Our mission is to increase the success rate of small businesses. Traditional banking has been a growth limiter rather than a growth enabler for business owners, and we’re changing that. Relay is the all-in-one, collaborative money management platform. We’re building for employer SMBs and their finance function, internal and external, and are focused on delivering a human-centric customer experience. Ultimately, we help SMBs be ‘on the money’.
We’re looking for a creative, impact-oriented Communications Lead to join our team. The Marketing team plays a critical role in driving awareness and acquisition of new Relay customers. Reporting to the Director of Brand, you’ll work with a group of dedicated and passionate individuals who thrive on seeing the impact Relay has on small businesses. We’re looking for someone who can create inspiring narratives to drive brand awareness among U.S. small business owners and can speak to a track record of contributing to meaningful business growth as a result.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Own and execute the external communications strategy for Relay with the aim of scaling brand awareness of Relay as the best business banking solution for U.S.-based small businesses.
- Lead day-to-day media relations at Relay, including identifying high-impact opportunities for media coverage and creating compelling, on-brand narratives for target publications and media outlets that connect with small business owners.
- Manage and evolve crisis communications at Relay, including establishing monitoring and risk assessment systems, developing communication plans and response teams, training internal spokespeople, post-crisis communications analysis and working with external agencies as needed.
- Develop and grow employer branding at Relay with the goal of attracting new talent, promoting Relay’s culture and enhancing its local reputation as a leader in the Toronto startup community.
- Identify, build and deepen trusted relationships with relevant national, business, trade and channel publications and media outlets across target industry segments as well as local media relationships to drive employer brand awareness and employee pride.
- Work collaboratively across multiple teams to create narratives for on-brand messaging and content — including press releases, ghostwritten articles, thought leadership, social media content and more — that authentically demonstrates Relay’s deep understanding of U.S. small businesses and raises its profile in target communities.
- Work with stakeholders to create a collection of impactful customer testimonials, statistics, accolades, logos, and more that support our brand story.
- Upskill team members across the organization to tell the Relay story and answer questions for media interviews, speaking engagements and other public communications.
- Analyze and report on the performance of campaigns and activities while making continuous improvements to outcomes.
- Be the source of insight on competitor communications campaigns and messages.
Who You Are:
- You have 5+ years of experience working in a communications role with a proven ability to drive brand awareness and raise a company’s profile among U.S. small business owners
- You have developed and led strategic communications campaigns that involved media outreach as well as owned and sponsored content that resulted in earned media across national, regional or trade media
- You have experience managing external crisis communications with a demonstrated ability to de-escalate situations and navigate teams to successful outcomes
- You have experience elevating a company’s brand within a local community through outreach and engagement activities or campaigns
- You have run media training sessions for internal stakeholders
- You are passionate about storytelling and can identify creative, impactful narratives
- You have exceptional communication skills with hands-on experience with strategic communications principles, tactical planning and program implementation
- You are a team player and expert relationship builder; inspiring candor and trust while working cross-functionally across our teams
- You care deeply about small businesses and their owners/operators
Bonus Points:
- You have successfully managed communications plans to reach U.S. small business owners
- You bring a set of existing media relationships with U.S. small business publications and outlets
- You have experience working at a startup or high-growth environment
Our Commitment To You:
- Competitive salary and meaningful equity: every team member gets a piece of the pie.
- Comprehensive health benefits: we offer full health benefits + an HSA/WSA starting from day 1 so you get the coverage you need.
- Considerable vacation/end-of-year holiday shutdown: we take time off to reset and recharge so we come back better for our customers.
- Hybrid working environment: we love collaborating and connecting in office two times a week and offer bi-weekly catered lunches and a snack/beverage program for the days we’re in office.
- Personal and professional growth: support from leaders who care about your growth and success through regular feedback and coaching. Our goal is to make Relay a step-change career opportunity.
- Top-tier equipment: we’ll make sure you have everything you need to produce your best work.
- Team-first culture: we’re passionate about working collaboratively, bonding through team events, and most importantly having fun.
The Interview Process:
- Stage 1: A 30-minute Google Meets video call with a member of the People Team
- Stage 2: A 45-minute Google Meets video call with the Director of Brand
- Stage 3: A take-home case study + writing sample on how you would build a communications plan to drive more organic media for Relay, followed by a 1-hour presentation to our Marketing team
- Stage 4: A 30-minute Google Meets video call with a member of the Leadership team
Research shows that women-identifying and other marginalized individuals tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications; if you don’t have all the listed qualifications, we encourage you to apply anyway!
What’s Important to Us:
At Relay, we believe that diversity is key to building high-performing teams, and creating an inclusive work environment is our priority. We are an equal-opportunity employer and we welcome people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
We will work with applicants to provide accommodations at any stage of the hiring process. If you require accommodations during the interview process, please email your People Team contact, and we will work with you to meet your needs.
