Senior Manager, Strategic Communications

Apply By: Tuesday, November 4, :59 pm EST

Senior Manager, Strategic Communications

Job ID:

235405

Posting status:

Open

Organization:

Ontario Provincial Police

Division:

Corporate Communications Bureau

City:

Orillia

Position(s) language:

English

Job term:

1 Permanent

Job code:

M1105E - Communication44

Salary:

$105, $148,429.00 Per year

Are you a seasoned communications professional with demonstrated strategic leadership experience?

The Corporate Communications Bureau invites you to consider these unique and rewarding opportunities where you will support large-scale communications and media relations planning and delivery.

About Us:

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is one of North America's largest deployed police services with more than 5,800 uniformed officers, 2,600 civilian employees and 600 Auxiliary officers. We provide essential services that ensure the safety and security of the people of the Province of Ontario. The OPP is a division of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, the largest operational ministry in the province with a presence in every community across Ontario. We are the largest police service in Ontario and the second largest in Canada.

Corporate Communications Bureau supports the OPP with our team of dedicated communications and strategic planning experts who provide internal and external strategic communications and organizational change products.

Our office is a full-service, dedicated and skilled team of strategic communications advisors, media relations officers, public information advisors, social media developers, issues advisor and Correspondence Unit. We provide communications services and support to our internal and external audiences, key partners and stakeholders. We are responsible for providing timely and accurate information to the public, via the media and social media. We provide the OPP with proactive, high-level communications services and address sensitive and/or contentious issues, particularly during times of crisis when the potential impact on public safety and security is high.

The OPP Values promote always doing the right things for the right reasons, by:

• Serving with PRIDE, PROFESSIONALISM and HONOUR.
• Interacting with RESPECT, COMPASSION and FAIRNESS.
• Leading with INTEGRITY, HONESTY and COURAGE.

About the job

Create the work environment

In the Ontario Provincial Police, we hold our leaders to the highest standards, expecting them to embody authenticity, accountability, and courage in every action and decision. It will be your responsibility to create a work environment and team culture that ignites innovation, nurtures collaboration and champions inclusivity by creating a diverse, anti-racist and accessible workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment. By aligning your choices with these values, you will create a vibrant work environment where every individual can thrive.

Deliver on Business Goals

Your leadership will be crucial in guiding the team towards the achievement of its business goals. It will be your responsibility to inspire and motivate your team to deliver their best performance and align the team's daily actions with the strategic vision of the Bureau.

In the role ofSenior Manager, Strategic Communications, you will:

• Manage the full range of communications functions, including strategic communications, issues management and media relations, digital/social media, marketing/public education, correspondence, and translation/editorial services.
• Lead a team of communications professionals to provide communications advice and expertise during the policy development process.
• Develop, implement, evaluate and support strategic communications planning for OPP and corporate projects.
• Provide strategic communications expertise and advice to OPP executives, Bureau Commanders, senior management, and staff on communications strategies, options, products, recommendations, risks, and issues management.
• Manage the development of proactive and innovative multi-year strategic communications and strategic marketing plans and products that support OPP and government business directions and priorities.

What you bring to the team
Mandatory requirements

• Ability to pass an OPP background/ security investigation.

Leadership Experience

• You can develop, build and lead organizational capacity through positive and values-based leadership, inclusive and engaged teams and partnerships.
• You know human resources theories, principles, policies and collective agreements to develop organizational capacity including succession planning, talent management, organization and job design and labour relations management.
• You have demonstrated experience exercising managerial and strategic leadership accountability and authority in the areas of organizational design, recruitment and retention, talent management, labour relations and compensation related matters.

Strategic Communications Expertise

• You have demonstrated experience in strategic communications planning, media relations and issues management methods, techniques and principles, typically acquired through a degree in communications, media studies or public relations, or equivalent work experience.
• You can lead communications and issues management, provide strategic advice on communication issues and the implementation of new or revised communications and technologies.
• You have applied knowledge of communications theories, practices, standards and strategies to coordinate the preparation and review of executive correspondence and briefing or background materials.
• You have demonstrated ability to prepare and deliver oral and written communication to all audience levels, including requests for information and briefs to senior leaders and external media sources.

Analytical and Strategic Thinking Skills

• You have political acuity and strategic thinking skills to provide advice and recommendations to senior organizational leaders on strategies and approaches to mitigate risk.
• You can identify, analyze and advise on potential and emerging issues and media relation strategies that have potential impact on organization objectives and public and political implications.
• You can analyze public and media opinions and perceptions for the development of issues management, media strategies and effective responses.

Project and Relationship Management

• You know project management approaches and techniques to provide strategic advice and guidance on project planning and management, and ensure that objectives, quality and time-line targets are met.
• You can manage media relations as well as stakeholder and partner reactions in often unpredictable situations.
• You can assess and develop strategies to de-escalate issues and maximize the organization's ability to respond to complex issues.
• You have demonstrated experience leading and managing issues and executive communication to meet diverse and competing demands and collaborate with internal and external stakeholder groups.

Don't meet every qualification?

If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

Additional information:

Apply by:

Tuesday, November 4, :59 pm EST

Position details:

• 1 English Permanent - Full Time, 777 Memorial Ave, Orillia, Central Region, Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (Fingerprint Based)

Compensation group:

Management Compensation Plan

Work hours:

Schedule 6

Category:

Management and General

Posted on:

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Note:

• About security checks:
  
  A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
  
  If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
  
  Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.
• The information that you provide for the purpose of this competition and the results from this competition may be used to fill other positions. These positions may be of various tenures including short-term assignments. Your information and the results from this competition will be retained for the purpose of filling vacancies in accordance with the applicable collective agreement or policy provisions.

How to apply:

• You must apply online.

• Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.

• Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.

• Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.

• OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.

• If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

Language requirements and assessment:

All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:

Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.

Strengthening Ontario, together

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