Media Relations and Content Specialist (St. Thomas)

Drive your Career!

We love our cars, but it’s the people behind them who make them what they are. To market, sell, and service great cars, we need great people. That’s why at Volkswagen Group Canada, we are passionate about our cars and our brand and foster this same passion and drive in our people. We know that the right people in the right positions can do incredible things, and we love making that happen.

Our mission has started. Volkswagen Group’s largest cell factory in St. Thomas will carry out all battery activities – from processing raw materials to developing a unified Volkswagen battery to managing the European and North American gigafactories. Headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany, we are experiencing the transformation of mobility up close. Our goal is to contribute a positive impact to our global society, the environment and the economy. To reach these goals we need your POWER!

We are looking for a Media Relations and Content Specialist based out of the St. Thomas, Ontario office.

The Media Relations and Content Specialist will play a crucial role in liaising with media, planning activities and providing strategic communications advice and services that strengthens relations with the media and engages the broader public regarding PowerCo Canada’s activities. This role will also oversee content creation, including photos, video, visualizations and editorial for social media. A background in planning, filming, and editing video content for a variety of brand storytelling projects, including explainers, social media reels and posts, events, conferences, training, and promotion is highly regarded.

The ideal candidate will be versatile and will be able to seamlessly transition between various tasks and projects, have excellent technical knowledge, ensuring consistency and quality across all deliverables.

This is a temporary flex hybrid model, requiring 2 days in the St. Thomas office.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide advice on external communications and prepare briefing materials for senior management on high-profile media relations issues.
• Respond to media questions and organize interview requests, press conferences and other media activities.
• Develop and maintain constructive ongoing relations with media.
• Collaborate with business areas to develop communication strategies and products.
• Plan, draft, and execute campaigns for publication on social media and other channels.
• Lead and manage the delivery of media monitoring and analysis.
• Serve as a company spokesperson with media and opinion leaders, helping to build relationships and awareness of the business in the North America region.
• Deliver corporate announcements and positioning through writing and editing of press releases, communications strategies, speeches etc.
• Support in conceptual design and operational implementation of moving image / video formats, including storyboarding and concept development, video production, post-production, equipment management, and project management.
• Identification of contemporary internal communication channels for moving image / video formats.
• Advise and, if necessary, support other departments / areas on moving image / video formats.
• Management of agencies to support selected projects.
• Assist in the creation of articles and visual content (newsletters, videos, photos etc.)
• Contribution of ideas and strategies for effective communication concepts and campaigns.
• Identification of relevant trends and topics for content creation for media and implementation.
• Processing short-term requests for various PowerCo departments, representatives, and stakeholders.
• Other tasks may be assigned according to business needs
  
  

Qualifications

• Experience in media relations for large and complex organizations e.g. multinational companies or government.
• Experience developing and executing communication strategies for proactive initiatives and managing issues.
• Strong creative copywriting skills across a range of styles, including media releases, speeches, and social / digital content.
• Proficiency in camera equipment and video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, and familiarity with motion graphics software.
• Experience creating short-form content for social media platforms, specifically LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
• Strong understanding of scriptwriting and storytelling, video editing, grading, and audio mixing, along with graphics creation and typography.
• The ability to grasp complex technical concepts and translate them effectively into business language / requirements and creative briefs.
• Culturally aware, confident interpersonal skills
• German language skills are considered an asset.
• Please note that we appreciate the interest of all candidates, however only those under consideration will be contacted.
  
  

Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, family status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, or local laws.

Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities including during the application process. If you require an accommodation because of a disability, we will work with you to determine what reasonable accommodation may be available to meet your needs whether it be as an applicant or an employee. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation, you are encouraged to advise the Recruiter who will consult with you to determine an appropriate and reasonable accommodation.