Communications Specialist

Owned by 270 family farms, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is a food and beverage company that has offered innovative, award-winning, high-quality dairy products since 1965. Our progressive cooperative’s success is based on a commitment to quality in everything we do that extends to every stage of operations, from our farms to the consumer. Our product offerings include milk, flavored milk, yogurt, dip, sour cream, cottage cheese, Italian cheese, and ice cream mix marketed under the Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk® brands.

Job purpose

The Communications Specialist’s role is to coordinate and manage successful execution Marketing and Corporate Communications strategies. Provides overall support for new product launch and branding, corporate, recruitment, and marketing communications initiatives to help promote the organization and its branded products to prospective hires, customers, and consumers. The Communications Specialist works with various functional teams and demonstrates excellent communications skills to support business reputation management and product marketing efforts.

Duties and responsibilities

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  Supports and implements strategic brand marketing initiatives and promotional activities
• Manages the company’s and its brands’ social media and digital platforms, providing maintenance, content creation and analytics
• Manages messaging delivery through multiple marketing channels including social, experiential, traditional and digital media, content marketing, PR, e-mail, and direct mail
• Helps with the development and sourcing of recruitment, corporate and product branding, sales, and promotional content and materials
• Provides graphic design and copy writing of marketing, internal messaging, and sales-enablement materials
• Produces and edits videos for internal and external use, using cell phone and video editing technology, photography for internal and social media use
• Recommends & implements changes to communication related policies & procedures
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

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  Thorough understanding of marketing elements (including traditional and digital marketing such as SEO/social media, etc.)
• Experienced in developing and executing traditional and digital marketing campaigns
• Detail-oriented, with a high level of professionalism, and a strong work ethic, able to handle multiple priorities in a timely manner
• Proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point)
• High degree of creativity and ability to problem solve
• Consistent attention to detail and sound business acumen
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, time management, and communication skills
• Team player with collaborative mindset, also motivated to work independently and proactively on projects through all stages
• Self-motivated, with experience working in a fast-paced, complex environment

Education

• 
  Bachelor’s degree, preferably in marketing or communications
• Two to four years of experience working in a similar role – preferably with a CPG company

Confidentiality

The Communications Specialist must maintain confidentiality of company business partnerships, product development details, and corporate strategy, as well as protect customer confidentiality in the execution of daily duties. A high degree of integrity and professionalism are required.

Working conditions

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  Interpersonal Climate: Upstate Niagara Cooperative values professional, cordial, quality communication and collaboration among staff members via a coordinated team approach that includes multiple departments. The ideal candidate will be willing and excited to join the team and support its efforts to launch and promote innovative, high- quality products.
• Physical Climate: Majority of work performed in an office environment. Must be able to operate standard office equipment (computer, copier, calculator, phone, etc.), see in color, sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, climb stairs and lift up to 35lbs.

This position sometimes requires the candidate to enter manufacturing facilities with wet and/or humid conditions with mild to moderate noise levels. Safety training and protective equipment (such as ear plugs and steel toe shoes) are required and provided by the company. Adherence to hygienic processes including hand washing, is required.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)