Job Description

Job Information
Job Title: Media & Digital Specialist
Job Requisition ID: 79777
Ministry: Forestry and Parks
Location: Edmonton
Full or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Permanent/Temporary: Temporary (24 months)
Scope: Open Competition
Closing Date: Open Until Suitable Candidates Found
Classification: Program Service 4
Salary: $3,056.50 to 4,006.62 bi-weekly ($79,774 - $104,572/year)

As the Ministry of Forestry and Parks we are responsible for fostering Alberta’s environmentally responsible forest management practices, including management of wildfires. We preserve our provincial parks for the recreation and enjoyment of Albertans. As well as enabling access to public lands for recreational and commercial purposes while prioritizing conservation. Forestry and Parks also manages public lands and balances sustainable rangelands and grazing leases for Alberta producers.

The Forestry Division, within the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, works to enhance the economic, environmental, and social contributions of our forests and forested lands to Albertans. For more information about the Ministry of Forestry and Parks please visit our website at: https://www.alberta.ca/forestry-and-parks

Role Responsibilities

Are you an experienced professional in communications, crisis management, and public engagement? Take your career to the next level by joining our team as a Media and Digital Specialist. This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact, supporting the Forestry Division in educating the public, managing critical communications during emergencies, and leading dynamic communication strategies.

As a valued member of our team, your expertise in strategic communication, leadership, and media relations will set you apart. Working in this role, on a daily basis, you will:

• Supervise, coach, and train staff responsible for social media and digital content creation, ensuring they meet established objectives.
• Develop and deliver media training to enhance the communication skills of staff, executives, and partners.
• Lead the development and implementation of crisis communication strategies, including media relations and social media crisis management, to ensure timely and effective information dissemination.
• Act as a spokesperson for the Forestry Division, representing the organization during media engagements and public events.
• Provide leadership, advice, and mentorship to staff during emergency wildfire situations to ensure accurate and clear communication that supports decision-making and public safety.
• Oversee the creation and updating of content for public-facing platforms, including Alberta Wildfire’s website and social media channels.
• Write key messages, coordinate media interviews, and facilitate media access during evolving emergency situations.
• Develop and implement communication plans and strategies to improve stakeholder engagement and public education, fostering awareness of wildfire prevention, mitigation, and safety.
• Design and deliver course materials for the Wildfire Information Officer course and other training initiatives to build communication capacity across the team.
• Monitor public discourse and emerging trends to identify opportunities for improved public engagement and outreach.
• Collaborate with executives and partners to align communication efforts with organizational mandates and objectives.

This role requires a proactive, results-driven individual with exceptional communication, project management, and leadership skills. If you thrive in high-pressure situations and are passionate about delivering impactful communication strategies, we invite you to apply and make a difference in forestry communications, public safety, and community engagement.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf

• Agility - Ability to anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.
• Drive for Results - Knowing what outcomes are important and maximizing resources to achieve results that are aligned with the goals of the organization, while maintaining accountability to each other and external stakeholders.
• Develop Networks - Proactively building networks, connecting and building trust in relationships with different stakeholders.
• Creative Problem Solving - Ability to assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.
• Build Collaborative Environments - To ensure a collaborative approach is taken within your work to facilitate open communication, and leverage team skills to achieve desired outcomes.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement Standard

University graduation (4 years) in a related field such as Arts, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, plus 4 years of progressive responsibility and directly related experience, or
Diploma (2 years) in related field plus 6 years of related experience.

Equivalency Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of: 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or 1 year of experience for 1 year education.

Asset

• Expertise in media relations and public speaking.
• Expertise in crisis communications.
• Knowledge of wildfire related issues, trends and research.
• Proficiency in social media platforms, digital media and web content development and systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to multitask and determine priorities under pressure.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards

Notes

This is a full time temporary position in Edmonton for 24 months, with the standard weekly work hours of 36.25, Monday to Friday.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Candidates are required to complete a written assessment as a prerequisite for proceeding with the interview process.

Application Information

• In your application, please include a cover letter detailing your interest in the role related experience. Your cover letter will also be used to assess your writing abilities.
• In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Also, please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part-time or full-time. For example January 15, 2006 - June 25, 2009: Assistant (PT three 8 hrs. shifts/week).
• Three (3) work-related references are required for those selected for an interview.
  

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca
• Management Employees Pension Plan (MEPP) - https://www.mepp.ca
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.

How To Apply
Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience, and relevant examples of required competencies.

Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please visit https://www.alberta.ca/job-application-resources#before for more information. Please visit Recruitment Principles, for more information.

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. For example, January 2006 - June 2009 (part-time). This example is provided for illustrative purposes only. Applicants are encouraged to present their information clearly and thoroughly, using a format that best conveys their experience.

It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)( https://www.alberta.ca/international-qualifications-assessment.aspx) or from a recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information ( https://canalliance.org/en/default.html).

It is recommended that applicants include the assessment certificate from IQAS or any other educational assessment service as part of their application.

Closing Statement
This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

If you require any further information on this job posting or require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Rashi Vaktania at Rashi.Vaktania@gov.ab.ca