Communications Advisor(s) / Officer(s)

Important messages

Have you ever wondered why Prairies Economic Development Canada (formerly Western Economic Diversification) consistently ranks as the top federal department to work for? Join our team to find out! We hire top talent and provide an employment experience that brings out the best in people. We are motivated by achieving great results for Canadians.

Our Communications team is looking for more talent. If you are a highly motivated individual with excellent communication skills, and are interested in liaising with external stakeholders, we encourage you to apply.

Why Choose PrairiesCan:
• Work with amazing people who support each other
• Meaningful work that makes a difference to the country
• Excellent compensation package
• Flexible work arrangements
• Modern work tools and technology

Please note: as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are primarily working remotely for the time being. Interviews and related assessments will be conducted virtually throughout this staffing process. Applicants are responsible to ensure they have a reliable internet connection and access. If you are appointed to a position, PrairiesCan will provide tools and/or equipment to support remote work.

Duties

About the role:

PrairiesCan focuses on creating a diversified western Canadian economy that has strong, competitive and innovative businesses. A position with PrairiesCan allows you to be part of a nimble department that has a broad mandate to work on a variety of economic development activities.

In this position, you would be part of an Ottawa-based core team that liaises with PrairiesCan regional officials across the western provinces.

We are looking for innovative Communications professionals in the following three streams:

Stream 1: Strategic Communications Officer/Advisor

• PrairiesCan is making smart, targeted investments to spur economic growth and innovation. The job involves telling compelling stories about building the western economy. You can expect an opportunity to apply your broad range of skills to a variety of files that affect the lives of Canadians.

• We’re looking for someone with serious communications skills to join us in Ottawa. We’re a small team so you’ll be working on literally everything: communications plans, news releases, backgrounders, questions and answers, speaking notes, fact sheets, media lines, media responses, video scripts, blog posts, social media content, internal communications, blogs, infographics, web content and branding initiatives.

Stream 2: Internal Communications Officer/Advisor

• Internal communicators are the backbone of any organization. You provide advice, develop and implement strategies, and ensure that employees in the organization are informed about the changes taking place around them. This is an opportunity to influence the corporate culture of a brand-new organization.

• PrairiesCan communicators have a bird’s eye view of their organization that allows them a more horizontal focus in their communications activity. As an internal communications specialist, you’ll be working on employee engagement, change management, high-level documents like the Departmental Plan , Departmental Results Reports as well as reports from officers of Parliament, such as the Auditor General and the Privacy and Information commissioners. The job is at once strategic, tactical and issues-management focused.

Stream 3: Digital Communications Officer/Advisor

• Digital communications are central to PrairiesCan’s efforts to spur economic growth and innovation. We’re building capacity in Web, UX and multimedia. Your work as a digital specialist will be the public face of our new organization.

Working here, you will get first-hand experience providing information and delivering service to citizens. It’s often a fast-paced environment and the work can be challenging. You will be part of a team of 10 based in Ottawa, with more team members across the Prairie provinces. Your focus will be to streamline digital service delivery and tell the PrairiesCan story with compelling images, video and graphics.

Work environment

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 process, please contact Allison Higgins by email at . All information received in relation to a request for accommodation will be kept confidential.

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to staff three (3) one-year term (temporary) positions. Additional opportunities are possible, as is the possibility for extension of the terms.

A pool of qualified candidates (fully assessed or partially assessed) may be established and used to staff similar positions at this group and level. This process may be used for various positions and tenures (including but not limited to indeterminate appointments, term appointments, internal assignments, secondments, deployments, acting appointments, casual), security requirements, language requirements and conditions of employment.

Positions to be filled: 3

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter

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

For All Streams
Education:
• A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution.

Stream 3: Digital Communications Officer/Advisor
Education:
An acceptable combination of education and experience which is defined as:
• Graduation from a post secondary certificate or diploma program with specialization in Graphic Design, Video Production, Social Media or related studies; and
• Significant* experience in a related field.

*Significant is understood to mean the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of complex, related activities for a minimum of two (2) years on a full time basis.

Degree equivalency

All Streams
Experience:
• Experience providing advice to clients on communications products or activities.
• Experience in helping to develop or implement communications plans or projects.

Stream 1: Strategic Communications Officer/Advisor
Experience:
• Recent** and significant* experience in researching, writing and editing of communication products, such as; media advisories, media lines, news releases and speeches for senior officials.

*Significant is understood to mean the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of complex, related activities for a minimum of two (2) years.
**Recent within the last two (2) years.

Stream 2: Internal Communications Officer/Advisor
Experience:
• Experience in developing a wide range of communications products to support programs, initiatives such as; newsletters, web content, speeches, townhalls, corporate meetings, etc.

Stream 3: Digital Communications Officer/Advisor
Experience:
• Experience in developing and delivering visual design concepts and creatives such as: digital publications, infographics, videos, motion graphics, multimedia presentations and/or web sites.
• Experience consulting with clients and stakeholders on the development of graphic design products.
• Experience with video production.
• Experience with the use of professional/industrial grade cameras and audio-visual equipment.

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS
Experience:
• Experience developing scripts, storylines and storyboards for video and/or animation products and/or developing infographics from various sources of content.
• Experience providing quality control services for the production of visual communications products
• Experience in the development/coding of web pages or web sites.
• Experience providing event management and social media assistance at press conferences and media availabilities.
• Experience in creating communications plans;
• Experience with advising management in strategic communications.
• Experience in the use of new media tools for social media management, social media listening and social media analytics to disseminate and measure digital communications activities.
• Experience covering live events on social media through live posting and live streaming.

Note:
• The depth, breadth and scope of experience in all of the experience requirements will be assessed.
• Asset qualifications will be applied based on unit needs at the time of hiring.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (BBB/BBB)

Information on language requirements

All Streams
Competencies:
• Communication (Oral)
• Communication (Written)
• Demonstrate integrity and respect
• Initiative/Action Oriented
• Think things through
• Work effectively with others

All Streams
Abilities:
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and with tight deadlines and competing priorities.
• Ability to take into consideration corporate policies, directives, standards and/or guidelines relevant to communications products when making recommendations to clients, stakeholders and senior management.

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

Organizational Needs:
• In support of achieving a diversified workforce, preference may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Indigenous peoples, Persons with a Disability, Visible Minorities, and Women.

Conditions of employment

Condition(s) of Employment:
• Reliability Security Clearance
• Willing and able to travel.
• Willing and able to work overtime, often on short notice, including occasional weekends.
• Fully vaccinated for COVID-19 unless being accommodated based on a certified medical contraindication or a prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

For the full Treasury Board Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination cut and paste the following link: https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32694 .

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

On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced details of its plans to require vaccination across the federal public service.

As per the new Policy on COVID-19 "Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police", federal public servants in the Core Public Administration and members of the RCMP must attest to their vaccination status. The requirement for employees to be fully vaccinated applies whether they are teleworking, working remotely or working on-site. This is a condition of employment and it applies to indeterminate (permanent), determinate (term), casual, and student hiring. Should you reach the point in the selection process where it is necessary to verify terms and conditions of employment then the hiring manager or a human resources representative will contact you in order to complete an attestation.

NOTE: Your written communication will be assessed through all communications including the screening questions, any correspondence you have with our office and a written exercise.

TIPS FOR APPLICANTS:
When answering the screening questions ensure that you provide complete and thorough details of your experience. Do not assume that the screening board has any previous knowledge of your background, qualifications, or work history. You must be specific and provide concrete examples/details for each experience element, as applications will be screened only on the information provided. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being screened out of the competition.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. Applicants MUST check their email accounts frequently as there may be a deadline for responses. 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).

Depending on the number of applicants, the needs and/or Human Resources plans, volume management strategies such as random selection, top-down approach and/or establishing cut-off scores to determine who will continue in the staffing process, MAY BE USED for the purpose of managing applications.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first and then to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, 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.