Manager, Public Education & Outreach

Manager, Public Education & Outreach

Role type: Full-time

Location: Remote within Canada; preference for candidates based in Ottawa, the Greater Toronto Area or Montreal

Languages: Bilingualism in French and English is required Start date: As soon as possible

About MediaSmarts

MediaSmarts is Canada’s centre for digital media literacy. For 30 years, we have helped people across Canada develop the critical thinking skills they need to engage with digital media confidently, critically and responsibly.

Through our research, educational resources, workshops and public awareness campaigns, we work with educators, youth, parents, seniors and communities on issues including artificial intelligence, misinformation, online safety, cyberbullying, online hate, privacy and digital well- being.

As the digital world becomes more complex, demand for practical, expert-led digital media literacy education is growing. MediaSmarts is expanding its national public education program to bring more of our evidence-based programming directly to schools, families and communities across Canada.

This role will be responsible for scaling and implementing this growing national educational program.

The Role

The Manager, Public Education & Outreach will lead the coordination and growth of MediaSmarts’ national workshop and public education program. This is a hands-on role for someone who is equally comfortable building relationships, coordinating a program and facilitating workshops.

Manage and grow a network of facilitators across Canada; coordinate workshop delivery including scheduling; build relationships with schools and community organizations; and proactively identify opportunities to bring MediaSmarts programming to new audiences, ensuring that project commitments, workshop targets and other program deliverables are met on time and to a high standard.

Support MediaSmarts' public communications efforts through partnership building, and engagement.

What You’ll Do

We’re looking for someone who enjoys building programs and creating opportunities rather than simply maintaining an existing process. You’ll have significant opportunity to lead how we organize, promote and scale our public education work

Lead our national public education program

• Coordinate MediaSmarts’ year-round schedule of virtual and in-person workshops, presentations and training sessions across Canada.
• Manage workshop inquiries and bookings from initial contact through delivery and follow-up.
• Manage program and project workplans to ensure workshop commitments, participant reach targets, timelines and other funded project deliverables are achieved.
• Track progress against delivery targets and proactively identify and address gaps, delays or risks to meeting project commitments.
• Develop and maintain clear systems, processes and workplans to keep a growing national program organized and running smoothly.
• Track program activity, reach, audience engagement and other key performance indicators.
• Work with MediaSmarts’ research and education teams to support program evaluation and incorporate participant feedback into ongoing improvements.
• Identify opportunities to improve how the program operates as its reach and facilitator network grow.
• Develop in-depth expertise in MediaSmarts programming and resources on topics such as AI literacy, misinformation, online safety, cyberbullying, online hate, privacy and digital well-being
• Facilitate engaging digital media literacy education
• Deliver MediaSmarts workshops and presentations virtually and in person in both French and English for a range of audiences, which includes youth, parents, educators, seniors and community professionals.
• Adapt facilitation style and examples to different audiences while maintaining the integrity of MediaSmarts’ evidence-based content.

Build our reach

• Proactively promote MediaSmarts’ workshops and public education programming to schools, school boards, parent councils, libraries, community organizations, professional associations and other networks across Canada.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with educators, community organizations and other stakeholders.
• Identify new communities, audiences and regions where MediaSmarts can have an impact, with special attention to underserved communities.
• Represent MediaSmarts at events.
• Work closely with the communications team to develop materials and campaigns.

Develop, coordinate and support our facilitator network

• Manage MediaSmarts’ network of facilitators across Canada.
• Coordinate facilitator availability, scheduling and assignment of workshops based on topic, audience, language and location.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding and training of new facilitators.
• Ensure consistency and quality

About you

This role will be a great fit for someone who comfortably moves between strategy and execution. You enjoy developing and shaping program direction while also implementing. You build strong working relationships, welcome feedback and work collaboratively to ensure goals are met. You are highly organized and self-directed.

You may come from education, community programming, professional learning, public engagement, non-profit program management or a related field. Experience in digital media literacy education is a strong asset, but additionally we are interested in candidates who know how to develop and manage an education or community program. You are excited to work in a continuous learning environment.

You are:

• Proactive: You enjoy identifying opportunities, making connections and getting programs in front of the people who could benefit from them.
• Highly organized: You can manage a busy calendar, multiple facilitators, different audiences and competing priorities and are.
• An excellent facilitator: You are confident presenting to groups and know how to make educational content clear, engaging and relevant.
• A strong relationship builder: You are comfortable reaching out to new contacts, pitching a program and building trust with educators, community organizations and other partners.
• A program builder: You like creating systems, improving processes.
• Adaptable: You are comfortable working in a small organization where priorities evolve and people collaborate across roles.
• Mission-driven: You care about helping people build the knowledge and critical thinking skills they need to navigate the media ecosystem
• Enjoy working independently in a remote work environment

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Required:

• Professional fluency in French and English, including the ability to confidently facilitate workshops and communicate with stakeholders in both languages.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience
• Extensive experience facilitating workshops, presentations, professional learning or other educational programming.
• Experience working toward defined program targets and deliverables and managing activities, timelines and resources to ensure commitments are met.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating a program involving multiple partners, facilitators, locations or activities.
• Experience conducting proactive outreach and building relationships with schools, community organizations or other external stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage schedules, deadlines and multiple priorities independently.
• Knowledge of digital media literacy
• Strong attention to tracking, documentation and follow-through.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a primarily remote team.

Strong assets:

• Experience working with Canadian K–12 schools, school boards, parent councils or.
• Experience recruiting, training or managing facilitators, instructors and/or volunteers.
• Experience expanding an educational or community program.
• Existing relationships within education or community networks in Canada.
• Experience using CRM software

Some travel within Canada will be required for in-person workshops, events and meetings. Occasional evening availability will also be required.

Why Join MediaSmarts?

This is a new role with an opportunity to shape an important area of MediaSmarts’ work.

You’ll join a passionate, collaborative team with internationally respected expertise across education, research, communications and digital policy and will help bring that expertise directly to people and communities across Canada.

We offer a flexible, digital-first work environment built on trust, independence and shared accountability. Our team is professional, engaged and highly collaborative, with a strong focus on results and impact. We set clear goals, share progress openly, and take time to recognize and celebrate what we achieve together.

Our work is primarily remote, with occasional all-staff gatherings at our Ottawa office to connect, collaborate and strengthen our team. We also offer flexibility in working hours and aim to create a supportive environment for employees balancing work with parenting, caregiving and family responsibilities.

The annual salary range for this position is $64,000 to $74,000. We offer a competitive benefits package, including 15 days paid time off, access to group health and medical benefits, and RRSP matching.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We strive to be an equitable and inclusive employer so that our workforce represents the diversity of backgrounds and identities across Canada. We welcome applications from candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and those with varied areas of expertise and lived experience.

To Apply

Please send your resume and a short cover letter as a single PDF document to hr@mediasmarts.ca.

This is an immediate opportunity, and we will process applications as they come in and close this posting as soon as the job is filled. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

MediaSmarts /HabiloMédias is committed to accessible employment practices; if you require accommodation for any part of the selection process, please let us know how we can support your application.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools will not be used in the candidate screening process. All applications will be reviewed and evaluated exclusively by our team.