Community Engagement Advisor

Metrolinx; Toronto; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Metrolinx is seeking a Community Engagement Advisor to serve as a liaison to communities and help build positive relationships through clear communications. You will contribute to strategic engagement plans and represent community interests to project teams, reporting to the Manager Community Engagement.

You will travel to multiple sites across the Scarborough area and support public consultations, stakeholder meetings, and content development for various engagement channels.

Qualifications

• Degree in Communications, Public Administration or related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in communications, community engagement, stakeholder relations or public affairs/customer service.
• Analytical skills to assess risks and impacts on reputation and propose corrective actions.
• Valid Ontario G driving license and good driving record.
• Excellent written English; ability to communicate clearly in public settings.
• French or other language is an asset.
• Willingness to travel to multiple locations (Scarborough, Bay Street addresses) and work on-site as needed.
• Experience with diverse communities and large infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement community engagement strategies for capital projects and operations.
• Build relationships with residents and stakeholder groups to support public communications.
• Define and communicate Metrolinx key messages; gather information via visits, meetings, surveys, and interviews.
• Arrange and host stakeholder meetings, community pop-ups, canvasses, and tours as required.
• Create content for Neighbourhood Notices, Acquisitions, and Major Track Closures; support engagement channels.
• Use an issues management lens to address challenges with residents and businesses during construction.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including MTO and City of Toronto; execute media plans.
• Apply brand guidelines to all print, website, and digital communications; prepare briefing notes.

Skills

Communications

Public relations

Stakeholder relations

Analytical skills

Project management

Bilingual English/French

Driving license

Education

Degree in Communications

Tools

Desktop publishing

Word processing

Social media

Web authoring

Job description

Metrolinx is connecting communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Metrolinx operates GO Transit and UP Express, as well as the PRESTO fare payment system. We are also building new and improved rapid transit, including GO Expansion, Light Rail Transit routes, and major expansions to Toronto’s subway system, to get people where they need to go, better, faster and easier. Metrolinx is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

At Metrolinx, equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to living our values of serving with passion, thinking forward and playing as a team.

The Scarborough Subway Extension Community Engagement Team is looking for a Community Engagement Advisor to serve as a liaison to the community and help to build positive relationships through open, clear and timely communications. You will contribute to the development and implementation of strategic community engagement plans, represent the interests of the community and stakeholders internally to Metrolinx project teams, and share externally the Metrolinx story of how we're transforming the Greater Golden Horseshoe and helping to connect communities. You will report to the Manager Community Engagement.

What will I be doing?

• Contribute to the development and implementation of community engagement strategies for both capital projects and day to day program operations.
• Develop strong and effective relationships with residents and stakeholder groups across the mandate area to help drive Metrolinx’s public communications efforts.
• Define and clearly communicate Metrolinx’s key messages related to project plans and construction impacts. Gather information through site visits, stakeholder meetings, interviews, surveys, etc., to investigate and address public concerns and mitigate issues.
• Support formal consultation by arranging and hosting regular stakeholder meetings (i.e. Construction /Community Liaison Committee, Community Impact Tables), community pop ups and canvasses as well as project tours as required.
• Support the development and deployment of relevant content for Neighbourhood Notices, Acquisitions, Major Track Closures and any other community engagement channels that may require support.
• Use an issues and stakeholder management lens to find solutions and mitigations to challenges that can arise with residents and businesses during construction.
• Provide support to various internal and externals stakeholders and work with project neighbours (residential and commercial), community partners, and government stakeholders, including the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and City of Toronto to exchange information, execute communications strategies, respond to complaints, analyze information, and execute media and communications plans.
• Strong influencing/negotiating skills as well as political acumen capabilities to deal with a variety of stakeholders, agencies and staff to ensure successful outcomes and achieve goals.
• Adhere to Metrolinx brand guidelines on designs and written or visual material used in Metrolinx print materials, website, multimedia, or displays. Developing briefing notes and event summaries on minor to major impact issues and construction activity, as required to support project leadership, media relations, CEO, and MTO.

What Skills and Qualifications Do I Need?

• Completion of a degree in Communications, Public Administration or a related discipline – or a combination of education, training and experience deemed equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience in communications, community engagement, stakeholder relations, and/or public affairs/customer service, with experience executing and communicating informational and promotional material to the general public.
• Analytical skills to analyze business needs and identify and assess communications risks and impacts on company reputation and develop recommendations for corrective action.
• Must have a valid Ontario Class "G" driver’s licence and must meet corporate standard for a good driving record.
• Complete proficiency in the English language is essential to facilitate high profile public communications.
• Ability to communicate in French or other language is an asset.
• This role supports projects across multiple locations and requires regular travel between 10 Bay Street, 20 Bay Street, and 100 Consilium Place (Scarborough). The successful candidate must be able to work on-site at these locations as business needs require.
• Familiarity and experience working with the diverse communities that make up the region.
• Previous experience working on large infrastructure projects and facilitating a public consultation process or engagement session.
• Knowledge, de-escalation techniques and tactics, and issues identification/management.
• Modern communication techniques and software applications (e.g. desktop publishing, word processing, web-authoring, content creation and operational proficiency with social media).
• Analytical skills to analyze business needs and identify and assess communications risks and impacts on company reputation and develop written recommendations for corrective action.
• Experience leading community projects to deliver finalized communications products within tight deadlines.
• Organizational, research, planning, time management and project management skills.
• Interpersonal, skills and political acuity. Oral/written/presentation communication skills to prepare presentations and develop community engagement materials.
• May sometimes be required to attend community meetings, pop-ups and external functions, which may result in extended or irregular working hours, during some phases of the project.(beyond 5pm during the work week and weekends as required, etc.).

Accommodation:

Metrolinx is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are also committed to offering reasonable accommodation to job applicants in accordance with applicable legislation. If you require assistance or an accommodation at any point during the hiring process, please contact us at: 416-202-5601 or email [e-mail].

Application Process:

All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Metrolinx will be using email to communicate with you for all job competitions. It is your responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time-sensitive correspondence, we recommend that you check your email regularly. If no response is received, we will assume you are no longer interested in pursuing the opportunity. Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate.

For Internal applicants, with the recent implementation of the Internal Mobility Policy, the internal recruitment process has changed for non-union roles. Candidates must be in their current role for 12 months prior to applying for another role and each applicant must be in good standing (not participating in a Performance Improvement Plan). Please review all provisions of the policybefore submitting your application.

Should it be determined that any background information provided is misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, Metrolinx reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of your application.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

WE ARE AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER.