Communications Advisor

Update: Dear candidate,

Please note that a change has been made to one of the definitions in the statement of merit criteria: "Significant experience" is now defined as experience associated with having performed related activities, which could normally be acquired over a period of two (2) years.

Thank you.

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

COMMUNICATION DURING THIS PROCESS

For this selection process, our intention is to communicate with the candidates by email. Candidates who apply on this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). If you do not wish to receive your results by email, it is your responsibility to inform us.

Candidates must check their email accounts frequently as there may be new communication regarding this process or a deadline for response. Responses provided after the indicated deadline may not be accepted.

ABOUT US

If you are passionate about promoting Canada’s linguistic duality and want to ensure that Canada has an inclusive culture which respects the language rights of its citizens, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages invites you to apply!

Work environment

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) is a small organization of 160 employees that offers a positive, collaborative and bilingual work environment.

The Commissioner of Official Languages is mandated by Parliament. He is therefore independent from the government, but his staff are members of the federal public service and benefit from all the related advantages, including flexible work, competitive salaries and professional development.

OCOL has a Workplace fit-up with open-concept offices, quiet rooms, meeting rooms and collaborative areas for team work. Employees are equipped with laptops and have WI-FI access throughout the office space. The eco-friendly building is located at 30 Victoria St. in Gatineau and is close to public transit, parking, bike and walking paths, shops and services. The building offers indoor bike storage as well as change rooms with showers.

OCOL administers the compensation of employees directly in its offices in Gatineau. Therefore, it is not serviced by the Pay Centre in Miramichi. In this regard, all compensation transactions are carried out on site.

Intent of the process

There is a staffing need to staff one position on a twelve (12) months temporary basis.

A pool of qualified candidates resulting from this process may be established and used to fill this positions and similar positions with various tenures and security requirements. All federal organizations listed in Schedules I, IV and V of the Financial Administration Act may use this staffing process to appoint a candidate to its organization in a similar position if a pool is created and in consultation with human resources / management.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

EDUCATION

ED1: A degree from a recognized university with specialization in communications, marketing, journalism, or in another field related to the position.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE

EXP1: Experience in the provision of communications advice to management.

EXP2: Experience in establishing collaborative relationships with various partners.

EXP3: Experience in the concurrent management of multiple communications projects or files.

EXP4: Recent* and significant** experience in developing and implementing communications plans and/or strategies.

EXP5: Recent* and significant** experience in the planning and writing of a wide range of communications products for a variety of audiences (e.g., speeches, speaking points, media lines, news releases, backgrounders, Web pages, social media messages, presentations, etc.).

DEFINITIONS

*Recent is defined as having performed the work within approximately the last five (5) years.
**Significant experience is defined as experience associated with having performed related activities, which could normally be acquired over a period of two (2) years.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (CCC/CCC)

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE

K1: Knowledge of the Government of Canada Policy on Communications and Federal Identity.
K2: Knowledge of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages’ mandate.
K3: Knowledge of current trends in communications tools and technology.

ABILITIES

A1: Ability to write and edit texts for a variety of audiences.
A2: Ability to analyze information.
A3: Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
A4: Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
A5: Ability to communicate effectively orally.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY

PS1: Effective interpersonal skills
PS2: Autonomy (dependability)
PS3: Initiative
PS4: Judgment
PS5: Flexibility (adaptability)
PS6: Client Service Orientation

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

Experience in media relations and/or coordinating media enquiries.

Experience in identifying communications issues and their potential impact, and presenting effective recommendations to address them.

Experience developing, implementing and analyzing the performance of social media campaigns.

Experience in internal communications.

Experience in speechwriting.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT

Willing and able to travel occasionally.
Willing and able to work overtime as required.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages is committed to having a skilled and diversified workforce representative of the population it serves. In support of its strategy to achieve its employment equity goals, selection may be limited to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal Persons, Visible Minorities and Persons with Disabilities.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status 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

OTHER INFORMATION

Completing the screening questionnaire is mandatory for this selection process.

Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

Meeting criteria such as asset qualifications, operational requirements or organizational needs is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the right fit. Asset qualifications could be applied at any step of the selection process.

Applicants are entitled to participate in the selection process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to identify which language they are interested in being assessed for on their application. Candidates will be asked to undergo the PSC Second Language Evaluation (SLE) or provide valid SLE results. To obtain a copy of SLE results, candidates may make a request at the following website: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/ppc-cpp/test-examenresult/tst-rslt-examn-eng.htm. For more information on SLE, visit the following website: http://www.psccfp.gc.ca/ppccpp/sle-els/cand-info-cand-eng.htm.

Proof of Canadian Citizenship and education credentials must be available upon request. Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at: http://www.cicic.ca/.

TRAVEL RELATED TO THE SELECTION OR APPOINTMENT PROCESS: Please note that candidates (including employees of the Public Service) will not be considered to be in travel status or on government business and that travel costs will not be reimbursed. Consequently, candidates will be responsible for travel costs. Minimal reimbursement of relocation expenses could be offered if the selected candidate moves as a result of an employment offer.

Your answers to the screening questionnaire and your résumé may be used to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in writing.

A written test and an interview may be administered. Interviews may be conducted in person, by phone, or by videoconference.

Reference checks may be sought.

A top down approach and/or random selection may be invoked at any stage in this process to limit numbers of candidates, or for appointment purposes.

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.