Senior Advisor - Communications or Media Relations

Update: The deadline to submit an application has been extended to June 25th, 2019.

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

Stream 1: Senior Communications Advisor
Stream 2: Senior Media Relations Advisor

Work environment

Employees of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) are passionate about privacy and work to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals. The OPC is a small federal organization of approximately 200 employees that reports independently to Parliament. We may be small, but our office influences the lives of all Canadians. We oversee two privacy laws that span the private and public sectors, and our office acts as a public advocate for the privacy rights of Canadians.

Because of our size, new employees are able to integrate and gain access to our systems more quickly, and benefit from in-house compensation and IT support. There are also opportunities to expand or gain experience in a variety of areas. The ideal OPC candidate is interested in developing skills in a wide range of activities and enjoys working on a variety of projects. You may be interested in emerging technologies, the online world or human rights. As an employee, you would tackle interesting and important issues, so the work is meaningful and satisfying.

As an employee of the OPC, you would work in a modern LEED-certified building in downtown Gatineau with many amenities, including a locked bike room with lockers and showers and a beautiful kitchen. Bus routes and bike/jogging paths are nearby, as are gyms, shops, restaurants, a food court and cafés. The desks in our Workplace 2.0 environment are adaptable to your style. Like to work standing up or sitting down? You decide! You can also take advantage of our personal and career development offerings, such as training, coaching/mentoring, conferences and well-being activities such as yoga and meditation at work.

Organization-wide, we offer an environment that is intellectually stimulating and supportive. If you believe in making a difference by serving Canadians, an exciting career at the OPC may be for you.

Intent of the process

This process will be used to establish a pool of candidates that may be used to staff similar positions at an identical or equivalent group and level with various linguistic profiles, various security profiles (Reliability Status, Secret), various tenures (Indeterminate, Term), using various staffing activities (indeterminate, term, deployment, acting, assignment, secondment) for positions with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the Public Service.

Positions to be filled: 2

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

EDUCATION
Both streams
Graduation from a recognized university with an acceptable specialization in communications, public relations, or journalism or marketing OR an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience in a field relevant to the position being staffed.

An equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience is defined as: A secondary diploma AND a minimum of seven (7) years’ work experience within the past ten (10) years in a position in a related field.

Notes:
1. Based on their education, training and/or experience, indeterminate incumbents of positions in the IS classification are deemed to meet the minimum education standard whenever a bachelor's degree without specialization is called for in a position classified as IS.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
Stream 1
• Recent and significant* experience developing, implementing and evaluating communications strategies involving a wide variety of tactics (for example, in support of policies, programs, services, or outreach initiatives and activities) for a major organization.
• Recent and significant* experience providing strategic communications advice to clients, including senior management within a major organization.
• Recent and significant* experience in writing communications products such as news releases, speeches, and/or media lines/responses for an organization that attracts national media attention.

Stream 2
• Recent and significant* experience in researching and writing communications products such as news releases, speeches, media lines/responses, and/or news articles.
• Recent and significant* experience providing media relations advice and/or working as a journalist for a major news outlet.

(*): Recent and significant experience refers to the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with the performance of a broad range of related activities which were primarily the candidate’s responsibility for a period of approximately seven (7) years within the past ten (10) years. It will be assessed on the basis of the scope, complexity and diversity of the work performed, as well as the autonomy required of the candidate to perform the activities.

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

Asset Qualifications - EXPERIENCE
Both Streams
• Experience working as a print journalist for a major daily newspaper
• Experience developing media responses and acting as a media spokesperson for an organization that regularly attracts national media attention.
• Experience planning and implementing social media campaigns
• Experience planning and implementing public outreach campaigns
• Experience evaluating and enhancing the usability of web content
• Experience writing about privacy and/or technology issues

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Various language requirements
Stream 1: Bilingual Imperative CCC / CCC
Stream 2: Various linguistic requirements (Bilingual Imperative CCC/CCC and English Essential)

Information on language requirements

ABILITIES
Both streams
• Ability to communicate effectively orally
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities under tight timelines
• Ability to develop communications materials such as, for example, speeches, news releases, key messages, Qs & As, social media posts, etc.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to advise on large-scale (i.e. national level) communications and/or media relations strategies

PERSONAL SUITABILITY
Both Streams
• Interpersonal skills
• Initiative
• Reliability
• Thoroughness

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is committed to Employment Equity. In order to ensure a diversified workforce, preference may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one or more of the following Employment Equity groups: aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minority groups provided the candidate meets all essential qualifications listed on the Statement of Merit Criteria and any applicable asset qualification(s).

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Both Streams
Ability and willingness to work overtime when required

Conditions of employment

Both Streams
Reliability Status security clearance

Stream 2
Able and willing to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

Reference checks may be sought.

An interview may be administered.

A written examination may be administered.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

It is to be noted that it is your responsibility to ensure that, during the life of this selection process, you communicate any changes related to your telephone number or e-mail address to the email address indicated on the poster. Failure to do so might exclude you from the selection process.

You will be asked to provide proof of your education credentials later during the process.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

The OPC is a fragrance free environment.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.