AMENDMENT* Senior Communications Advisor

Update: Important Messages

*Amendment to the closing date. If you have already submitted your application successfully, you do not have to reapply.

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

*Amendment to the closing date. If you have already submitted your application successfully, you do not have to reapply.

Persons with a priority entitlement may self-refer if interested in the IS-04/SPLN-04 will be considered in priority to all other applicants.

You are required to complete screening questions that clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria of education, experience and any asset education and asset experience if applicable. Your response must include HOW (concrete examples), WHEN (dates) and WHERE (location of work) you meet the essential criteria required. It is your responsibility to provide complete and appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

The screening board cannot make any assumptions about your experience and will not contact candidates for additional or potentially missing information.

Please DO NOT send a cover letter. The screening questions replace the cover letter. We will NOT review cover letters.

Resume may be used as a secondary source to validate the qualifications described; comments such as "refer to my attached resume" will not be accepted and may result in your application being rejected.

If your application is selected for further consideration, you will be invited to attend in-person testing. Test sessions will ONLY take place in Dartmouth, NS.

Please consult the "Other Information" section to learn more about this.

Work environment

The RCMP in Nova Scotia (RCMPNS) is the provincial police service, serving communities from one end of the province to the other. This includes serving many of the province’s Indigenous communities and largest African Nova Scotian communities. The Strategic Communications Unit is essential to this service, responsible for communications that inform and engage audiences in topics pertaining to the RCMPNS’ operations/policing services and personal and public safety.

Providing strategic communications in a policing environment is highly demanding. It is not for everyone. It requires communicators who think clearly under pressure and deal with material that may be sensitive and controversial regarding subject matter that may be emotionally difficult. It also requires that you manage multiple competing priorities as part of a highly collaborative, fast-moving team. If you know you thrive in this type of environment, are deeply committed to public service, want to work at your full capacity (and sometimes beyond!), learn from others and from experiences, and have respect for diverse perspectives, this may be the perfect opportunity for you.

The Strategic Communications Unit currently includes a director, three communication advisors, two public information officers and an administrative assistant. Our unit reports directly to the Commanding Officer. Our office is located at RCMPNS headquarters in Dartmouth.

Intent of the process

This selection process will initially be used to staff one vacant indeterminate position.

A pool of qualified candidates inclusive of Public Service (PS) employees and Civilian Members (CM); may be established through this process to staff identical or similar IS-04/SLPN-04 positions on a temporary or permanent full-time basis.

Should a CM be found qualified and selected for appointment, the appointment will not result in a change of status to another category for the member.

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

A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with an acceptable specialization in communications or public relations; or

A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution and a diploma or certificate in public relations, or communications.

Degree equivalency

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

E1. Extensive experience* producing and implementing strategic communication plans and/or products in at least one of the following areas:

• personal or public safety
• personal or public health
• education
• social or environmental issue
• community development

E2. Extensive* experience providing advice to management regarding the strategic use of communication to advance organizational priorities.

E3. Experience supervising employees and/or coordinating human resources (ex. Supervising, workload assignment, employee development, approving leave etc.)

E4. Recent** experience writing or editing communication products, including at least three of the following:
• news releases
• media lines
• backgrounders
• speaking notes
• articles for a corporate newsletter
• web content

*Extensive is defined as a depth and breadth of experience normally acquired with having performed a broad range of complex related activities for a period of at least five (5) continuous years. Complex is defined as activities involving multiple sub-issues or related issues, multiple stakeholders, critical timelines, a high degree of visibility and/or political sensitivity, or having a major impact on the department, government, and/or the public.

**Recent is defined as within the last 18 months.

PERSONAL SUITABILITIES

PS1. Initiative

PS2. Effective Interpersonal Skills

PS3. Thinking Things Through

PS4. Dependability

PS5: Client Service Orientation

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

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

OR1. Willing and able to occasionally work overtime.

OR2. Willing and able to be on call.

OR3. Willing and able to travel occasionally.

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

English essential
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

English Essential

Information on language requirements

ABILITIES

A1. Ability to work well under pressure, adapting to shifting priorities to meet deadlines.

A2. Ability to communicate effectively orally.

A3. Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

A4. Ability to develop strategic communication plans and products in consideration of organizational objectives.

A5. Ability to research, analyze and synthesize information to produce communications advice for senior management.

A6. Ability to build and maintain partnerships and resolve issues or conflicts.

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

ASSET EXPERIENCE

AE1. Experience leading working groups or project teams.

AE2. Experience in evaluating communication strategies.

AE3. Experience working in communications in a police or legal service environment.

AE4. Experience as a media relations spokesperson.

Conditions of employment

Top Secret security clearance - The successful applicant will have to obtain, as a minimum, an RCMP Top Secret. The process requires a Security/Reliability Interview, a field investigation in matters of Criminal Activities, credit/finances, education, employment, references, etc.

NOTE: Successful candidates will require a valid RCMP security clearance prior to appointment and throughout the tenure of their employment. The process to obtain RCMP security clearance involves a security/reliability interview and a field investigation regarding matters of criminal activity which includes reference checks, verification of credit/financial status, education, employment, etc. As such, the process may take several weeks or months to complete. To be granted RCMP security clearance and to maintain the ethical standards of the RCMP, candidates must not be, or have been, involved in
certain criminal activities*, have been dishonourably discharged, have pending personal bankruptcies, etc.

For additional information and a complete list of activities, please visit and read the section titled “To apply as a police officer, you”, as well as the applicable considerations under “Evaluating your past actions”. The security requirements are the same for all employees of the RCMP.

OTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

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.

Possession of a valid driver’s licence or mobility to the degree normally associated with the possession of a valid driver’s licence.

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.

The client organization will accept applications on-line only. All job applications must therefore be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System. Following are some of the benefits associated with applying on-line.

Applicants can create a profile and a resume that can be used when applying for other processes without having to recreate a new application each time.

Applicants can modify their application/resume at any time BEFORE the closing date indicated on the job advertisement.

Applicants can verify the status of their applications, at any time.

Applicants can be notified electronically of tests or interviews and results.

For some jobs, applicants will find important information, namely the job questionnaire and a complete statement of merit criteria that are only available when applying online.

To submit an application online, please select the button "Apply Online" below.

Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

Our means of communication with applicants is via e-mail. Please ensure to include a functional e-mail address, which will accept messages from unknown users (some e-mail systems block these types of e-mails). It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.

All communication relating to this process may be used in the assessment of other qualifications.

Depending on the number of applicants, Department needs and HR plans, volume management strategies such as random selection, top-down approach, and/or cut-off scores MAY be used for the purpose of managing applications/candidates.

A situational exercise may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

Proof of your education will be requested and must be provided during the selection process, in order to verify that candidates meet the education requirement. Candidates who are unable to provide proof that they meet this essential qualification as requested may be eliminated from the process.

Education obtained outside of Canada must be evaluated. Please contact the International Credential Evaluation Services as soon as possible to initiate the evaluation process http://www.cicic.ca.

If the name identified on the above documents is different than your current legal name, please also provide proof of name change.

You must provide proof of your Canadian Citizenship. The original of one of the following documents must be provided for verification:

Provincial or territorial birth certificate
Naturalization certificates (issued prior to Jan. 1, 1947)
Registration of Birth Abroad certificates (issued between Jan. 1, 1947 and Feb. 14, 1977)
Certificates of Retention
Citizenship certificates

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.