Communications Intern

Grain Farmers of Ontario is looking for an outgoing individual who loves interacting with the public to promote a brand for a one-year Communications Intern position. Our ideal candidate is a proactive self-starter with experience in event planning, social media, and knowledge of the agriculture industry. If this describes you, we invite you to apply for Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Communications Intern.

The Role

The Communications Intern works with the Communications Specialist, PR to ensure the success of Grain Farmers of Ontario’s public outreach program. The intern will act as an ambassador for Grain Farmers of Ontario by taking the Grain Discovery Zone trailer to various fairs and events across the province throughout the summer and fall seasons to engage and educate children and adults on grain farming. They will also create engaging digital content about the events and act as support to the communications team as needed.

• Coordinate logistics related to Grain Farmers of Ontario’s presence at public-facing fairs and events across the province with the Grain Discovery Zone (GDZ) trailer.
• Attend large, busy fairs and events across the province with the GDZ trailer including driving the Grain Farmers of Ontario truck and trailer to events, and set up & tear-down of the trailer display.
• Represent Grain Farmers of Ontario to educate, interact with, and answer questions from visitors to the GDZ about all aspects of grain farming in Ontario.
• Coordinate and distribute displays and handout materials requested by event organizers to represent Grain Farmers of Ontario at other external events.
• Create content for the Good in Every Grain (GIEG) blog, social media, and recipe newsletter.
• Coordinate with the communications team to include updates on the GDZ for weekly/monthly newsletters and social media for public-facing and farmer-member channels.
• Assist at farmer-member facing events to support the communications and member relations team as needed.

What you will Bring

Education & Experience

• College Diploma in agriculture, Marketing and/or communications.
• Experience driving a large truck with a trailer preferred.
• Experience with event planning is considered an asset.
• Experience in agriculture leadership programs such as 4H, Jr. Farmers, Queen of the Furrow etc. is considered an asset.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Working knowledge of the Canadian agriculture industry and grain farming in Ontario.
• A motivated self-starter with creative energy and proven initiative.
• An enthusiastic, outgoing communicator equipped to promote the importance of Ontario’s grain industry.
• Familiar and comfortable discussing the grain farming industry in Ontario, including agricultural hot topics.
• Comfortable and enjoy working alone for long periods of time.
• Interest or experience in writing.
• Proficiency with MS Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint etc.).
• Sound judgment, critical thinking, and integrity in all actions.
• Must possess a Valid Ontario G driver’s License.
• Must be able to lift a moderate load.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel and work outside of normal office hours, including extended hours, evenings, and weekends.

Note: Successful candidates must provide a clear driver abstract and criminal record check before the start date.

• Significant time working alone at events and traveling alone during peak GDZ season (June-October).
• Significant time working on weekends, evenings, and extended hours during peak GDZ season (June-October).
• Working conditions are normal for an office environment (May, October-April).
• Optional hybrid work environment when not traveling (May, October-April).

About Grain Farmers of Ontario

Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover 6 million acres of farmland across the province, resulting in over $27 billion in economic output and are responsible for over 92,000 jobs in the province.

Grain Farmers of Ontario is an organization that values teamwork, honesty, integrity, kindness, and work ethic. We pride ourselves on our team atmosphere, and we all work together to create a business atmosphere that allows for the highest returns for our farmer-members.

Submissions must be in the form of a resume with an accompanying cover letter detailing your experience and qualifications relative to the position. Applications without a cover letter listing detailed information regarding relevant qualifications and experience will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered.

Hours of work: Full-Time (35 hours/week)

Application Deadline: Sunday, January 12, 2024 @ 11:59 pm

Contract Length: 1 year (April 28, 2025, to May 8, 2026)

Grain Farmers of Ontario is committed to a fair and inclusive work environment. We will endeavor to accommodate the needs of qualified applicants in all parts of the hiring process. If you require accommodation during the hiring process, please reach out to Human Resources at hr@gfo.ca.

All resume information is received in confidence. While we appreciate and thank all applicants, we will only directly contact those candidates selected for an interview.