Job Specification

Purpose :

- To provide media relations leadership, advice, counsel, communications and direct support to senior ministry officials.
- To plan, develop and coordinate the provision of a full range of media relations services in support of internal and external communication of ministry programs and policies and to act as the official media spokesperson for the ministry.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Media Relations
- Coordinates the identification of proactive media opportunities and makes recommendations to enhance the reputation of the ministry; develops an over-arching media relations strategy.
- Acts as the ministry's media spokesperson on media requests, including providing strategic advice and proposed responses.
- Provides 'on-the-spot' information to the minister and minister's office during legislative sittings; identifies questions requiring follow-up, and ensures research, comments and answers are provided during the prescribed time-frame.
- Handles calls from the media related to established ministry programs and policies, and channels calls that require a response to subject matter experts within the branch and/or in ministry divisions.
- Establishes and manages relationships with the media and media organizations to provide influence and represent the interests of the ministry.
- Monitors the media and provides analysis, evaluation and follow up.
- Writes and edits a range of media relations products including responses to media questions, news releases, backgrounders, Qs&As, legislative statements, House notes and briefing notes for media inquiries.

2. Communications Expertise/Management
- Provides media relations leadership and expertise in order to support the government's strategic direction.
- Provides, training, coaching, mentoring, expertise and support to management and ministry staff in handling media situations and requests.
- Participates in briefings and represents the Communications Branch with various groups, including stakeholders.
- Provides strategic advice, counsel, communications and media expertise to the minister, Deputy Minister (or their staff), senior management and staff to ensure a coordinated approach and response to contentious issues.

3. Stakeholder Relations
- Develops and maintains working relationships with colleagues, senior staff, ministry's executive and central agencies to facilitate the design and development of media relations strategies and activities and to recommend methods for addressing contentious issues.
- Maintains linkages with Cabinet Office, colleagues and counterparts in own and other ministries, central agencies, key stakeholders and the media in order to keep abreast of issues, share best practices, and collaborate on shared initiatives; responds directly to requests for confidential information
from the ministers, minister's office, Cabinet Office and the Premier's Office.

4. Issues Management
- Reviews and monitors issues management and media relations results and processes to evaluate appropriateness/effectiveness; identifies policy and rocedural weaknesses and recommends ways to improve methods/techniques/work flows and assist in the development of media services policies
and guidelines.
- Develops monthly and ad hoc media analysis reports.

5. Project Leadership
- Manages all phases of media relations projects. Establishes objectives and priorities; develops work plans and reporting mechanisms; monitors and reports on progress, and manages issues; ensures compliance with corporate/ministry standards, policies and directives; and ensures timely,
satisfactory completion.
- Participates in branch, ministry and inter-ministry committees/project teams related to media relations and issues management.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Media relations, journalism, communications, issues management theories, principles and practices within a government context to develop and recommend the overall media relations strategy and plan and mitigation strategies for responses to media issues; and analyze and assess public opinion, and media perceptions;
- Issues management and risk assessment/management methodologies and practices to develop effective media relations strategies and plans; and respond to and/or resolve high-profile, contentious media issues, including mitigating their impact;
- Government and political decision-making and approvals processes and protocols; the processes and procedures of the Legislative Assembly; applicable legislation/regulations and legislative rules, processes and procedures; and relevant ministry policies, programs, and priorities, to coordinate
the daily briefings process, develop associated documentation, and provide accurate, timely responses, advice and support;
- Ministry strategic directions, programs and issues; and relevant legislation to provide strategic media relations/communications/issues advice to the Minister's Office, Deputy Minister's Office, and senior management on current and emerging contentious media issues;
- Broad government direction, as well as the functions of central bodies, including Cabinet Office and the Premier's Office, to develop and recommend strategic responses to issues in order to support relationships and outcomes of ministry/government policies and programs;
- Policy development, legislative and political decision-making processes to manage ministry issues and provide accurate, timely responses, advice and support;
- Project management methodologies, processes and practices to lead and coordinate all phases of media relations related projects and ensure their successful completion;
- Leadership skills to provide technical direction, guidance and training to branch/unit employees;
- Research and analysis skills to lead and conduct in-depth research on issues and trends; analyze and evaluate issues and their associated media impact, and propose an optimal course of action or mitigation;
- Verbal communication and presentation skills to provide daily briefings to staff on ministry policies or programs that have received media attention; provide training, coaching and mentoring on media relations techniques; ability to speak clearly and articulate complex ideas into plain language when
acting as the spokesperson for the ministry;
- Written communications/editing skills to develop communications plans, news releases, issues management strategies and a range of reports and briefing notes.
- Relevant computer software applications to conduct research, prepare reports and develop/update information systems.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Stakeholder/relationship management skills to develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with business partners and other stakeholders, ministry/divisional management and staff, and staff in other ministries, including communications branches;
- Media relations, facilitation and issues management skills to foster and maintain relations between the ministry, branch and media.
- Interpersonal, customer service skills as well as tact and diplomacy to provide advice and seek guidance from the offices of the Minister, Deputy Minister and senior officials on media issues; elicit cooperation in meetings and products, and for time-sensitive media requests;
- Consultation, collaboration and persuasion skills to convince clients of strategic media relations approach and solicit views;
- Client/team management, partnership and relations building skills to provide advice and expertise.
- Negotiation skills to broker agreements between stakeholders with differing views and obtain information in short timeframes;
- Political acuity to liaise with executives and their offices, and management and staff of the Minister's Office, Deputy Minister's Office; and to act as ministry spokesperson.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analyzing and problem solving skills to:
- Analyze potential and existing contentious, media based issues, assess risk or degree of volatility of issues, develop options and make recommendations on how to mitigate impact and/or optimally to the media;
- Identify opportunities for positive media exposure and provide advice on strategies and initiatives to introduce and promote ministry activities and initiatives.
- Identify, analyze and assess media coverage, opinions and perceptions; and resolve media relations challenges; advises on contentious media enquiries and strategies to position the ministry favourably
- Monitor and provide analysis and assessments of media coverage and responses.
- Anticipate and evaluate trends and issues with potential major implications and manage and minimize negative effects;
- Determine appropriate answers to questions arising from ministry/divisions, Offices of the Minister and Deputy Minister, Cabinet, Cabinet Committees or the media in order to prevent potentially damaging criticism of the ministry, the government, its program services and policies.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
- Providing expertise and guidance for the development of media relations strategies, plans and products related to contentious, high-profile media ssues; acting as the ministry spokesperson to provide accurate and timely responses to media inquiries and to position the ministry positively with the
media and media organizations.
- Managing and coordinating contentious and sometimes politically sensitive media issues on behalf of the ministry/divisions and developing and recommending strategic responses that address, mitigate and/or resolve issues; and providing strategic media relations advice to the Minister, Deputy
Minister, senior officials, management and staff;
- Overseeing the development of key briefing and communications materials for media responses, and ensuring that the Minister, Deputy Minister and senior management are alerted and well equipped to make appropriate, timely responses to the media;
- Guiding the development of strategic media relations campaigns, execution plans and products, and acting as media spokesperson for the ministry;
- Providing media relations expertise, briefings, training and support and coordinating media relations with multiple internal and external parties.
- Anticipating, analyzing, monitoring and managing media issues which often have cross program, business and political implications.
Has latitude to determine appropriate responses to media monitoring and media processes in order to ensure timely, effective response/resolution to issues.
Work is performed within the broad framework of ministry strategic directions as they relate to media relations; government policy development and decision-making processes; legislative processes; issues management and media relations policies, practices and processes; and briefing protocols
and practices.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Policy and program staff to liaise with and coordinate the development of communication and briefings products;
- The offices of the Minister and Deputy Minister staff to exchange information, address media requests, and obtain required approvals on ommunications products;
- Assistant Deputy Ministers, executive assistants, directors, managers and policy staff, to exchange information, negotiate priorities and deadlines and discuss political concerns on media issues;
- Cabinet Office to provide early warning regarding emerging contentious media relations issues or events; to coordinate fact checks and explain key ministry policies and programs in relation to media issues management;
- Representatives of stakeholder groups to research required information, build partnerships and/or to resolve issues.
- Counterparts in other ministries and agencies to provide advice and coordinate issues management;
- Counterparts in other levels of government (municipal, federal) regarding issues and media relations matters.

Guidance / Supervision :

- Provides expertise and guidance on media relations and issues management and is the primary ministry link/point of contact to all media relations matters;
- Provides strategic advice to the Minister's Office, Deputy Minister's Office, senior officials, and ministry management and staff on mitigation strategies and planning for responses to media calls;
- Provides leadership and guidance to cross-branch, cross-program and inter-ministerial project teams comprised of all levels of staff.
- Provides advice and guidance regarding issues and monitoring to branch colleagues.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

- Frequent requirement to prioritize competing work demands and meet multiple, tight deadlines on a daily basis, including ad hoc requests from the
Minister's Office or other senior sources;
- Frequent requirement to respond to spontaneous demands from the Minister's Office (frequently requires response with very tight turnaround times).
- Position functions within a fast-paced environment with pressure to deliver and perform with haste and accuracy.

Mental / Sensory :

- Frequent intense listening when attending meetings, and providing advice and briefings;
- Frequent intense reading, including research documents, environmental scans, House Notes, briefing documents;
- Moderate amount of concentration when conducting research, performing analysis and creating media relations materials.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.