Temporary Communications Officer - Corporate: Student EngagementJWS (35hrs)

Halton District School Board; Burlington; Hybrid; CAD 77,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Halton District School Board is seeking a Communications Officer - Corporate: Student Engagement to elevate student voice and engagement across multiple channels. The role supports strategies and content that strengthen relationships with students, families and the community, reporting to the General Manager, Communications & Engagement.

The incumbent will manage storytelling, provide communications guidance to staff, and help monitor engagement trends while adhering to the Board's policies,

Qualifications

• University degree in Communications, PR, Journalism or Marketing.
• 2–4 years of relevant work experience including media relations and social media campaigns.
• Demonstrated understanding of working with diverse communities through an equity and inclusion lens.
• Outstanding writing and strategic communication planning skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills including discretion, tact and diplomacy.
• Understanding of major software, online applications and video editing software.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary contact for student engagement across web, social media and SchoolMessenger.
• Create and edit social media content and storytelling through video.
• Lead photo/video content development and editing.
• Conduct live streaming for Board meetings and events.
• Support schools and departments in engaging student voice.
• Develop internal and external communications plans to promote Board initiatives.

Skills

Media relations

Social media

Writing

Content creation

Public speaking

Storytelling

Communication planning

Education

University degree in Communications/Public Relations/Journalism/Marketing

Tools

Video editing software

Web/content management tools

Job description

Position: Communications Officer - Corporate: Student Engagement

Salary Range: Band 5: $ 42.52 - $ 50.71 per hour + 4% vacation pay

Location: Communications & Engagement, J.W. Singleton Education Centre

Work Schedule: 35 hours/week, 12 months/year: The role will require flexibility with respect to hours of work and staff may be called upon to provide services and expertise outside of core business hours

Effective Date: ASAP - December 17, 2027

Position Summary:

The Communications Officer - Corporate: Student Engagement will have a primary focus on student engagement and communication. Enhancing student voice is a priority for the HDSB to support student mental health and well-being, achievement and engagement. Reporting to the General Manager, Communications & Engagement, the Communications Officer - Corporate: Student Engagement will assist in the implementation and evaluation of communications and engagement strategies to strengthen relationships between the Board, its employees, students, parents/guardians and community stakeholders.

An excellent relationship builder with superior organizational skills, the Communications Officer will be responsible for creating social media content, engaging student voice, enhancing communications strategies and tactics and delivering strategic communications to diverse audiences across multiple channels with a focus on leveraging and promoting student voice. The Communications Officer - Student Engagement implements communications strategies that reflect well on the Board and enhance its public image and relationship with students. The HDSB follows a Work from Home Administrative Procedure. In accordance with this Administrative Procedure and with the approval of the immediate supervisor, employees who work at HDSB administrative sites may work from home for up to 50% of their regularly scheduled hours. Work from Home arrangements may change based on the future needs of the Board.

Key Responsibilities:

• Acts as the primary contact for student engagement to ensure accurate and timely information that supports the strategic goals of the HDSB on all communication platforms (web, social media, SchoolMessenger, etc.)
• Provides the art of storytelling through the use of video from pre-production to post-production delivery of content.
• Provides functional, technical and architectural leadership on photo and video content.
• Conducts live streaming for essential Board meetings and other public events.
• Supports storytelling and content creation with a lens on amplifying student voice.
• Supports students, staff, departments and school communities in engaging student voice and developing communication materials centring students.
• Determines how students prefer to receive information from their school and the HDSB to optimize engagement and monitor trends.
• Supports the building of relationships with key stakeholders by connecting to student voice.Strategically reviews all content and initiatives across the HDSB to ensure interest and collaboration with students.
• Plans, develops and implements internal and external communications plans and programs to promote Board initiatives and successes with a focus on student engagement and achievement.
• Provides communications advice and social media expertise to Board department staff and school administrators through a lens of enhancing student engagement.
• Supports proofreading/editing of publications, website content and digital communications, etc.
• Provides writing/editing expertise for content through a lens of enhancing student engagement.
• Provides support to schools, administrators, Board staff and departments with the goal of improving communication efforts between students and the Board, schools, employees, parents/guardians and educational stakeholders.
• Researches, interviews and writes articles/stories and takes photographs/video content for inclusion in various board publications and website, focusing on student engagement.
• Supports media relations as it pertains to student engagement: Gathers information and coordinates logistics for media requests involving students, assists in preparing remarks concerning media requests.
• Monitors local and national education stories in the media (daily) and education trends through a student engagement lens.
• Proactively shares positive Halton education stories focusing on students with members of the media to enhance the public image of the Board and public education.
• Monitors and maintains the content on the Board’s website to ensure accuracy and initiates contact with departments and schools concerning out-of-date content.

Qualifications:

• University degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or Marketing. A related degree with a postgraduate program in Corporate Communications/Public Relations also considered.
• Two to four years of relevant work experience including media relations, issues management, social media (advertising, campaigns, etc.).
• Savvy political acumen.
• Demonstrated understanding of working with diverse communities through an equity and inclusion lens.
• Outstanding writing and strategic communication planning skills, including writing content for the web and social media, and strong oral communications skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills including discretion, tact and diplomacy skills.
• Understanding of all major software, online applications and the use of video editing software.
• Highly effective time management skills with the ability to prioritize workload.
• Valid G Driver’s License and access to a vehicle.

Job Category: Management & Professionals - Job Code # 4072653

Memo - AI Use in Interviews

We thank all applicants for their interest in opportunities with the Halton District School Board. Contact will be made with applicants whose experience and qualifications most closely match the requirements of the position. Communication with short-listed applicants will be made through the email address provided on the applicants’ Apply To Education profile page.

First consideration for posted vacancies will be given to qualified applicants from the employee group in which the vacancy occurs.

Applicant Self Identification Questions:

As part of the recruitment and selection function, the HDSB will collect voluntary self identification data from applicants in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, HDSB’s Teacher Hiring Practices Administrative Procedure, HDSB’s Employment Equity Policy and Ontario’s Anti Racism Data Standards:

Personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the Anti-Racism Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 15, in compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56. In accordance with HDSB’s Employment Equity Policy, personal information collected on this form will aim to achieve an inclusive, diverse and representative workforce. It works to intentionally identify and remove barriers for equity-deserving communities at each stage of the hiring process. Encouraging diversity of the workforce in the school board is vital because the workforce should be reflective and representative of the community.

Although hiring policies must adhere to the qualification requirements set out in applicable Regulations (eg. Regulation 298, “Operation of Schools – General”) and any applicable collective agreement provisions, the Board recognizes the importance of the following when developing its selection and evaluation criteria:

• valuing applicants’ additional experience, lived experience, skills, backgrounds and perspectives; and
• granting first consideration, where the skills, ability, and qualifications of the applicants are relatively equal, to applicants who self-identify as members of historically under-represented communities.

We encourage you to respond to our voluntary applicant self-identification questions. This data will inform our understanding of the diversity of our applicant pool as well as the progress of applicants throughout the hiring process. This data will inform our goals, strategies and actions and our progress towards creating and sustaining an inclusive and equitable workforce. Any information that you provide in response to these questions will be referred to during the hiring process for this position, and will be shared with the hiring manager and/or committee members responsible for the hiring process.

The section includes questions from Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards (Standards, 2017). The Standards were established to help identify and monitor systemic racism and racial disparities within the public sector. The Standards establish consistent, effective practices for producing reliable information to support evidence-based decision-making and public accountability to help eliminate systemic racism and promote racial equity (adapted from Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards, 2017).

Questions about this collection may be directed to Dixon Mohammed - Manager, Recruitment, Selection and Staffing at [e-mail].

Accommodation:

Upon request, we will provide reasonable accommodations for candidates who have temporary or permanent disability, or who otherwise require accommodations based on the protected grounds highlighted in the Ontario Human Rights Code in respect to the recruitment and selection process.

Wellness:

The HDSB is committed to providing a respectful and healthy work environment.