Marketing & Brand Coordinator

Fractional Independent Contractor Engagement

We’re looking for the right fit; could you be our missing piece?

Puzzle Lab is seeking a resourceful, creative, organized, and proactive Marketing & Brand Coordinator to provide fractional marketing leadership and hands‑on execution for an initial five‑month engagement. This role will help turn Puzzle Lab’s marketing priorities into cohesive campaigns across email, web, social media, partnerships, print, and corporate outreach. The coordinator will also provide campaign and creative direction to a separate Social Media Manager, ensuring that our social content supports Puzzle Lab’s broader goals and feels consistent with our brand.

The engagement will include approximately 16–24 hours per week, generally spread across two or three days. The job is on‑site at Puzzle Lab’s Victoria headquarters.

The engagement is anticipated to begin in October 2026, or as mutually agreed, and continue through February 2027. There may be an opportunity to extend or expand the engagement depending on business needs, results, and mutual agreement; however, this is not guaranteed.

About Puzzle Lab

Puzzle Lab is a fast‑growing wood jigsaw puzzle company with an underlying passion for art, innovation, and creativity. More than that, we’re a friendly group of open‑minded humans working together to create joyful experiences for our fans and customers. We pride ourselves on our consistent efforts toward environmental sustainability, support of local artists, and an ethical business model.

Puzzle Lab’s vision is to awaken the inner child in all of us. In a world that feels increasingly fast, loud, and serious, it’s easy to forget the simple joy of play. But play is where wonder lives; it’s where we reconnect with curiosity, delight, and our most human selves. Our work is about creating nostalgic and whimsical moments that bring people back, even briefly, to that childlike feeling of sincere awe and carefree discovery.

Bringing joy into the world through tactile play, Puzzle Lab also commits to doing right by people and the planet. We raise the bar for ethical employment, provide meaningful support for artists, and make environmental responsibility part of every decision.

In a nutshell, we make the world better by piecing broken pictures back together.

The Puzzle Lab Minifesto

We create quality time.

When people piece together our cleverly designed works of art, they experience challenge, determination, connection, epiphany. Whimsical delight and inner satisfaction follow them far beyond the puzzle table.

Bringing joy into the world through tactile play, Puzzle Lab also commits to doing right by people and the planet. We raise the bar for ethical employment, provide meaningful support for artists, and make environmental responsibility part of every decision.

In a nutshell, we make the world better by piecing broken pictures back together.

Engagement Overview

Working closely with Puzzle Lab’s CEO and co‑founder Tinka Robev, the Marketing & Brand Coordinator will help establish priorities, coordinate campaigns, and keep Puzzle Lab’s marketing activities moving in the same direction.

The successful contractor will translate company goals into practical marketing plans, creative briefs, content calendars, and finished materials. They will coordinate marketing activities across channels and provide clear campaign and content direction to Puzzle Lab’s Social Media Manager.

The Social Media Manager will be responsible for the day‑to‑day management of Puzzle Lab’s social channels, including scheduling and publishing content, community engagement, and creating agreed social content. The Marketing & Brand Coordinator will ensure that this work connects to broader campaigns, product launches, seasonal priorities, partnerships, and business goals.

This is a hands‑on role with a meaningful coordination and creative‑direction component. It is not intended as a senior fractional CMO engagement, nor is it primarily a day‑to‑day social‑media posting role.

Puzzle Lab is a growing company, and our systems and processes continue to evolve. We ask that the successful contractor first become familiar with our existing brand, tools,



and ways of working. Once you’re settled, your ideas for improving our marketing systems and creative output will be genuinely welcome.

Priorities may shift as the company grows. Any meaningful changes to the scope, hours, or deliverables will be discussed and mutually agreed upon.

Scope of Services

Marketing Planning & Campaign Coordination

Translate Puzzle Lab’s goals and priorities into practical campaigns, content calendars, timelines, and task lists

Coordinate marketing activities around product launches, seasonal campaigns, corporate sales, partnerships, and company events

Develop clear campaign briefs that define the audience, message, goals, deliverables, and channel requirements

Maintain an integrated marketing calendar across email, web, social, print, partnerships, and outreach

Keep assets, approvals, deadlines, and project information organized

Coordinate with Puzzle Lab team members and outside creative contributors

Track campaign results and provide concise, practical reporting

Help document repeatable marketing processes and workflows

Social Media Direction & Collaboration

Provide the Social Media Manager with clear campaign priorities, messaging, brand guidance, and creative briefs

Collaborate on social media calendars and identify opportunities for timely, playful, and relevant content

Ensure social‑media activity supports product launches, email campaigns, partnerships, events, and other marketing priorities

Identify stories, products, artists, partnerships, and behind‑the‑scenes moments that can be developed into social content

Use channel insights to improve future content direction

Help create photos, videos, graphics, or copy when a campaign requires additional support

Content & Creative Production

Write and edit website copy, email content, advertisements, presentations, campaign messaging, and sales materials

Create brand‑aligned graphics and marketing assets using Canva and/or Adobe Creative Suite

Develop polished PDFs one‑pagers & promotional materials

Produce or coordinate photography and short‑form video for campaigns

Adapt creative assets for digital, social, email, and print formats

Maintain a consistent brand voice and visual identity across channels

Organize marketing assets so they can be easily reused by internal team members and contractors

Email, Website & Digital Marketing

Develop and distribute email campaigns to Puzzle Lab’s 17,000+ subscribers

Help rebuild and maintain key email automations, including subscriber‑welcome and post‑purchase sequences

Update and refine Puzzle Lab’s Shopify website, including product, corporate sales, and landing page content

Apply practical SEO principles when creating and updating website content

Coordinate messaging and campaign timing across email, website, and social media

Assist with campaign tracking through links, promotional codes, and channel‑level reporting

Identify insights and opportunities based on customer‑engagement and campaign data

Partnerships, Outreach & Brand Activation

Research potential partners, influencers, bloggers, publications, and community organizations

Coordinate thoughtful product‑gifting and collaboration opportunities

Help tell the stories behind Puzzle Lab’s sponsorships, donations, artists, and community partnerships

Support corporate and bulk‑gifting outreach with research, messaging, and sales materials

Help develop playful, memorable campaigns that feel unmistakably like Puzzle Lab

Contribute ideas and feedback as Puzzle Lab’s brand voice and marketing approach continue to evolve

Preferred Skills

Robust writing and editing skills, with the ability to adapt tone for email, web, social, print, and business audiences

Experience coordinating campaigns across multiple marketing channels

Ability to turn broad goals into useful briefs, timelines,



deliverables, and creative direction

Experience collaborating with or directing social media managers, designers, photographers, videographers, or other creative contributors The ability to give clear, thoughtful, and constructive creative feedback A keen eye for design and the ability to create attractive, brand‑aligned materials

Proficiency with Canva and/or Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator or InDesign

Experience creating or directing photography and short‑form video

Experience with email marketing platforms and automated customer journeys

Comfort updating Shopify or a comparable e‑commerce platform

Working knowledge of Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and other relevant social channels

Familiarity with practical SEO, campaign tracking, and marketing analytics

Strong organizational, project‑management, and follow‑through skills

Ability to independently manage agreed deliverables while collaborating effectively with a small team

Playful, curious energy that aligns with Puzzle Lab’s brand and values

Good judgment and comfort working in a creative, fast‑moving small‑business environment

Preferred Qualifications

Three or more years of hands‑on experience in marketing, communications, content, brand coordination, or a related area A portfolio demonstrating relevant writing, design, campaign, or creative‑direction work

Experience supporting an e‑commerce, consumer‑product, retail, arts, or lifestyle brand is considered an asset

Experience coordinating freelancers or external creative partners is considered an asset

Previous experience providing services as an independent contractor is considered an asset

Formal training in marketing, communications, graphic design, or a related field is welcome but not required

Equivalent hands‑on experience is equally welcome.

What You Can Expect

Puzzle Lab offers a truly unique working culture, and we’re excited to share that with the right person.

We’re looking for an adaptable collaborator who enjoys making ideas real, can keep multiple contributors moving in the same direction, and wants to contribute meaningfully to our growing company.

Here’s what you can expect from the engagement:

A collaborative, supportive, and highly creative working environment The opportunity to shape visible campaigns and contribute to a growing Canadian brand An existing Social Media Manager to collaborate with on channel execution and content

Approximately 16–24 hours per week, generally across two or three days A contract rate of $40–$48 per hour, depending on experience

Clear priorities, agreed deliverables, and regular planning check‑ins A discount on Puzzle Lab and select third‑party products The possibility of extending or expanding the engagement following the initial term, depending on business needs, results, and mutual agreement

As an independent contractor, you will be responsible for your own income‑tax, GST, insurance, and other obligations associated with self‑employment. The contractor will provide their own reliable laptop and ordinary business equipment.

Puzzle

Lab will provide access to the company accounts, assets, systems, and software required for the engagement.

We’re seeking a solid, like‑minded person to help us bring more creativity, consistency, and momentum to Puzzle Lab’s marketing. Could it be you? If you’re an organized marketing generalist who knows how to bring people, channels, and ideas together, we want to hear from you!

Puzzle Lab is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming working environment and values diversity in our organization. We welcome applications from qualified contractors of all backgrounds.

Engagement Details

Location: Puzzle Lab’s headquarters in Victoria, British Columbia

Department: Sales & Marketing

Engagement Type: Initial five‑month independent contractor engagement

Estimated Commitment: Approximately 16–24 hours per week

Contract Rate: $40–$48 per hour, depending on experience

Equipment: Contractor‑provided laptop; Puzzle Lab will provide access to required company systems and software

Anticipated Start Date: October 2026, or as mutually agreed

Primary Contact: CEO & Co‑founder: Tinka Robev

📌 Marketing & Brand Coordinator (Winnipeg)
🏢 Puzzle Lab
📍 Winnipeg