Assistant Director, Communications

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

COMMITMENT

We are also focused on building a workplace that has at its heart people from diverse experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. We want to make sure that everyone has the support to reach their full potential and can actively contribute to the success of the team.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex (including gender identity and/or expression), national origin, sexual orientation, civil union or relationship status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other status protected under federal law. Please feel free to self-identify if you belong to any of these groups. Self declaration may have an impact on final hiring decisions.

Our department’s commitment to anti-racism recognizes the presence of racism in Canada and our own organization, and outlines our resolve to advance racial equity for our employees and our clients. We know that we need to do more to build a workforce that represents Canada’s diversity, at all levels. This will lead to better decisions and policies, improved outcomes for newcomers, and a stronger country for all Canadians.

For more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/anti-racism-strategy.html

IN ORDER TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION, YOU MUST DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Submit your résumé.

2. Submit a covering letter answering all questions.

3. Answer the pre-screening questions that are part of the online application process.

When answering the pre-screening questions, you must provide concrete and detailed examples to clearly demonstrate when, where, and how you gained the experience needed to meet the qualifications. You must note the timeline in which you gained this experience, as well as specific examples of what you did and how you did it, including who you briefed, which clients you served, and with which partners you worked and the end result achieved.

We can’t make any assumptions about your experience and will use only your résumé as a secondary source of information. So, please use these pre-screening questions as your chance to tell us what skills and experience you would bring to the job. Simply saying you have the required qualifications or listing your current duties is not enough. Your answers to each of these questions should be two to three paragraphs long.

If you don’t clearly demonstrate you have the required experience and education, we won’t ask you for additional information and you may be screened out.

Duties

Our branch is growing leaps and bounds! And we need to staff up to meet the demands we face. We’re looking for communications advisors with a variety of different skill sets, including in both internal and external communications, issues management, public opinion research, media relations, ministerial events, editing and translation, publishing and graphic design, marketing and stakeholder consultations and engagement. A number of our teams - Strategic Communications, Web Communications, Internal Communications, Consultations, Public Opinion Research, Public Education and Marketing, Media Relations, Ministerial Events and Regional Communications - currently have vacant positions, and we anticipate additional openings in the next few months.

While specific duties will vary from team to team, we are looking for people who are curious and eager to learn, who enjoy taking initiative and thinking through situations from all sides, who can provide constructive feedback to team members of all levels, and who appreciate the value of working with others to improve the quality of their work.

You will be called on to advise management, analyze complex issues, and think of how your work relates to the work of others, at IRCC and across the Government of Canada. You may also be called on to work stand-by on a rotating basis with other team members to manage files and issues after hours or on the weekend.

On all teams, you will use inclusive language and images in the content you develop to support the Government of Canada’s and IRCC’s anti-racism and inclusion goals. You will also seek opinions and advice from equity-seeking groups or organizations to enrich how you work and what you produce.

Work environment

OUR WORK AND WHY IMMIGRATION MATTERS

When you start working at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), one of the first things you’ll notice is how passionate people are about their work. We’re passionate because what we do—each and every day—matters.

We help reunite families. We help protect displaced and persecuted people around the world. We also help attract top international talent that strengthens our country’s economy and competitiveness. Our work matters because #ImmigrationMatters. From health care to food services, from science and technology to arts and culture, immigrants grow and strengthen our major industries for the benefit of all Canadians. Welcoming newcomers to Canada enriches our communities and will be essential to getting through Canada’s short-term economic recovery, and our country’s long-term economic growth following the COVID 19 pandemic.

Here’s what you can look forward to if you join the Communications Branch at IRCC:
 A collaborative, respectful and inclusive team environment
 An organization that values work-life balance and mental health
 Dynamic leaders who encourage innovation and trying new things
 Interesting files and content that matter to Canadians
 An opportunity to manage virtual and in-person teams from across the country

Intent of the process

This process will be used to fill vacant positions and to create a pool of qualified candidates to fill future vacancies.

DEPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Individuals currently working for the Government of Canada at the IS-06 level or equivalent, or qualified in an existing IS-06 pool may be considered for deployment following an interview and reference checks. At-level candidates do not need to apply through the staffing system and may instead send their CV and cover letter (as described below) to .

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter "In a maximum of 3,000 words, please answer to all of the following questions: 1) What is your leadership style? 2) How would you approach your first day on the job? 3) How can you contribute to a positive work culture?"

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

EDUCATION:
ED1. A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution OR an acceptable combination of education, training and/or related experience.

Notes:
1. Based on their education, training and/or experience, indeterminate employees of positions in the IS classification are deemed to meet the minimum education standard whenever a bachelor's degree without specialization is called for in a position classified as “IS”.
2. At the manager's discretion, an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience may serve as an alternative to the minimum education standard.
3. If you were educated outside Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. For more information about degree equivalency, contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC).

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:
EX1. Significant* experience providing communications advice or briefings to senior management** and clients.
EX2. Significant* experience leading the development of communications products, strategies or plans.
EX3. Significant* experience building collaborative working relationships with internal or external partners.

* Significant experience is defined as the breadth and depth of experience normally associated with full-time performance of duties for approximately two years.
** Senior management in this case refers to a director, director general, assistant deputy minister and deputy minister (Government of Canada context) and their equivalents in the private sector: director, vice-president, chief operating officer, president, etc.

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

ASSET EDUCATION:
AED1. A degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in translation.

Degree equivalency

ASSET EXPÉRIENCE:
AEX1. Experience managing teams and/or financial resources.
AEX2. Experience working with ministerial staff on communications activities.
AEX3. Experience planning, coordinating and managing public events.
AEX4. Experience in strategic communications.
AEX5. Experience in internal communications.
AEX6. Experience in advertising and/or marketing.
AEX7. Experiencing in media relations, media monitoring and analysis.
AEX8. Experience in public opinion or market research.
AEX9. Experience in publishing.
AEX10. Experience in creative services, graphic design, motion graphics and/or videos.
AEX11. Experience in developing social media content and/or strategies.
AEX12. Experience in web communications and/or web products.
AEX13. Experience in consultation and stakeholder engagement.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (CBC/CBC)
Bilingual non-imperative CBC/CBC appointments may be considered.

Information on language requirements

BEHAVIOURAL AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:
C1. Creates vision and strategy
C2. Mobilizes people
C3. Upholds integrity and respect
C4. Demonstrates cooperation and collaboration
C5. Promotes innovation and guide change
C6. Achieves results
C7. Demonstrates cross-cultural sensitivity

ABILITIES:
A1. Ability to work on multiple priorities, under tight deadlines.
A2. Ability to communicate effectively in writing (will be assessed throughout the application process).

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

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Willingness and ability to work long hours and overtime on short notice
- Willingness and ability to be included in a roster for scheduled stand-by and on-call duties, which may include taking turns covering statutory holidays
- Willingness and ability to travel for work when required for certain positions

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

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.
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Assessment
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What you can expect: This process will consist of a review of your résumé, cover letter, and answers to the screening questions, as well as an interview and reference checks.

All competencies will be assessed at all stages of the process, including during communications with the human resources team.
We may appoint candidates by applying one or more of the following criteria:
• Breadth, depth, type of specific work experience
• Matching individual experience or qualifications to the strengths and/or weaknesses of the team
• Matching individual experience or qualifications to the specific duties of the position being staffed
• Matching character leadership dimensions to the needs of the team, which could include courage, drive, accountability, transcendence, humanity, humility, collaboration, temperance, integrity, justice and judgment

Please note that different pass marks, cut-off scores, random selection, top-down selection and other volume management techniques can be used at various stages of the assessment process to identify which applicants will be further assessed.

You are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of your choice.

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Communication
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All communication regarding this process will be administered by email. It is your responsibility to provide a valid email address and update your personal information when it changes. If special circumstances prevent you from having access to your email, please contact the human resources contact noted below.

We will not send an acknowledgment of receipt of your application; we will contact you when the screening process is complete.

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.