Communications Director

Update: Please note that due to an administrative error, applicants are unable to submit responses to the asset questions.

Applicants will be contacted after the closing date, in order to provide examples on asset experience.

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

WHAT WE DO

Every day, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) changes peoples’ lives. We welcome workers, students, visitors, and permanent residents, as well as protect some of the world’s most vulnerable people and help newcomers settle in Canada. As we build back from the pandemic, immigration is essential to our economic recovery and growth. That is why we plan to welcome 411,000 immigrants in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023. By the early 2030s, Canada’s population growth is expected to rely exclusively on immigration. The decisions we make today—and the work you will do as part of the Communications Branch—will help shape Canada for generations to come.

Learn more about why immigration matters: www.canada.ca/immigration-matters.

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE TEAM AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO US

As Canada continues to change, building a strong immigration system means having an inclusive organization—one whose employees and managers represent the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds that reflect Canada now and into the future. We are fully committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and are actively working to find and eliminate racism as well as systemic and structural barriers in our people management, policies, and programs.

IRCC has been working steadily to make changes in the way we work, including developing an action plan to implement measures set out in the Clerk's Call to Action, IRCC's Anti-Racism Value Statement, and the 2020-21 Deputy Minister's commitments. IRCC is dedicating time and resources to focus on eight objectives to measurably and significantly advance its efforts on anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

To help advance racial equity and embed anti-racism accountability across the Communications Branch, we have named a full-time Anti-Racism Lead who reports to the Director General and supports this year’s Branch anti-racism commitments.

Learn more about our commitment to anti-racism: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/anti-racism.html.

We have more work to do—we know that—and that is why we are committed to eliminating all forms of racism at IRCC.

►In order to build a diverse team, we strongly encourage you to tell us if you identify as an Indigenous person, a Black or other racialized individual, someone with a disability, a woman, or a member of one of the LGBTQ2+ communities.

NOTE: We understand the phrasing above is not perfect and doesn't speak to the individual attention that each group deserves. As we focus on the big picture of addressing racism, we are following the language used by the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat.

To read more: www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/anti-racism-engagement/anti-racism-strategy.html.

✋ When submitting your information, please make sure you provide a description with concrete details of how you meet the education and experience qualifications below. Through the online application system, please provide enough information and detail so that we can thoroughly understand (a) the project or task (b) your role (c) your contribution and (d) the results you achieved. Your résumé will only be used as a secondary source to validate experience. You will not be asked to provide missing information if your answers are incomplete. We will assess your ability to communicate in writing through your application. ✋

Work environment

WHY WORK WITH US?

Come join a team of people who are dedicated to building a better Canada. Through our work, we are helping to shape the welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and prosperous country we want to be.

We have offices across the country and, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Communications Branch has successfully transitioned to remote work. While we don’t know exactly what the office of the future will look like, we do know that remote work works and that flexibility is paramount. Currently, our entire Branch is working remotely, including the Director General who believes that remote work will be key to helping build an inclusive environment where individuals from across the country can contribute their skills and expertise. We plan to continue supporting flexible work arrangements, balancing the need to occasionally go into the office for operational requirements.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

👍 An opportunity to build and nurture a team of communicators at one of Canada’s Best Employers (Forbes 2021).
👍 A boss who is genuinely invested in you and your team’s success, development, and growth within the Public Service.
👍 Possibility to work from various locations across Canada.
👍 Many active diversity, equity and inclusion groups, including the Black Employee Network, Anti-Racism Task Force, Pride@IRCC, Indigenous Peoples Circle, Racialized Employee Network, IRCC champions, Persons with Disabilities Employee Network and Committee, and the Network for Asian Federal Employees.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

To be successful at IRCC, we are looking for communication leaders who:

✔️ Put people and their teams at the heart of everything they do.
✔️ Inspire and guide their teams, and create a culture that values collaboration, client service, participation, and excellence.
✔️ Are committed to helping advance our department’s efforts on anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
✔️ Understand the importance of working across the entire Communications Branch to leverage expertise and unlock the contributions of the broader team.
✔️ Adapt easily to change in an environment where priorities and pressures regularly evolve.
✔️ Are comfortable and skilled at influencing decision makers and providing authoritative advice to senior leaders on communications issues.
✔️ Enjoy trying new things and value holistic, modern communication tactics.
✔️ Can recruit, retain, and develop top talent in a competitive job market where tried-and-true techniques are no longer enough.

Intent of the process

This process will be used to create a pool of qualified candidates at the EX-01 group and level who may be considered for a number of opportunities and roles within the Communications Branch and across IRCC.

By applying, you consent to us sharing your personal application information with other government departments interested in staffing similar positions.

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)

EDUCATION

Acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.
OR
Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE

1) Significant* experience providing communications advice to senior executives** and/or ministerial staff.

2) Significant* experience managing the development and delivery of communication strategies and projects that produced results.

3) Experience adapting effectively to change in a fast-paced environment.

4) Significant* experience managing human resources, including experience inspiring, coaching, and guiding communication teams (Indicate the number of employees you managed directly).

5) Experience managing financial resources (Indicate the size of budget you managed).

Definitions:
*Significant experience refers to the depth and breadth of experience generally acquired over two years or more. The amount, complexity, and diversity of work may be taken into consideration.
**Senior executives generally refer to someone at the DG, ADM, or DM level in the public sector or at the V- or C-levels in the private sector.

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

ASSET EXPERIENCE

Experience leading a team in at least two different communications specialties (e.g. media relations, social media, web, internal communications, issues management, events, marketing, public opinion research, consultations, visual communications, editing and writing services).

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

Bilingual - Imperative (CBC/CBC)
You must meet the language requirement in French and English before being appointed to a position (what we refer to as “Bilingual Imperative CBC/CBC” in the Public Service). However, we may give you a grace period to meet the language requirement (Bilingual Non-Imperative CBC/CBC).

Information on language requirements

KEY LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

You will be assessed against the key leadership competencies for the director level:

1) Create Vision and Strategy
2) Mobilize People
3) Uphold Integrity and Respect
4) Collaborate with Partners and Stakeholders
5) Promote Innovation and Guide Change
6) Achieve Results

Learn more about the key leadership competencies: https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/professional-development/key-leadership-competency-profile.

ABILITIES

1) Ability to attract, retain, and mentor strong communicators.
2) Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
3) Ability to communicate effectively orally.

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

IRCC is committed to having a Diverse and Inclusive workforce. As such, preference may be given to under-represented Employment Equity groups:

• Indigenous People*
• Persons with disabilities, and
• Racialized persons**
• Women

*referred as Aboriginal peoples in the Employment Equity Act
**referred as members of visible minorities in the Employment Equity Act

If you identify as Indigenous, Racialized, Person with a Disability or a Woman please let us know by filling out the self-declaration section in your application.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must be willing and able to work overtime with little or no notice, including on weekends (executive are not entitled to overtime pay).

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance

All employees of the core public administration are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and attest to their vaccination status unless accommodated based on a medical contraindication, religion, or another prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Consent to being deployed.*

*Effective April 1, 2020, all appointments and deployments (except acting appointments) to and within the Executive (EX) Group are subject to the Agreement to be Deployed provision, found in Part 1, A.II.14 in Appendix A of the Directive on Terms and Conditions of Employment for Executives. To be appointed, you must accept this condition of employment and agree to be deployed to another position in the EX Group within the core public administration.
Read more about the Directive: https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32625.

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.

You must submit your application through the Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) online. If you have a disability preventing you from applying online, you may contact the Public Service Commission at 1-800-645-5605.

You must meet each essential qualification to be appointed to a position.

Reference checks will be conducted. Please be ready to provide the names, titles, and contact information of your referees (current supervisor, previous supervisor, colleague, and subordinate).

You will be asked to complete a written exam if you pass the initial screening.

Interviews will be done using MS Teams or another video conference platform.

Random selection, a top-down approach, or cut-off scores at various points in the process may be used to determine the number of qualified candidates who will be considered further in the process.

You will be asked to provide proof of your education credentials. If you have foreign education credentials, you must provide proof of Canadian equivalency.
Please contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information: http://www.cicic.ca.

We will communicate with you through email. In your application, please provide a valid email address and make sure it works at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

We will not send an acknowledgement of receipt.

You may participate in this process in the official language of your choice.

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.