Job Specification

Purpose :

To develop high profile marketing strategies, collateral and initiatives for ServiceOntario and to provide expertise for complex marketing plans for the organization and other ministries and partners.

To plan, lead and co-ordinate marketing strategies, collateral and initiatives, ensuring that they support ServiceOntario business plans and government strategic directions, and complement the marketing plans and activities of related ServiceOntario activities and those of ministries.

To strengthen marketing linkages through partnerships with policy/program counterparts.
To enhance customer service by ensuring the delivery and execution of consistent, accurate and clear marketing and consumer information across channels.

Key Responsibilities :

In the Communications and Brand Marketing Branch with a mandate to advise the Minister of Government Services, the Deputy Minister, and the Assistant Deputy Minister of each program area in ServiceOntario on strategic marketing, the incumbent is accountable for the following functions:
Content Development:
•Provides strategic content expertise across channels (e.g. retail posters, brochures, flyers, mail inserts; online, social media and related deliverables) to assist with program decision-making, ensuring consistency of content, information and messaging, ensuring compelling and creative messaging and tone according to, using style and language guides.
•Researches/collects information, data and marketing analytics for use in the development of marketing collateral.
•Evaluates related collateral/information to ensure they are designed and implemented to achieve the desired effect on customer awareness using the relevant analytics.
•Leads or coordinates with other branch units, the research, design and/or production of a wide variety of materials and deliverables.
•Consults, guides and coordinates with other branches and ministries to deliver coordinated materials and deliver materials according to customer need.
•Evaluates the effectiveness of marketing plans and products.
•Provides guidance to other branch units and Ministry program contacts on the identification, analysis, and evaluation of emerging trends and issues and coordinates information on existing/long-term trends, particularly information available on marketing trends, content development and best practices, market research.
Organization and Project Management:
•Defines specific marketing deliverables that may have implications across divisions and ministries; provides input into program discussions and decisions and manages expectations by consulting with senior management and staff in the Minister's and Deputy Minister's offices in own and relevant ministries to identify and clarify content, priorities, needs, goals, issues and messaging, tone; coordinates and manages deliverables and balance competing priorities to deadline.
•Manages specific projects/initiatives independently with minimal direction.
•Leads projects/initiatives and represents the team on special task forces, key communication and working committees; liaises with other in unit and branch to ensure consistent, coordinated approaches and responses at all times.
Planning:
•Plans work, including determining whether to assign (elements of) projects/initiatives to external service providers. Monitors activities, providing expertise, decision-making and trouble-shooting where required, ensuring high quality, on-time completion, and consistency with the strategy.
•Coordinates with counterparts in other units of the Branch, ServiceOntario and other ministries to ensure consistent scheduling, messaging and timing, including providing materials for other ministries where ServiceOntario takes the lead.
•Retains and manages external contractors and consultants (e.g. for writing, artwork, printing, production and distribution, events) to ensure coordinated, timely and successful completion of contracts.
•Develops and manages budgets for materials to be produced and services contracted to meet commitments contained in marketing plans.
•Research, develop and implement marketing collateral including strategic priorities, options (e.g. different approaches and timing) and approvals for a broad spectrum of sensitive long and short term projects that have wide implications for ServiceOntario and the OPS (e.g. marketing/retail campaigns, events, attitudinal change surveys, website etc.).

Knowledge / Skill :

Expert knowledge of, skills in:
•Contemporary marketing principles and practices, research and analytics, branding, behaviour change are required in order to develop effective strategies and marketing collateral to support core business goals, special initiatives and priorities such as channel shifting. Well-developed understanding of the roles of various communications channels (e.g. online/digital, social media, retail, advertising).
•Knowledge of government directions and ServiceOntario goals, programs, policies and delivery mechanisms to ensure that marketing materials reflect corporate direction and retail needs.
•Knowledge of government policy development and political decision-making processes/protocols to ensure timely integration of strategic marketing/communications support.
•Knowledge of current issues, the public sector environment, government priorities and relevant legislation.
•Written and oral communications, consultation, negotiation, relationship management, presentation skills to brief senior government and Cabinet officials, consult with senior management across the Ministry program areas, the Deputy Minister's Office, Minister's Office, Cabinet Office, and other ministries, in order to craft strategic plans, write briefing materials and other issues management products, and to coordinate high profile projects/initiatives.
•Organizational skills to coordinate deliverables, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
•Understanding of channel trends and languages styles to develop materials for different channels.
•Knowledge of style guides (e.g. Canadian Press). Proficiency in using available PC-based/network software (e.g. word processing, graphics, web technologies, desktop publishing).

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

•Interpersonal and facilitation skills to lead/work collaboratively with colleagues, program specialists, government representatives, other stakeholders to develop and maintain a network of contacts to develop marketing collateral
•Consultation skills to coordinate marketing approaches with managers and present solutions, recommendations and alternatives, and interact effectively with various levels of staff and management.
•Presentation skills to accurately convey information/arguments to influence decision making.
•Negotiation skills to negotiate contracts, requirements, deliverables, elicit cooperation and participation, etc.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

•Planning and organizational skills to ensure timely development, production and implementation of internal and external marketing collateral and innovative creative solutions to further ServiceOntario's objectives.
•Ability to manage external suppliers (e.g. agency, graphics, printers, etc.).
•Ability to interpret policies, program operation requirements, directives and guidelines.
•Ability to gather relevant information from various stakeholders and marketing channels to support marketing strategies/initiatives.
•Ability to use and interpret research, data and marketing analytics to formulate options and solutions.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

•The position makes decisions regarding major corporate marketing strategies with direct impact on the image of ServiceOntario and the Ontario government.
•Responsible for proposing, researching, developing and initiating strategies and recommending viable options; planning work and monitoring the implementation, quality, quantity and timeliness of diverse and concurrent initiatives in order to support the Branch's corporate needs
•Responsible for coordinating with counterparts and advising the Minister, Deputy Minister, and senior officials in own and other ministries on joint strategies and issues with require a corporate perspective.
•Responsible for overseeing projects/initiatives, which may be large/significant in terms of size, scope and impact on policies and programs, with financial, human and time resource limitations.
•Discretion is required to provide for confidentiality of highly sensitive issues in the development of plans.
•Has latitude to ensure materials meet business objectives and corporate requirements.
•Uses discretion to determine the kinds of decisions that can be made without managerial guidance. Failure to use discretion appropriately could see errors in marketing collateral and impact the integrity of marketing strategies thereby risking the achievement of business objectives.
•Decisions guided by: general direction of the unit manager; legislation, regulations; ServiceOntario mandate and business objectives, policies and procedures; corporate communications and marketing policies, guidelines practices and standards.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

•Solicits input, approvals from Cabinet Office, Minister's Office, Deputy Minister's Office, senior management and staff within ServiceOntario and provides advice and support in the development and implementation of marketing strategies and collateral.
•Counterparts in ministries to exchange information on corporate policies and standards, to coordinate materials and to participate on inter-ministerial committees and project teams.
•Gives instructions and communicates purpose and vision to suppliers and consultants in the development of marketing deliverables.

Guidance / Supervision :

Responsible for:
•Planning, leading and coordinating marketing strategies and collateral through liaising with ministry partners, directing suppliers/consultants and, gaining input and buy-in from senior management to ensure strategies support ServiceOntario business plans and government strategic directions, and complement the marketing plans and activities of related ServiceOntario activities and those of ministries.
•Developing and managing plans, proposals, projects/initiatives; evaluating outcomes/results; assessing contractor/external provider submissions and managing contract services.
•Provide advice and guidance to ministry partners and suppliers/consultants in the development of marketing strategies and collateral.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

•Frequently, works with unexpected changes or modifications to deadlines on short notice due to regular changes in deadlines and priorities.
•Frequently, works with unexpected work demands on short notice to respond to web updates, changes and emergencies.
•Frequently, works under tight time pressures and demands, and conflicting priorities with limited control over pace of work.

Mental / Sensory :

•Occasional demands when reading or listening to detailed information or instructions and when providing advice to political levels, senior management and program areas and when instructing vendors. Frequent requirement to concentrate when reading/analyzing materials.

Conditions / Environment :

•Work is performed in a typical office environment.