Communications & Project Lead – #7818 – A

Ontario Craft Wineries
About the Ontario Craft Wineries:
The Ontario Craft Wineries’ mission is to champion and advocate for the growth and success of Ontario VQA wine producers. As a non-profit trade association, the OCW represents over 100 wineries from across the three Designated Viticultural Areas of the province (Niagara, Prince Edward County and Lake Erie North Shore) as well as emerging wine producing regions such as Ontario’s South Coast, Georgian Bay/Grey County and Lake Huron.
Our members are independently owned small and medium sized enterprises – grape growers, manufacturers and leaders in tourism in their communities. Our members are the future of Ontario’s wine industry, which is a source of new investment, jobs and award-winning wines.
The Position:
We are seeking an energetic professional to provide support to the President and lead several projects over a temporary 12-month contract. The ideal candidate is a collaborative problem solver with a desire to join a small and dynamic team.
Under the direction of the Ontario Craft Wineries’ President, the Communications & Project Lead is responsible for the execution of OCW’s communication strategy, acts as the member relations liaison, and assists with the delivery and execution of OCW programs.
Role and Responsibilities:
Administration and Executive Support
- Schedule and organize board meetings, town hall meetings, and Annual General Meeting; record minutes and briefings from each of the meetings; maintain databases and distribution lists for each committee or working group
- Provide support for office administration (telephone, deliveries, mail, etc.)
- Maintain and update all OCW websites
- Provide assistance to the President as needed
Communications
- Provide exceptional communication to our valued members, partners and other stakeholders through various channels, including social media, newsletters and project specific email distributions
- Create regular, weekly content for social media channels
- Create content to keep members informed of all advocacy initiatives, association activities, industry events, or other related information
- Draft materials & content to be used for town halls, annual reports and presentations
- Draft letters of invitation, thank you letters, letters of support, and news releases
- Handle and assist with media inquiries, interviews, and quotes
- Coordinate annual Industry Day at Queen’s Park: Schedule meetings with MPPs, create delegate briefing book, organize wine and food reception for government officials
Other Projects
Provide lead support to the Ontario Craft Wine Conference & Trade Show committee and the contracted event management team:
- Build the schedule of seminars and speakers
- Assist event management team with creation of communication pieces
- Work with the planning committee to secure sponsorship dollars
- Manage and maintain the Ontario Craft Wine Conference websites – updating content, speaker information, sessions, logos, etc.
- Work with event management team on event set-up and execution and clean-up
- Creation wrap-up report following event
Provide lead support to the Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario (SWO) Certification Program:
- Coordinate and manage SWO committee meetings with the committee chair
- Pitch program to potential wineries through email, phone and workshops
- General administration of the program
Membership Education, Engagement and Retention:
- Assist in the creation and execution of OCW’s webinar series
- Assist in the creation of workshop seminars hosted by trade members, stakeholders and industry partners
- Maintain and grow relationships with winery and trade members through town halls and relevant webinars
- Arrange trade member meet and greets at OCW town halls
- Membership outreach and schedule individual winery membership meetings
Qualifications:
- Strong writing and communication skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Organization and time management skills, including the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects/tasks at one time, working both independently and as part of a team in a busy office setting
- Bachelor’s degree or college diploma in business, marketing, public relations, communications, sustainability or related field
- Basic knowledge of Ontario wine industry an asset
Working Conditions:
This is a full time, 12-month contract position. Hours of work are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Salary ranges from $39,000 to $42,900 annually, depending on education and experience. Successful candidate will be expected to work from our offices in Vineland Station.
Please submit your resume and cover letter to: info@ontariocraftwineries.ca before 5pm Monday August 29th, 2022.
Please note, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.