CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER - ISSUES

We are a fast-paced, issues-focused ministry and we are looking for a communications professional who specializes in managing issues.

What can I expect to do in this role?

You will be responsible for providing exceptional customer service to a broad-range of internal clients, providing solid issues management advice and services.
To be successful in this role, you must be a strategic thinker with strong writing abilities. You will have knowledge and experience in managing contentious issues, preparing strategies and materials to respond to them and comfort making and defending recommendations to senior and political staff.

Please note: In this role, you will work out of our communications branch in Toronto and will need the flexibility to work early-mornings, when required.

How do I qualify?

Analytical and problem-solving skills:

• You can see the big picture, connect people and files, as well as anticipate trends and emerging problems.
• You can resolve contentious and politically sensitive issues by developing communications strategies and products and get buy-in from senior management and political staff.

Technical knowledge:

• You have knowledge and understanding of the principles and theories of issues management, public relations and media relations.
• You can interpret policies and have a clear understanding of government political decision making and legislative process.

Interpersonal and relationship building skills:

• You can build strong and productive relationships with a variety of clients with wide-ranging and often conflicting interests, using tact, judgment and negotiation skills.
• You possess interpersonal and relationship building skills to interact effectively with staff at all levels and the diplomacy and political insights to interact with political staff.

Communication skills:

• You can research and write a variety of issues management materials, including key messages, questions and answers and house notes.
• You can take complex and technical information, interpret it and communicate it in a simple and concise way.

Project management and coordination skills:

• You have project management planning, co-ordination and organizational skills to manage a number of concurrent projects
• You can be organized and focused in a deadline-charged and challenging environment.
• You can balance multiple deliverables and tasks at once and prioritize work.

Please be advised that the results of this competition may be used to form an eligibility list of qualified candidates to potentially fill future vacancies represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). In accordance with the Collective Agreement, eligibility lists are shared with OPSEU representatives. By applying to this competition, you are providing consent that your name may be shared with OPSEU representatives.

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.

Remember: The deadline to apply is Wednesday, November 22, 2017 11:59 pm EST. Late applications will not be accepted.

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.