Senior Communications Officer

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

At the time of your application, you will be required to complete screening questions. When answering the screening questions you must provide concrete and detailed examples to clearly demonstrate how you meet the qualification. We can’t make any assumptions about your experience. Simply saying you have the required qualifications or listing your current duties is not enough. Instead, provide concrete and detailed examples that clearly explain where, when, and how you gained the experience. We’ll only use your résumé as a secondary source of information. The breadth and depth of experience may be considered during screening, assessment and/or selection of candidates.

Duties

We are looking for communications professionals who would be responsible for a variety of communications services, including support for:

• developing and implementing strategic communications plans;
• providing strategic communications advice;
• developing communications products and/or tools;
• organizing, coordinating and/or supporting events (such as but not limited to public events, internal events, ministerial or dignitary visits or events, media tours conferences, or engagement sessions);
• media relations;
• and other communications activities as required.

In our Communications teams, there is great potential to expand or gain experience in a variety of areas. The ideal candidate is someone who is interested in taking their communications skills and experiences to new heights. We are looking for someone who is creative, passionate, and embraces challenges. If you want to work on a Northern file, hands-on and north of 60, join us for this unique and rewarding opportunity.

We invite you to join an organization that is committed to ensuring an inclusive workplace and respect for all!

Work environment

Why choose Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)? Contribute to CIRNAC’s interesting and unique mandate by playing a role in supporting a renewed nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationship with Indigenous Peoples. Leave your mark on Canadian history, as you work with a team that is leading the government’s work in the North. Join a workplace committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. You can’t find this type of experience anywhere else.

For more information on what the Government of Canada has to offer as an employer, read the Top 10 Reasons to Join Canada’s Public Service!
https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/site/proudly-serving/top-10-reasons-join-public-service.html

For more information on life in the Yukon, please visit: https://www.travelyukon.com/en.

For more information on life in the Northwest Territories, please visit: https://spectacularnwt.com/

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to create a pool of qualified candidates to staff the following positions, or similar positions, on a permanent or temporary basis at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada:

Senior Communication Officer – Immediate, permanent need in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Senior Communication Officer – Immediate, permanent need in Whitehorse, Yukon

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)

The following criteria will be assessed using your résumé and the screening questions we ask you to complete online. To ensure that you are selected, you must demonstrate when, where and how you acquired each of the qualifications by giving concrete examples.

Education:

• A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution and/or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

Note: Indeterminate incumbents of positions in the IS classification based on education, training and/or experience are deemed to meet the minimum education standard.

Degree equivalency

Experience:

• Recent* experience developing communications products and/or tools.
• Experience organizing, coordinating and/or supporting events (such as but not limited to public events, internal events, ministerial or dignitary visits or events, media tours conferences, or engagement sessions).
• Experience providing strategic** communications advice to audiences, including senior management.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic** communications plans.
• Recent* experience in media relations (such as but not limited to facilitating media calls, developing key messages, preparing spokespersons for interviews, coordinating media events, or coordinating response to media inquiries).

*Recent refers to within the last five years.
**Strategic is defined as anticipating opportunities, articulating and evaluating alternative strategies, and making recommendations on strategic choices.

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

The following criteria will be assessed using your résumé and online screening questions. However, they are only assets, so you do not need to meet them to be selected, but preference could be given to those who have them.

Education:

• A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution specializing in communications, public relations/public affairs, business administration, journalism, or mass media.

Degree equivalency

Experience:

• Experience working in Canada’s North.
• Experience in working on Indigenous and Northern files.

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

English essential
You will have to communicate, both in writing and orally, in English as part of your work.

Information on language requirements

The following criteria are essential for the job, but they will be assessed later using different assessment methods (written exam, interview, reference check, etc.):

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the mandate of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively orally.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing, using plain and clear language.
• Ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to develop strategic* communications plans.
• Ability to develop communications products and/or tools.
• Ability to perform media relations functions.
• Ability to provide strategic advice to audiences, including senior management.

*Strategic is defined as anticipating opportunities, articulating and evaluating alternative strategies, and making recommendations on strategic choices.

Personal suitabilities:

In addition to having the knowledge and abilities mentioned above, you must have the following personal suitabilities:

• Effective interpersonal skills;
• Sound judgement;
• Initiative;
• Dependability;
• Client service orientation.

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

This asset will be assessed later, but you do not need to meet it to be considered qualified. However, please note that preference may be given to those for whom this is the case.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of Northern media and media relations strategies.

Employment Equity:

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is committed to having a skilled and diverse workforce representative of the population it serves. In support of our strategy to achieve our employment equity goals, selection may be limited to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: women, Indigenous Persons, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Operational requirements:

The operational requirements listed below may be requested, upon taking up the position.

• Willingness and ability to travel, potentially to remote areas.
• Willingness and ability to work overtime, weekends and/or statutory holidays and territorial/provincial holidays.

Conditions of employment

The successful candidate will be required to obtain a Reliability or Secret Security Clearance, depending on the position to be staffed, prior to taking up the position. A Medical Clearance might be also required.

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

1. 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.

2. All communication relating to this process, including email correspondence and telephone conversations, may be used in the assessment of qualifications. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.

3. Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position. Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

4. Candidates will be asked to provide proof of their education credentials at the assessment stage of this process. Failure to do so may result in your application not being considered further in the selection 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.