ANTICIPATORY - Senior Communications Strategist

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

Please ensure that your work experience is clearly detailed in your résumé and that you provide the following information:

1) Name of the department or organization;
2) Title of the position, level and duration;
3) Concrete and detailed examples demonstrating how you meet the essential and the asset qualifications.

You must submit a completed application, consisting of screening questions and your résumé.

Your résumé will have to demonstrate how education and experience factors of the screening questions are met to be considered further.

Work environment

The Department of Finance (FIN) plays a vital role in helping the Government of Canada develop the social and economic policies that will further improve the standard of living and quality of life of Canadians, their families and their communities in the years to come.

FIN’s new flagship facility at 90 Elgin Street, in the heart of downtown Ottawa. The building is equipped with state-of-the art technologies to support collaboration and innovation. The area is served by all major bus routes and a light rail station, and employees have access in the building to amenities such as a library and showers, change rooms and secure bicycle storage, allowing them to commute using the National Capital Region’s bike path system.

FIN has also been named one of Canada’s Top Employers for three years in a row and is one of Canada’s 2019 Top Employers for Young People. The Department also consistently ranks among the best federal public organizations for results to the Public Service Employee Survey.

Intent of the process

The immediate intention of this selection process is to fill indeterminate positions with various linguistic profiles: bilingual imperative CBC/CBC and/or BBB/BBB.

This competition is seeking candidates in three streams.

Stream 1 – Strategic Communications
Stream 2 – Public Opinion Research and Consultations
Stream 3 – Social media/Marketing

A partially assessed pool may be established through this process to staff identical or similar positions within the Department with various language requirements.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

*** INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW ***

* NOTE: You must clearly demonstrate in the screening questionnaire how you meet the screening criteria (Education and Experience) listed in the Essential Qualifications and any of the Asset Qualifications, if applicable. Please note that stating that the requirement has been met, and/or listing past or current responsibilities, does not represent adequate substantiation. You must clearly demonstrate through concrete examples how you meet each criterion. Résumés may be used as a secondary source to validate the qualifications described; comments such as "refer to my attached résumé" and a "copy and paste" from your resume will not be accepted and will result in your application being rejected.

FAILURE TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE APPLICATION, CONSISTING OF RESPONDING TO THE SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE AND PROVIDING A RESUME, MAY RESULT IN YOUR APPLICATION BEING REJECTED. APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE THAT THE CANDIDATE MEETS THE SCREENING CRITERIA WILL NOT BE GIVEN FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position. Asset qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed.


EDUCATION:

A degree* from a recognized post-secondary institution.

* The term degree refers to a baccalaureate or higher degree as established by educational authorities.
** 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 any specialization is called for in a position classified as IS.
*** At the manager's discretion, an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience, may serve as an alternative to the minimum education standard.

Degree equivalency

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE:

Recent* and significant** experience in issues management and in providing advice to decision maker in the organization on a variety of complex or sensitive issues***.

Recent* and significant** experience working with internal and external clients, partners and stakeholders.

Experience managing the development, implementation and evaluation of communications plans and initiatives.

*Recent experience is defined as experience gained within the last two (2) years.

**Significant experience is understood to mean the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of communications activities which are normally acquired over a period of two (2) years.

***Complex or sensitive issues, files, projects or initiatives include characteristics such as the following: multidimensional, sensitive, confidential, impacting several partners or stakeholders or that could yield potential for significant media or employee interest.

KNOWLEDGE:
Knowledge of communications tools, strategies and approaches to influence, engage and build relationships to respond to the diverse information needs of the public.
Knowledge of policies and good practices relating to communications.

ABILITIES:
All streams:

Ability to provide strategic advice and make recommendations
Ability to work effectively under pressure

Stream 1:
Ability to write communications materials including speeches and news releases.

COMPETENCIES:
• Effective Interpersonal Relationships
• Judgment
• Adaptability
• Communication (orally and in writing)

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

ASSET EXPERIENCE:

Stream 1:

Recent* and significant** experience in writing and managing the approval and release of a range of communications products including speeches, news releases, backgrounders and key messages.

Experience anticipating change, challenging ideas, assessing risk and recommending alternative strategies to address new and evolving issues.

Stream 2:

Recent* and significant** experience in managing all aspects of public opinion research and consultations. This would include, but not be limited to, developing the relevant strategies, work planning, contracting, analyzing results and writing reports.

Recent* experience in managing human resources.

Stream 3:

Recent* and significant** experience in writing and managing the approval and release of a range of social media marketing communications products including social media posts, advertising campaigns and video scripts.

Recent* and significant** experience in social media analytics including developing and managing approval and release of detailed performance reports, key performance metrics including reach, engagement, response rate, conversation rate and community growth.

Recent* experience in managing human resources.


*Recent experience is defined as experience gained within the last two (2) years.

**Significant experience is understood to mean the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of communications activities which are normally acquired over a period of two (2) years.

Operational Requirements:
• Availability to work overtime on short notice.
• Availability to travel on short notice

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

Various language requirements
Bilingual Imperative BBB/BBB or CBC/CBC

Information on language requirements

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

A written examination may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks will be sought.

The application of the Asset Qualifications, random selection and/or top down selection may be used at any stage of the selection process. Please note that achieving a pass mark on any of the assessments used does not mean you will move forward in the selection process. Management may decide to use a cut-off mark that is higher than the pass mark on any evaluation used throughout the process.

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

If you are already working in the federal government, please identify clearly your substantive group and level and your employment status on your resume and/or application form.

If applicable, please ensure that your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) is included in your application.

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.

ONLY ON-LINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

You must be prepared to provide the original or a certified true copy of your educational credentials.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

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.