Senior Advisor, Public affairs and public relations

Relevance; Montreal , Lévis; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonus

4 weeks flexible vacation

Defined benefit pension plan

Group insurance including telemedicine

Reimbursement of health and wellness

Job summary

Desjardins in Montreal seeks a senior public affairs and public relations advisor to shape external messaging, manage media relations, lobbying and institutional affairs, and protect the organization’s reputation. The role emphasizes strategic initiative leadership and complex project planning with diverse stakeholders.

You will advise clients and partners, resolve major complaints through expert mediation, develop policies and programs, and represent the unit and Desjardins in external

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Minimum six years of relevant experience.
• Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered.
• Knowledge of French is required.
• Intermediate knowledge of English due to the nature of the duties or work tools.

Responsibilities

• Advise your clients and partners to help them position, plan, develop, execute and monitor strategic complaint management initiatives and projects.
• Serve as expert advisor or mediator to complainants, sectors and other stakeholders to resolve major complaints.
• Develop and update policies, standards, models and programs to support your unit’s strategic projects and initiatives.
• Identify, analyze and diagnose major issues and make recommendations to decision-making bodies.
• Represent your unit before decision-making bodies.
• Represent Desjardins’s position when making agreements with external partners and organizations.

Skills

Interpersonal Savvy

Action Oriented

Customer Focus

Nimble Learning

Plans and Aligns

Strategic Mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Job description

Temporary 12-month position

As a senior public affairs and public relations advisor, you help maintain the organization’s image and promote policies and programs for external audiences through public relations, media relations, lobbying and institutional affairs. You handle complaints to improve strained relationships with members/clients and protect the organization’s reputation and brand image. You lead development projects and strategic initiatives that are complex and innovative. Your initiatives require extensive knowledge of your specialty area. You make recommendations on the planning and execution of operationally and conceptually complex projects and initiatives that require comprehensive analysis and understanding of the organization and line of business. Coordination is critical, so you frequently interact with stakeholders working in many other fields. Interpersonal savvy is therefore essential. You serve as specialist advisor and subject matter expert, as well as resource person and coach for decision-making bodies. More specifically, you will be required to

• Advise your clients and partners to help them position, plan, develop, execute and monitor strategic complaint management initiatives and projects
• Serve as expert advisor or mediator to complainants, sectors and other stakeholders to resolve major complaints. Negotiate with parties to reach a settlement agreement
• Develop and update policies, standards, models and programs to support your unit’s strategic projects and initiatives
• Identify, analyze and diagnose major issues and make recommendations to decision-making bodies
• Represent your unit before decision-making bodies
• Represent Desjardins’s position when making agreements with external partners and organizations.

What we offer*

• Competitive salary and annual bonus
• 4 weeks of flexible vacation starting in the first year
• Defined benefit pension plan that provides predictable, stable income throughout retirement
• Group insurance including telemedicine
• Reimbursement of health and wellness expenses and telework equipment

*Benefits apply based on eligibility criteria.

#LI-Hybrid

What you bring to the table

• Bachelor's degree in a related field
• A minimum of six years of relevant experience
• Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered
• Knowledge of French is required
• Intermediate knowledge of English due to the nature of the duties or work tools or because the position involves interactions with English-speaking partners, members and/or clients

Action oriented, Customer Focus, Differences, Interpersonal Savvy, Nimble learning, Plans and aligns, Strategic mindset

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility

At Desjardins, we believe in equity, diversity and inclusion. We're committed to welcoming, respecting and valuing people for who they are as individuals, learning from their differences, embracing their uniqueness, and providing a positive workplace for all. At Desjardins, we have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. We believe our teams should reflect the diversity of the members, clients and communities we serve.

If there's something we can do to help make the recruitment process or the job you're applying for more accessible, let us know. We can provide accommodations at any stage in the recruitment process. Just ask!

Trade Union (If applicable)

Job Family

Communications (FG)

Unposting Date

2026-10-18