Director, Communications and Industry Relations (Toronto, Canada)

Posted: May 26, 2022

With headquarters in the heart of Toronto, Canada, the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency is a dynamic music licensing agency representing music copyright owners.

Our clients are music publishers and self-published songwriters who own the rights to the vast majority of songs recorded, sold, streamed and broadcast in Canada. Our team works diligently on behalf of our clients to negotiate licensing agreements, collect royalties from our licensees (Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Tik Tok, radio stations, major and independent record labels, and others) and to distribute those royalties.

Established in 1975 and having contributed to many transformative moments in the music landscape since then, CMRRA are the market leaders in Canada for physical and digital mechanical licensing.

We’ve recently launched new international partnerships to collect digital mechanical royalties from the US and from numerous territories outside of North America too.

Our core mandate is ensuring that our clients get paid efficiently and on time for the use of their music. We play a pivotal role in the music ecosystem, which requires us to be constantly evolving, staying focused on both current and emerging business models using recorded music, and treating our clients and their songs as our top priority.

To learn more about our great team and our work, please visit cmrra.ca.

Position Scope:

The Director, Communications and Industry Relations creates and fosters the corporate identity of CMRRA, through external and internal communications strategies focused on enhancing the CMRRA brand within the global music ecosystem and with our clients. With professionalism, flexibility, a positive demeanor, exceptional communication, interpersonal and organizational skills the Director, Communications and Industry Relations works both within the management team at CMRRA, and in conjunction with the SoundExchange companies’ Communications and Industry Relations teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage the implementation of strategic communications, marketing and industry engagement plans for CMRRA and its associated brands, from concept to planning to successful execution and reporting.
• Develop and maintain a positive public image for CMRRA and its associated brands and ensure a consistent brand identity, messaging and voice.
• Work with CMRRA’s leadership team to help develop and maintain mission statement and core values for company.
• Work collaboratively with DEI Committee to ensure communication plans and industry relations initiatives align with company DEI core values.
• Manage content for CMRRA’s website (interfacing with the Web Services Manager and external contractors for the updates).
• Oversee CMRRA’s social media channels, managing and directing content style and content approvals of content created by departmental Communications Coordinator.
• Lead future company website vision and re-design with external vendor and implementation of website production via Web Services Manager.
• Lead CMRRA data migration project to new Salesforce CMS platform.
• Maintain, build and execute 10-20 CMRRA sponsorship agreements annually, working with external stakeholders to execute these projects as an initiative to build industry relationships, promote positive change and amplify CMRRA’s services.
• Support the launch of CMRRA’s associated brands, in conjunction with SoundExchange communications, to develop brand messaging, marketing, as new services are launched.
• Cultivate overall industry relationships in Canada and around the world to maximize the brand of the organization.
• Manage the editorial production, direction, voice and assets of The Pulse/ La fréquence, CMRRA’s monthly client newsletter, available 10 months a year.
• Create media opportunities and craft and edit compelling press releases and other external materials on various topics. This includes developing newsworthy pitches, media angles and news content for traditional, digital and social media platforms.
• Continuously explore, recommend, use and optimize communication and marketing to engage with various audiences.
• Support internal employee communications efforts with CMRRA’s Director, Human Resources.
• Support the Associate Director, Publisher Engagement and Strategy and Publisher Relations Manager to develop strategies to maintain top client relationships and prevent disaffiliation risks.
• Establish and maintain positive relationships both internally and externally, including clients, trade and regional music associations and other key music industry stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with Music Publishers Canada (MPC) on communication, marketing and other designated initiatives/events impacting the music publishing community.
• Support new business development and play a strong role in strategic outreach.
• Support President in managing executive visibility, communications, and board reporting.
• Work collaboratively with communications and industry relations teams at SoundExchange.
• Create CMRRA presentation material for outreach and education purposes for the communications and industry relations team as well as for other internal teams needing presentation decks to market CMRRA’s services.
• Set up and be the key industry outreach presenter for CMRRA (including for the Quebec market in collaboration with Quebec Industry Relations consultant).
• Attend and present at industry events and conferences (including evenings and weekends).
• Work with external agency/vendor to create key graphic assets.
• Manage two CMRRA departmental budgets.
• Manage CMRRA’s communications and industry relations staff.
• Other projects as required.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Post-secondary degree in Communications, Public Relations, English, Journalism, Media or Marketing, and/or equivalent and relevant comparable years of work experience in an associated field
• 8-10 years of related communications and/or media relations work experience
• Leadership abilities and experience
• Demonstrated strong copywriting skills for corporate press releases, communications content, and presentations for multiple mediums
• Public speaking experience and skills
• Track record of landing global and national coverage, and ability to navigate media
• Project management skills, including the ability to work independently and to manage team members, and to simultaneously manage numerous critical deadlines
• Ability to travel. This role travels typically 30-50% of the time to attend industry events on behalf of CMRRA and its associated brands (includes evenings and weekends).
• MS Office advanced experience, including Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Proven knowledge of content management systems and useful media databases to enable media, client and industry outreach such as MailChimp, CISION, Meltwater and Salesforce
• Prior experience with all major social media platforms, along with Sprout Social
• Basic understanding and eye for graphic design and content creation to enable better graphic communications – including how to use Canva

Additional Assets:

• Bilingual (English, French)
• Have a passion and interest in music

We Would Love To Hear From You If Are:

What CMRRA Has to Offer:

• Great colleagues who are involved in and passionate about the music industry
• Comprehensive benefit plan; and Group Retirement Plan with Employer matching program
• Summer hours (compressed work week)
• Convenient downtown Toronto location with Hybrid Office-Telework Program
• Casual dress code

CMRRA is committed to fostering an environment where our employees, clients, and partners feel valued and supported. As leaders in the music industry, we recognize that building a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization is vital. Every day we aspire to do better than the day before because we wholeheartedly believe that there is strength in diversity and that we are stronger together.

We are committed to the principles of Employment Equity and invite applicants with all lived experiences to apply for this position. If you are contacted for a job opportunity, please advise us of any accommodations needed to ensure fair and equitable access throughout the recruitment and selection process. We thank all candidates; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

To apply:

Please submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@cmrra.ca so we can get to know you! Salary to be determined.