Communications Officer

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories; Port Hope; On-site; CAD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Benefits from Day One

Tuition support

Pension plan

Job summary

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (Port Hope site) is seeking a Communications Officer for Small-Scale Sites to support community engagement, develop communications materials, and serve as a key contact for residents involved in the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI).

The role involves creating content for newsletters, websites, and social media, presenting information at public events, and tracking engagement data while coordinating with the SSS project team.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years in public and/or corporate communications.
• Experience developing communications products (fact sheets, media releases, newsletters, online content).
• Ability to explain technical topics to lay audiences clearly and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Communicate project information to internal and external audiences in various formats.
• Inform owners and occupants about PHAI characterization and remediation of properties.
• Liaise with project team to gather information and address resident concerns.

Skills

Written communication

Oral communication

Stakeholder engagement

Public communications

Education

University degree in Communications/Public Relations/Journalism

Tools

Microsoft Office

Graphic design software

PowerPoint

Job description

Are you looking for a role where you can make a meaningful impact through communication, stakeholder engagement, and community relationships? Can you see yourself working directly with residents, property owners, and businesses to support an important environmental cleanup initiative? Do you enjoy building trust, developing communication strategies, and ensuring people have the information they need throughout a complex project lifecycle?

If you answered yes, this may be the job for you. Apply today! Our Port Hope location is looking for a Communications Officer Small-Scale Sites to support community engagement activities, develop communications materials, and serve as a key point of contact for residents involved in the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI).

What you will be doing!

• Communicating information about CNL projects and programs, in a variety of formats, to internal and external audiences.
• Informing owners and occupants, and answering their questions, about the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) characterization, design, remediation and restoration of private and municipal properties in the Small Scale Site (SSS) project.
• Liaising with the SSS project team and contractors to gather information for owners, and to share and address resident concerns.
• Providing general information about the PHAI, CNL and AECL to interested parties through in-person, phone and email interactions, and at public events and information sessions.
• Writing content for SSS-specific communications products, including key messages, briefings and correspondence.
• Writing content for website and social media posts, media releases, newsletters, and other communications products as required.
• Developing PowerPoint presentations for internal and public audiences.
• Tracking and recording communication and engagement data.
• Maintaining accurate, current records of stakeholder interactions per CNL record-keeping requirements.
• Tracking property owner consent to each phase of PHAI work and to remove non-consenting owners from the PHAI scope.
• Identifying and providing relevant stakeholder engagement data for regulatory and client reports.
• Developing communications strategies to address trends in stakeholder concerns and/or misinformation or negative media or social media coverage of CNL projects and programs.
• Tracking trends in stakeholder concerns and analyzing media and social media coverage of the SSS project.
• In consultation with management, developing and implementing communication strategies and tactics to address widespread concerns.
• Providing management with timely notification of potential or emerging issues.
• Other duties as assigned by your manager.

What We Are Looking For

Education

• University degree/college diploma in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or related fields.

Experience

• Minimum of five years of experience in public and/or corporate communications, communicating information in written and oral formats, in person, by telephone and by email, to public and internal audiences.
• Experience developing communications products, including fact sheets, media releases, newsletter articles, key messages, and online content, including social media, for public audiences, for public tours and for media.
• Experience diffusing challenging, emotionally charged discussions about serious topics, such as health, safety, impacts on private property, construction schedules, and complaints.
• Experience working with technical/scientific subject matter experts to gather information to be used in developing communications products.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to communicate complex technical/scientific information to lay audiences in clear, understandable language.
• Ability to discuss sensitive subjects with stakeholders resulting in productive outcomes.
• Ability to identify issues that require management attention in a timely manner.
• Ability to develop communications strategies/plans to support the requirements of a public information program.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Working knowledge of graphic design, video production, and other creative software would be considered an asset.
• Valid G Ontario driver’s license.
• Knowledge of public communications best practices in support of environmental projects and in a highly regulated industry such as nuclear.
• Knowledge about environmental cleanup best practices, nuclear waste management and the nuclear industry in general would be considered an asset.

Security Clearance Eligibility Required

• Reliability Status with Site Access Security Clearance (SASC), which has a minimum requirement of 3-5 years of verifiable history in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and/or the United Kingdom. CNL implements security screening in accordance with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's “Standard on Security Screening” and the “Policy on Government Security.”

Working Conditions

• Working schedule: Five (5) days per week, seven and a half (7.5) hours per day for a thirty-seven and a half (37.5) hour work week.
• On occasion, required to support public events in the evenings or on weekends; some light physical work, such as loading/unloading vehicles.

Why CNL?

Does the idea of working with a dynamic team across Canada to advance nuclear science and technology for a clean and secure world excite you? At CNL, we’re reinventing ourselves to be industry leaders—pioneering solutions to the problems that matter most.

From building the next generation of clean nuclear and hydrogen energy technologies, to developing targeted cancer treatments, to continuing our global leadership in environmental remediation—we are driven by impact, innovation, and purpose.

What We Offer: A Total Rewards Package

We believe in taking care of our people. Here’s what you can expect as part of our team:

• Paid time off: vacation, sick, personal, and floater days
• Benefits effective Day One – no waiting period
• Tuition support to help you keep learning and growing
• A defined-benefit pension plan or a defined-contribution pension plan, depending on your employee group, to support your long‑term financial security

Do Our Priorities Resonate with You?

• Delivering clean energy for today and tomorrow
• Restoring and protecting the environment
• Contributing to the health of Canadians

If so, you’ll feel right at home at CNL.

Location: Onsite

Our Port Hope site is situated along the scenic shores of Lake Ontario, just east of Toronto. The community is rich in history, with vibrant downtown shops, restaurants, and nearby trails and parks. Living and working here offers the perfect blend of small‑town charm and easy access to urban amenities.

Please note:

This is a fully onsite position based at our Port Hope location, Ontario.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

At CNL, we are committed to fostering an environment that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion. We celebrate and welcome employees, stakeholders, and partners of all backgrounds and identities. Click here to read all about it!

We are proud to uphold a workplace culture grounded in our Core Values:

• Respect
• Teamwork
• Accountability
• Safety
• Integrity
• Excellence

These values drive our employment practices and ensure meaningful career development opportunities and accommodations for all employees.

CNL is an equal opportunity employer. If you require accommodation during any phase of the hiring process, please let us know via [e-mail] . All requests will be handled with confidentiality.

The CNL Historic Waste Program Management Office and the Port Hope Area Initiative projects are situated on the traditional lands of the Williams Treaties First Nations, specifically the Gunshot Treaty negotiated between the Crown and Mississauga Nation during the 1780s and represented today by the Williams Treaties First Nations. The Mississauga Nations are also signatories to various 18th and 19th century treaties that covered lands in different parts of south‑central Ontario. In 1923, the Mississauga First Nations and the Chippewa First Nations consisting of Rama, Beausoleil and Georgina Island signed the Williams Treaties and together, over 90 years later in June 2018, joined to ensure that their rights and the relationship with these lands are respected through a renewed agreement with Canada and the province of Ontario. The area in which we are situated is also home to Indigenous Peoples from across the region and Canada. CNL is grateful to have the opportunity to work on these traditionally and culturally significant lands and waterways.