Communications Advisor

Advisors work closely with senior leadership (superintendents and directors), an elected Board of Trustees, internal clients, various levels of government, external agencies and community partners on a wide variety of high-profile communication, engagement and corporate partnership initiatives

We are seeking a Communication Advisor to plan, develop and execute communication strategies, plans and tactics for their client groups that align with defined system objectives and the Education Plan. The strategic position is responsible for developing communication plans and tactics including web and social media content, videos, presentations, events, etc. The advisor will also be part of the media phone rotation working directly with news media and responding immediately to emergent issues, in consultation with senior and school-based leaders. The successful candidate will balance a demanding workload while adjusting to shifting priorities, urgent issues and unforeseen events.

To succeed, the advisor will:

• Work independently, or as part of a team with senior leadership, trustees and internal clients to plan, initiate, execute, and evaluate internal and external projects that align with defined system objectives.
• Independently lead complex projects with varying scopes and objectives.
• Provide strategic advice and counsel to senior leaders.
• Build, execute and evaluate short and long-term partnership plans in alignment with CBE’s Education Plan, system priorities and objectives.
• Contribute to the development and execution of initiatives in support of collective bargaining efforts.
• Develop tools and tactics in support of CBE’s labour relations strategy, specifically related to potential job labour action.
• Respond rapidly to emerging issues associated with collective bargaining and labour action, enabling CBE’s labour relations strategy.
• Understand the CBE’s Education Plan, other key guiding documents (e.g. annual CBE budget, Student System Accommodation Plan), Dialogue Framework, Partnership Strategy, CBE policies, operational expectations, administrative regulations, collective agreements, and legislation.
• Identify emerging issues and organizational risks and develop the strategies to respond.
• Balance a demanding workload while adjusting to shifting priorities, urgent issues and unforeseen events.
• Develop, implement and evaluate strategies, plans and tactics, while strictly adhering to organizational protocols, deadlines and budget.
• Design and deliver professional development and collaborative learning opportunities for system leaders in a variety of areas such as key message development, media training, community engagement, social media protocols, website best practices.
• Support school-based leaders and other internal clients on communication, engagement and partnership initiatives.
• Represent the department on short and long-term internal committees.
• Provide support and advice regarding government relations, strategic advocacy and event management.
• Collaborate with members of the department and other service units to provide strategic support and planning for identified priorities.
• Contribute to continuous improvement related to communication, engagement, partnerships or other department and system priorities.
• Plan and execute high profile system, joint government and/or partnership events.
• Identify and act on opportunities to continually improve.
• Maintain the confidentiality of information and adhere to policy and regulatory/ legislative requirements (including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act).

Major responsibilities

Advisors plan, lead and support initiatives from inception through to execution and evaluation. Depending on the area of focus, these responsibilities can include but are not limited to:

Communication

• Write briefing notes, communication plans, speaking notes and key messages for senior leadership and trustees.
• Develop publications, web content, news releases, presentations and videos.
• Develop communication best practices and build the capacity of senior leaders within the organization to deliver effective communication.
• Work directly with the news media, including but not limited to; negotiating interviews; developing key messages and writing responses to inquiries; serving as a spokesperson; and, preparing other members of the organization to be effective spokespeople.
• Create and implement employee-focused communication plans and content to support a culture of engaged employees.
• Monitor news media, social media, formal research and other channels to identify emerging issues.
• Manage the CBE after-hours emergency and media phone and email line and respond immediately to emergent issues, in consultation with senior leaders.
• Develop crisis communication strategies and provide support for issues as they arise.
• Liaise with senior government staff, the Board of Trustees and school leaders to coordinate mutually beneficial and highly public visits from elected government officials.
• Support school leaders and staff with emergent issues and unforeseen events.
• Advise on and execute communication related to labour relations and/or labour action.
• Support the Board of Trustees with speech writing, key message development, media relations, government relations, strategic advocacy and special event management.

Engagement

• Provide strategic advice and counsel to senior leadership and internal clients to develop and execute engagement strategies that deliver on CBE’s overall objectives.
• Lead and manage large engagement projects (from engagement plan development/strategic planning through to execution and evaluation) that are broad in scope and range from short-term to multi-year.
• Facilitate effective in-person and online engagement opportunities.
• Capture engagement lessons learned to ensure continuous improvement of CBE community engagement practices, both within and outside the department.
• Report on engagement results to contribute to CBE strategic and operational planning.
• Design and deliver community engagement professional development and collaborative learning opportunities for system leaders.
• Respond to emerging issues with engagement support and advice.
• Guide and exemplify community engagement best practices as identified in the Dialogue Framework and Toolkit, and work to make adjustments and improvements on an ongoing basis.
• Build and strengthen collaborative relationships with CBE leadership (including the Board of Trustees), internal clients and stakeholders.

Corporate Partnerships

• Work with senior leaders, principals and other internal stakeholders on partner relations to build and strengthen collaborative relationships with existing corporate partners.
• Build and maintain relationships with partners, review partnership outcomes and identify opportunities. Assess new potential partners for alignment with CBE strategic plans, system priorities and objectives.
• Negotiate new or renew partnership agreements in consultation with Legal Services and senior leaders.
• Provide leadership, support or advice on ending partnerships.
• Provide advice and guidance to senior leaders and schools regarding partnership risks and opportunities.
• Use various communication channels to leverage these partnerships with staff, students, parents and community.
• Execute the partnerships strategic plan and look for ways to continuously improve the partnership process (intake process, database management, relationship management and key measurements).
• Handling specific projects, which may include, but are not limited to responding to and engaging with prospective partners, organizing events to celebrate and acknowledge partners and report on the impact of partnerships.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

All advisors:

• University degree in a communication, public relations, journalism, business administration or a related field.
• Five to seven years of experience in equivalent positions, including progressively relevant experience in communication, media relations, community engagement/public participation, donor relations, partnerships, community relations or a related field.
• Experience with a high-profile public sector, not-for-profit or other organizations of significant size, complexity and diversity.
• Success in building and maintaining collaborative relationships with senior leaders, corporate and community partners, government agencies and internal and external stakeholders.
• Success leading project teams to achieve positive outcomes for the organization.
• Experience in issues management, risk management and/or crisis communication.
• Experience analyzing and reviewing input and synthesizing materials in a clear and meaningful way.
• Experience in the following areas would be an asset: working with the news media, facilitation training, managing community engagements
• Facilitation training and experience would be an asset.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

• Creative and disciplined problem solving.
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to adapt to sudden changes in priorities.
• Experience in project management and/or client consultation
• Exceptional interpersonal communication skills and the ability to build relationships and trust with staff and clients at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent written communication skills for various channels and audiences.
• Ability to decipher complex information and tailor messages to a variety of audiences internally and externally and through numerous channels.
• High integrity for the quality of work and how it is done.
• Flexibility to work outside of regular business hours when required.
• Constant professionalism in a highly visible, publicly-scrutinized organization.
• A Class 5 Driver’s License and possession of a vehicle is highly recommended, as this position requires the ability to travel to locations outside of the primary work location.