer the following benefits:
- Employer-paid benefits including extended health and dental
- Disability and Life Insurance
- Employee Assistance Plan
- Health Spending Account
- 4.5% Retirement Savings Plan with employer matching
- Generous vacation time and personal time off
How To Apply
If this position is of interest to you, please submit your cover letter and resume to our online portal, Collage by
Monday October 12th, 2026.
Take a Hike values the diversity of the people it hires and serves. Diversity at Take a Hike means fostering a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, respected, and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths. Individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, racialized Canadians, or candidates with lived experience in mental health are encouraged to consider this opportunity.
Our Commitment to Reconciliation can be found on our website.