Communications Assistant

Shaun Chen, Member of Parliament for Scarborough North, is accepting applications for a Communications/Constituency Assistant based in Toronto, Ontario.

Please note that those selected for an interview will be contacted. We are unable to respond to any individual inquiries regarding their application for this position.

To apply, submit your resume and cover letter (including any salary expectation).

You must also complete any online assessments and phone screen sent to you, as well as a security screening prior to employment.

Position: Communications/Constituency Assistant

Location: Toronto, Ontario

The Constituency Assistant provides a wide range of communications and project coordination support services. The incumbent is responsible for handling all communications on behalf of the Member of Parliament and works with other members of the team to provide excellent service to the Member's constituents and to support the Member's parliamentary work. The incumbent is a key operational strategist in advancing and facilitating the Member's main objectives and priorities through outreach, communications, events planning and other strategic activities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Drafts responses to constituent emails and letters, including on general policy and constituency casework issues.
• Manages, triages and reviews the Member's emails and communications. Prioritizes, sorts and evaluates correspondence/documentation and distributes it to the appropriate people. Ensures effective communications by properly organizing and screening information.
• Manages the Member's agenda, reviews and discusses commitments, schedules meetings and events and informs the Member of any changes.
• Drafts correspondence to Ministers and stakeholders as required.
• Keeps the Member's schedule up-to-date, which includes planning and coordinating meetings, making travel arrangements, scheduling appointments and conferences, and providing specific and pertinent information to the Member on all relevant matters.
• Provides various administrative and/or business services to the Member and staff to ensure the flow of operations and to help the constituency office achieve its goals and priorities.
• Creates and maintains systems to monitor requests and/or questions to be handled and their respective deadlines, as well as a system for distributing files.
• Helps with special projects that aim to improve the effectiveness of the office's administrative operations.
• Develops quarterly Member newsletters and monthly localized mail-outs.
• Drafts speeches for the Member to deliver at community events and in the House of Commons, as well as tracks and logs public appearances.
• Prepares news releases and organizes press conferences and other media events. Drafts and disseminates press releases, quotes and comments to the media. Prepares and coordinates advertising in local media.
• Creates and manages content for the Member's Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts.
• Builds and maintains good relationships with the media, coordinates interviews, and prepares media lines.
• Represents the Member as a spokesperson at events, meetings and gatherings.
• Maintains and continually improves an effective media monitoring system to maximize the Member's opportunities for exposure.
• Monitors Parliament and other government legislatures and bodies for upcoming motions, debates and statements.
• Reviews all correspondence and information notes for the Member's attention to ensure accuracy and uniformity as well as correct style, format and content. Makes changes to documents as needed.
• Formats complex documents including presentations, reports, memos, forms and minutes for distribution to internal and external clients.
• Performs other related duties within the scope of the position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Superior organizational skills.
• Good administrative skills and ability to multitask.
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure, respond to short-term demands and adapt to new situations.
• Exceptional judgment and interpersonal skills, and ability to exercise diplomacy when interacting with the public and stakeholders.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills with an ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Strong critical thinking skills, attention to detail and problem-solving abilities.
• Good grasp of the Canadian parliamentary system and federal political issues.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite.
• High degree of self-motivation to learn and take initiative.

Education and Experience:

• Experience working in an office setting providing communications and administrative support.
• University degree or post-secondary education from a recognized institution in communications, journalism or a related field, combined with experience in communications involving large projects and working with senior management, or an acceptable combination of education, training and relevant experience.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From $40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

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

Work Location: In person