Are you someone who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment, where your strategic issues management and communications skills will be called upon daily?
Do you have experience in media, crisis communications, issues management or corporate communications?
Can you proactively connect issues across traditional media, social media and stakeholder realms to forecast upcoming issues and provide comprehensive issues analysis, risk mitigation and action plans?
If yes, apply to join us in the Issues Management Unit of Cabinet Communications office as a Senior Issues Analyst.
As a member of the issues team, the ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of government issues, sharp political acuity, and be able to monitor, anticipate and manage issues and trends that could impact the government. The candidate will also have the ability to build strong horizontal relationships as well as work with government executives.
About the Ontario Public Service (OPS)The OPS is one of the largest employers in the province, employing more than 60,000 people. Every day we are modernizing government operations and improving public services. We have a wide range of meaningful and rewarding career opportunities in communities across Ontario.
We welcome new ideas and new people, encourage learning and development, and reward achievement. No matter the position, we live the core values of trust, fairness, diversity, inclusion, excellence, creativity, collaboration, efficiency, and responsiveness.
The OPS support career and leadership development, invest in learning opportunities, recognize team and individual achievements, and support flexible work arrangements.
In addition to flexible work arrangements, collegial and professional work culture, career growth and development and on-the-job training to help you succeed, we offer a competitive total compensation package, which includes an attractive salary and may include the following:
• Defined benefit pension plan
• Maternity and parental leave top-up benefits, which cover adoptive parents
• Comprehensive health and dental plans
• Life and disability insurance
About the job
As a Senior Issues Analyst, you will:
• Ensure key PO and CO staff are made aware of emerging issues through live briefings, email alerts, and the preparation of summaries and issues forecasting documents.
• Conduct analysis/research and prepare a variety of issues management materials, including issue notes, media responses and regional issues scans.
• Attend and summarize Queen's Park activity, including media availabilities, scrums and stakeholder events.
• Work collaboratively with your issues management colleagues across the government to forecast, plan and help mitigate government issues.
What you bring to the team
Issues Management and Communications Skills:
• You have knowledge of contemporary communications and issues management theory, principles and practices to provide issues management expertise and support for the development, delivery and ongoing evaluation of government communications
• You have knowledge of media and social media techniques/protocol to interpret a variety of information sources and analyze emerging trends
• You have the ability to understand a government's strategic business direction, relevant legislation, programs, issues, initiatives and policies to provide communications expertise and advice to senior management in the Deputy Minister's Office and the Office of the Premier
Research and Analytical Skills:
• You have experience in identifying and analyzing emerging and contentious issues which have the potential for implications and impacts on government or OPS business and policy direction and program delivery
• You can evaluate and provide comprehensive media coverage, including mainstream, digital and social media, and provide analysis for management and government decision-making
• You have the ability to research and analyze emerging trends and issues to provide strategic positioning for the government in response to corporate issues affecting program and policy matters.
• You can understand the government policy-making process, how government decisions may impact stakeholders and the public, and can synthesize this information into a coherent brief for senior leadership and government decision- makers
Organizational and Time Management Skills:
• You have demonstrated ability to manage the daily demands, changing and conflicting priorities, prioritizing and accurately completing time-sensitive tasks within tight timelines
• You can manage large volumes of work and multiple projects, and to deal with frequent interruptions
• You can work with minimum supervision and under pressure to meet deadlines and to display a high level of discretion, confidentiality, initiative and good judgment
OPS Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.
We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
Visit the
OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the
OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.
We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's
Human Rights Code. Refer to the application instructions below if you require a disability-related accommodation.
OPS COVID-19 Safe Workplace Directive:
Effective October 1, 2021, the OPS COVID-19 Safe Workplace Directive requires all Ontario Public Service employees to provide proof they are fully vaccinated, meaning they are fully vaccinated as defined by the Ministry of Health (refer to:
COVID-19 Fully Vaccinated Status in Ontario), including 14 calendar days have passed since receiving their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Employees who do not provide proof of full vaccination will be deemed ‘not vaccinated' under the Directive and will be required to attend a vaccine education program and undergo regular rapid antigen testing. Employees who are not vaccinated under the policy with a valid medical exemption will not be required to attend a vaccine education program but must undergo regular rapid antigen testing.
Additional Information:
If you are a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who has been honourably discharged or if you retired from active service, please identify this in your cover letter or resume when applying. This does not apply to veterans who are currently Ontario Public Service employees (i.e. Ministry and Commission Public Body employees). If you are selected for an interview, please be prepared to bring an original copy of your proof of status (Veteran's ID card or Certificate of Service).
Please note:All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.
Application Instructions:
Please submit applications/résumés in one document to:
Email: CAB.Jobs@ontario.ca
Quote File: 182144
Your application should be in a PDF or Word format, should not exceed five pages and must be named according to the following format: “FirstName LastName”.
The successful candidate may be required to undergo a satisfactory criminal reference check prior to the commencement of employment.
The information that you provide for the purpose of this competition and the results from this competition may be used to fill other positions. These positions may be of various tenures including short-term assignments. Your information and the results from this competition will be retained for the purpose of filling vacancies in accordance with the applicable collective agreement or policy provisions.