Corporate Communications Officer

The City of Port Colborne, located on the south coast of the scenic Niagara region, Niagara’s Port of Call has found the perfect balance – successful industrial and commercial sectors, comfortable and scenic residential areas, white sand beaches, unique culinary choices, the world class Sugarloaf Marina, fishing, golfing, trails, shopping districts along the historic Welland Canal – truly a community that adds to the overall Niagara Experience. A great place to work and raise a family!

Reporting to the Manager of Corporate Communications, the Corporate Communications Officer supports the education, awareness and promotion of City programs, services and events through external communication, media relations and public engagement activities. Working as part of a team, the Corporate Communications Officer protects the City’s reputation and builds community trust through accurate, timely, and accessible communication on a variety of platforms, for diverse audiences.

Duties & Responsibilities
The following set out the principal functions of the position and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all the work requirements.

• Plan, develop and implement strategic communications initiatives and programs that promote and profile city programs and services
• Write, edit and proofread content for the City’s promotional materials, including internal and external publications, media releases, web and social media content, and more.
• Support the development of a new media relations strategy for the City, and take the lead in writing news releases, media advisories and public service announcements.
• Work closely with the Digital Communications Officer to ensure content across digital and traditional media channels is coordinated, organized and repurposed where appropriate.
• Collaborate with departmental staff to create communications and public engagement plans that increase public awareness, engagement and participation.
• Create content for the City’s corporate website, updating as required, to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Produce content for the City’s internal and external newsletters through independent research and interviews with staff or other key stakeholders
• Develop and implement marketing strategies for recreation offerings within the City.
• In collaboration with staff from across the organization, plan, develop and publish the City’s Annual Report.
• Perform media relations duties, including media event planning, developing media materials, speaking notes and key messages, and building media relationships.
• Support media relations and media training programs for staff. Support staff in responding to media questions when required.
• Provide assistance with event planning, event management in the lead up to and during City sponsored events. Provide day-of event support when required, including sharing photos and recaps on social media as needed.
• Serve as the alternate Emergency Information Officer in the City’s Emergency Operations Centre in the absence of the Corporate Communications Manager and/or during prolonged emergencies.
• Support departments in the development of marketing campaigns, providing media planning and marketing communications writing as well as advice on the integration and timing of campaigns with other strategic communications.
• Ensure the City maintains an adequate supply of marketing and promotional materials for working with City departments to ensure they have access to marketing and promotional materials as needed.
• Initiate proactive media relations and marketing strategies that support sharing information about the City’s initiatives, events, and activities, particularly in the Niagara, Hamilton, Halton, and Buffalo media markets.
• Support communications with Port Colborne’s business community for events, corporate partnerships and activities involving local businesses.
• Provide real-time communications support for activities, events and incidents that impact the community.

The ideal candidate will have an undergraduate degree in Journalism, Communications, English or related discipline. A post graduate certificate in Public Relations, Communications or Media Studies is an asset. You will have at least 5 years of progressive experience in communications, public relations, or journalism, preferably in a municipal environment, along with experience in media relations and preparing others to respond to the media. You have excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience in writing for the media, and writing for diverse audiences, as well as an understanding of crisis communications and issues management. You have a demonstrated knowledge of the Canadian Press Style Guide, AODA accessibility requirements, and plain language techniques. You will have a familiarity with website content management systems, and social media management systems including Meta Business Suite, Meltwater and Google Analytics, along with proven proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, and other digital media software including Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Premiere Pro (Creative Suite) and Canva. You will have the availability to work flexible hours and will have a valid Ontario Driver’s licence, Class “G”, with a clean driving record.

For full details , please see the job description at https://www.portcolborne.ca/en/city-hall/corporate-communications-officer.aspx

The salary range for this full-time permanent position is $72,231 - $84,500 for a 35 hour workweek, and comes with a competitive compensation package including Omers pension plan.

To confidentially explore this exciting and challenging opportunity, please submit your resume and cover letter quoting Competition #2024-04 by 4:00pm on January 30, 2024.

We thank all those who apply but advise that only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

The City of Port Colborne is an equal opportunity employer. Accommodations are available for all parts of the recruitment process. If contacted for an interview, please advise the Human Resources staff of any measures you feel you need to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially. Personal information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act, 2001 (S.O. 2001, c.25) and will be used to select a candidate.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: $72,231.00-$84,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Dental care
• Employee assistance program
• Extended health care
• On-site parking
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Work Location: In person