Assistant Commissioner, Public Affairs

Important messages

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Assessment accommodation

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) protects Canadian financial consumers. The agency supervises federally regulated financial entities, ensuring that they comply with consumer protection measures set out in legislation, and promotes financial education, strengthening the knowledge, skills and confidence of Canadians and raising awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities.

FCAC is at a critical point in its evolution. The new Public Affairs Branch brings together the agency’s communications, marketing, consumer services and partnership and stakeholder engagement expertise, elevating these functions as key enablers of all lines of business. Reporting to the Commissioner, this newly created Assistant Commissioner role will help guide the branch and agency in becoming more strategic in its communications, engagement and outreach activities.

The ideal person will be an inspiring leader and an authoritative voice on marketing, communications, and outreach and engagement strategies. The person will be known for their insights and creativity, their integrity, and their ability to establish and maintain positive and productive relationships with colleagues, staff and stakeholders, including public, private and not-for-profit sector partners, the media and Canadians.

The Assistant Commissioner, Public Affairs Branch is a critical position for enabling FCAC to be more proactive, transparent and strategic in its communications and relationships building. As an integral member of the Executive Committee, they will also bring their leadership, collaboration and values to bear in advancing the strategic objectives and priorities of the agency as a whole. With a mantra of one mandate, one team, FCAC aims to marshal its collective expertise and effort to be a leader and innovator in financial consumer protection.

This appointment is subject to the Public Service Employment Act. Preference may be given to applicants who are members of one or more of the following groups: women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of a visible minority group.

FCAC has it’s own classification system (RE and REX). This position is classified at the REX-08 which is equivalent to an EX-03.

Work environment

FCAC is a separate agency that operates in a fast-paced and rapidly evolving environment. Today’s financial marketplace is complex, global and constantly in flux. Likewise, FCAC must be innovative and agile to remain a trusted authority in financial consumer protection. Its greatest strength is its people, a knowledgeable, experienced and passionate team of approximately 150 professionals that draw on the diversity of their skills and expertise to advance the agency’s mandate.

Located in downtown Ottawa, FCAC offers a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes a minimum of four weeks of vacation leave per year and the ability to earn performance pay. The agency offers the same pension and group insurance benefits plans as the core public administration. However, it operates in an unrepresented environment and has its own classification and compensation systems.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff one position on an indeterminate basis.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter in 5,000 words (maximum) "NOTE: The candidate MUST provide a cover letter. In this document, you must provide concrete and detailed examples to clearly demonstrate how you meet the education and experience requirements listed in the essential qualifications and asset qualifications sections. The screening board cannot make any assumptions about your experience. It is not sufficient to say that you have the required qualifications or to list your current duties. One effective approach would be to use the wording of each experience criterion as a heading and then write one or two paragraphs demonstrating not only that you have the required experience, but how it was acquired and ensure that clear and accurate details are provided. The curriculum vitae may be a secondary source to confirm the experience described in the cover letter. Applications that do not clearly demonstrate that the candidate meets the screening criteria will not be given further consideration."

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

A degree from a recognized university with specialization relevant to the position, or an acceptable combination of relevant education, job-related training and/or experience.

Degree equivalency

Significant* executive-level management experience, including the management of human and financial resources (see note below);

NOTE:

Financial management: applicants must show evidence of managing and being accountable for a budget. This experience is defined as being responsible for sound financial planning, forecasting and reporting. Applicants must also indicate the size of the budget they managed directly.

Human resources management: applicants must clearly demonstrate that they have managed employees, including performance management, and developed or contributed to the development of human resources plans. Applicants must indicate the number of employees they supervised directly.

Significant* experience in developing and managing communications or public affairs programs, strategies, and initiatives;

Significant* experience in providing strategic communications advice and recommendations on significant or highly sensitive issues to senior management;

Significant* experience in media relations including responding to media enquiries and/or acting as spokesperson for an organization;

Experience in stakeholder management and outreach, including building and maintaining effective relationships with external stakeholders and senior officials from government;

Experience at the executive level in leading the development and coordination of communications products including but not limited to brochures, press releases, Q&As, briefing documents, speeches, and presentations.

* Significant experience is understood to mean the depth and breadth of the experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of various, complex, related activities which are normally acquired over a period of three (3) years at the executive level; and the performance of those duties within the last five (5) years.

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

Graduate degree or other advanced degree or qualification from a recognized post-secondary institution.

Degree equivalency

Experience in leading high-profile communication activities such as press conferences, public announcements, or annual meetings of stakeholders;
Experience working in a communications field within the federal government of Canada, and in dealing with central agencies.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (CBC/CBC)

Information on language requirements

Second Language Writing Skills Self-Assessment
In order to help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your writing skills in your second official language is available for you to take before completing your application.

For more information, please consult:
Unsupervised Internet Test of Second Language Writing Skills

Knowledge of Government of Canada communications policies, priorities and practices;
Knowledge of the mandate and activities of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada and the legislative framework in which it operates.

Key Leadership Competencies:
Create Vision and Strategy
Mobilize People
Uphold Integrity and Respect
Collaborate with Partners and Stakeholders
Promote Innovation and Guide Change
Achieve Results

Ability to develop effective communication strategies that engage both internal and external audiences;
Ability to develop innovative and highly effective social media or branding campaigns;
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

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

Knowledge of trends and emerging issues in the financial sector, including how technological changes are influencing the sector and can be used to the benefit of consumers;
Knowledge of digital learning;
Knowledge of evaluation methods of communication and engagement programs and activities.

Ability to anticipate media questions, prioritize and flag issues of concern;
Ability to manage and motivate to effect major organizational change and achieve positive outcomes.

Operational Requirements: Travel within and outside Canada is required as well as potential for overtime.

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance

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

We will only accept on-line applications received via the jobs.gc.ca site. There are some benefits associated with applying on-line: Applicants can create a profile and retrieve stored application(s) (personal information, covering letter and résumé) previously submitted and modify them, if necessary, before submitting the application. Applicants can modify their application/résumé at any time BEFORE the closing date indicated on the job advertisement.

All communications relating to this process and a variety of tools (online test, written examination, standardized testing, presentations, interview, recent and past performance assessment, reference check, etc.) may be used in the assessment of qualifications identified on the Statement of Merit Criteria.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent.

A random and/or top down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

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.