Communications Officer (25-154B) at City of Cornwall

Job Title: Communications Officer

Bargaining Unit: Non-Union

Language Requirement: Bilingual - English and French (CBC)

Who We Are

Cornwall is a beautiful community with a population of 47,000 situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Ontario. The city offers a wide array of urban amenities, making it an excellent place for a career and raising a family. With a growing economy, expanding population and fantastic quality of life, there has never been a better time to start the next phase of your career with the City of Cornwall! Cornwall is a diverse and progressive community where residents and partners feel safe, welcomed, and enjoy a high quality of life supported by access to financially responsible and sustainable municipal services and infrastructure.

This posting will remain open until the position is filled. Apply now - interviews are being conducted on a rolling basis.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Communications, Government Relations and Strategic Planning, the Communications Officer supports the municipality’s communication efforts by assisting in the development, coordination, and execution of internal and external communication strategies. This role focuses on content creation, public engagement, and ensuring consistent application of the municipality’s brand standards. The Communications Officer plays a key role in maintaining communication channels, supporting media relations, and assisting with the delivery of programs and initiatives that enhance transparency and community engagement.

As the sole Communications Officer for the municipality, this position offers a unique opportunity to shape the organization’s communication strategy. Working collaboratively with all municipal departments, the successful candidate will play a central role in advancing transparency, public engagement, and innovation across the organization. In addition to core communication responsibilities, the role may also contribute to strategic planning and broader organizational initiatives, reflecting its importance within the municipality. The municipality fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, encouraging team members to explore emerging communication technologies, engagement strategies, and creative approaches to public outreach. This is an ideal role for a forward-thinking communicator who is eager to contribute to meaningful change and help shape the future of municipal communications. The municipality is looking to fill this role promptly, with interviews being conducted on a rolling basis.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in the development, coordination, and execution of internal and external communication plans to support the municipality’s strategic goals and priorities.
• Provide communications and administrative support by preparing and delivering news releases, presentations, reports, and other correspondence.
• Create, edit, and publish engaging content across various platforms, including social media and the municipal website, to highlight the municipality’s news, events, strategic initiatives, programs, and services, ensuring clarity and accessibility.
• Drafting and distributing press releases, responding to inquiries, and working closely on advertising campaigns to promote municipal initiatives and events. Support public engagement activities, including identifying opportunities to attend and document events, photographing activities, and creating communications to showcase these initiatives.
• Provide graphic design and marketing support to maintain a cohesive visual identity for the municipality across digital, print, and social media channels.
• Research and recommend new communication strategies, tools, and emerging trends in digital and social media to enhance outreach and engagement.
• Monitor and evaluate media coverage to assess the effectiveness of communication efforts and provide actionable insights for continuous improvement.
  
  

Leadership Of Others

• N/A
  
  

Position Requirements

Education & Certifications:

• Diploma in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field.
  
  

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in communications, public relations, or a related role preferably within a municipal or public sector environment.
  
  

Equivalent combination of education and experience may be acceptable.

Language Requirement:

• Bilingual- English and French is required (CBC)
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to produce clear and engaging content for diverse audiences.
• Digital Proficiency: Strong knowledge of digital communication tools, social media platforms, and content management systems, with the ability to track analytics and optimize outreach.
• Public Engagement: Proven experience in coordinating public engagement initiatives and collecting feedback to support municipal projects and policies.
• Media Relations: Knowledge of media relations practices, including crafting press materials, preparing spokespeople, and effectively managing inquiries to ensure consistent and professional communication.
• Graphic Design: Proficiency in graphic design to enable the creation of visually compelling and effective communication materials that enhance the organization's outreach and engagement efforts.
• Organization: Ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• Collaboration: Ability to build relationships and collaborate with internal teams, external partners, and the community.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to analyze feedback and communication trends to propose innovative and practical solutions.
  
  

Working Conditions

• This is an in-office position in an office environment. Occasional travel may be required for public meetings, community events, and off-site engagements.
• Standard business hours, Monday to Friday, with flexibility required for evening or weekend meetings, special events, or urgent matters.
• Cognitive demands include strategic thinking, decision-making and managing sensitive information in a confidential manner.
• Physical demands include extended periods of sitting and looking at a computer screen.
  
  

If selected for this role, you will need to provide:

• Successful reference check (two work-related references, with a minimum of one being a direct supervisor)
• Satisfactory Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check
• Successful Language Assessment (French/English), CBC level
• Proof of Certifications
  
  

Additional Information:

The Corporation of The City of Cornwall strives to promote and demonstrate the values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. We are committed to reflecting the diversity of the community we serve and encourage qualified candidates of all backgrounds and abilities to apply. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Information collected will be handled in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The City of Cornwall is an equal-opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process. At the City, we respect, encourage and celebrate our diversity. The City of Cornwall is committed to providing accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs. Please save a copy of this posting for your records. Please ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how you meet each of the required qualifications. Please note, selection for further consideration will be based on the information you provide in your application. Interviews may be conducted virtually through Microsoft Teams or in-person.

To see the full job posting, please visit: https://www.cornwall.ca/en/city-hall/careers.aspx