Are you looking for a supportive, collaborative workplace with inspiring leaders and great teams? You've come to the right place. The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is looking for a seasoned bilingual communications professional who shares our values and thrives in a fast paced, dynamic environment. If this sounds like you, and the career opportunity below excites you, the agency is interested in hearing from you.
About Us:The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) is a board-governed government agency that contributes to the quality and accountability of Ontario's publicly funded education system. As an evidence-based research-informed organization, EQAO is focused on empowering educators, parents/guardians, stakeholders, policy-makers and the public at large with the insights and information needed to support student learning and improve student outcomes.
Click here to learn more about us!The
Ontario Public Service (OPS) Leadership Behaviours defines what it means to be a leader:
• We are
responsible for being leaders that demonstrate authenticity, accountability and courage.
• We are
innovative by embracing positive disruption, having a future mindset and by developing each other, every day.
• We are
collaborative by leading with a common purpose, being inclusive and driving people centered outcomes.
Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Anti-RacismThe OPS is an innovative, responsive, and accountable public service that works hard to be diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable. Diversifying leadership teams is a top OPS priority with the goal to achieve parity with the Ontario labour force by 2025 for the most underrepresented groups (Indigenous, racialized and persons with disabilities) in leadership positions.
To advance this goal, the OPS is collecting socio-demographic information that will help to address potential barriers and achieve equity in hiring. You are requested to complete the voluntary survey and contribute to building a more diverse, anti-racist, inclusive and accessible OPS.
The OPS invites all interested individuals to apply and encourages applications from Indigenous and racialized individuals, and persons with disabilities.
The OPS is an accessible employer and we offer accommodation in all aspects of employment, including the recruitment process. Visit the
OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the
OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint to learn more about the OPS commitment to advancing racial equity, diversity and inclusion.
The OPS offers 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.
What can I expect to do in this role?
As a key member of the management team, working with a high-degree of autonomy, you will:
• Manage the full range of communications functions including strategic communications, issues management and media relations, digital/social media, website management, marketing/public relations, stakeholder engagement, customer service (information/call centre), correspondence, and translation/editorial services, internal communication and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead a team of communications professionals to provide communications advice, expertise and products during the policy development process and support strategic communications planning and execution for agency and corporate projects.
• Provide strategic communications expertise and advice to agency executives, agency management government staff, and staff on communications strategies, options, products, recommendations, risks, and issues management.
• Manage the development of proactive and innovative multi-year strategic communications and strategic marketing plans and products.
How do I qualify?
Mandatory
• You are proficient in English and in verbal and written French at the superior level (see note below for more information).
Leadership and Management Skills:
• You have leadership skills and experience to lead, mentor, develop and motivate a high performing team to achieve high quality and timely results.
• You have experience leading, delivering and implementing large scale and complex projects in a fast-paced environment.
• You have demonstrated change management skills to influence others towards a common goal and to remain flexible in responding to changing priorities and recommendations.
• You have experience in fostering a culture of innovation and idea generation.• You have experience managing financial budgets and human resources, including labour relations issues.
Communications and Public Relations Expertise:
• You have experience with large-scale strategic communications planning including the development and evaluation of communications plans, products and program frameworks.
• You can provide strategic communications expertise, advice and recommendations in areas of media relations, social media, social marketing, digital tools, stakeholder engagement,. public outreach and engagement.
• You have experience with marketing analysis techniques and analytics to assess public reaction, media perceptions and opinions as it relates to ministry initiatives.
• You have knowledge of public consultation and communications principles, methods and strategies to lead consultations with stakeholders.
• You have knowledge of project management principles, policy development, issues management and research methods as it relates to communications to provide leadership in the development of strategic plans.
• You have experience managing issues in a high-profile and contentious environment.
Relationship Management and Communication Skills:
• You have relationship management skills to build collaborative relationships to influence a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders and partners to build consensus and deliver on priorities.
• You have demonstrated verbal and written communication skills to provide expertise to staff and senior ministry executives and prepare/review communications products.
• You possess strong consultation and issues management skills to influence others in developing collaborative solutions.
