Chief of Staff - Jobs in Kitchener

Job Description

Chief of StaffCompetition Number2023-346Job Code0830Posting DateAugust 18, 2023Closing DateSeptember 6, 2023(at 6:00pm)Job StatusPermanent Full-TimeTheCity of Kitcheneris a vibrant and dynamic city of approximately 270,000, in the heart of southwestern Ontario. As the largest municipality in Waterloo Region, Kitchener continues to be poised for development and growth, enhancing its reputation as a leader in city-building and innovation, with nationally recognized strategies to build itsneighbourhoods, its digitalinfrastructureand its diverse economy.TheCity of Kitcheneris WHERE you want to work! Learn more about the top reasons to join us:Why work at the City of KitchenerPosition Overview:An exciting opportunity exists for a Chief of Staff to join the City of Kitchener as a strategic thinker, relationship builder, and collaborator. Working with a passionate team of city builders across the Kitchener public service, you will lead a 4-person team responsible for supporting the Mayor and members of City Council in their community leadership roles.

• Reporting to the Mayor, you will lead a team of 4 staff, including a Supervisor, Co-ordinator- Strategic Communications and Community Relations, and two Constituency Assistants. The Chief of Staff maintains a dotted-line administrative reporting relationship to the General Manager, Corporate Services.
• In addition to leading the Office of Mayor and Council (OMC) team, you will build strong and effective relationships with members of council and the Chief Administrator’s Office. You are keenly attuned to the complex issues facing municipalities and municipal elected officials, and have a reputation for being proactive, self-motivated, and able to develop and deliver compelling plans and strategies that engage key stakeholders and partners in advancing priorities, in particular through advocacy and communications efforts.
• Your background in communications and relationship development, with direct experience in a political office or environment, enables you to navigate concurrent projects with diplomacy and effective, positive outcomes. Your strong political acumen is an asset in proactively identifying and managing complex and/or emerging issues. While your passion for Kitchener #39;s ongoing transformation makes you a strong advocate for our priorities, you also keep in mind the big picture for this region.

Responsibilities:

• Communications, strategy and issues management; developing and implementing key communication materials for the Mayor, including but not limited to briefing notes, speaking remarks, presentations etc. Act as key media liaison for the Mayor. You will oversee the development of major presentations, reports and speeches for the Mayor and will work closely with the Corporate Communications and Marketing team as appropriate.
• Supporting the development of strategies to respond to enquiries from internal partners, and inter-governmental partners.
• Government relations: implement and execute a comprehensive, strategic government relations strategy in collaboration with internal partners on key issues related to the City.
• Leadership: lead a highly skilled, engaged, and customer-focused office. Direct reports include the Supervisor, Office of Mayoramp; Council and Co-ordinator-Strategic Communications and Community Relations. Two Constituency Assistants also round out this dedicated team. You will also oversee the budget for the Office of Mayor and Council.

Requirements:

• Core competencies for the successful candidate in this role include exceptional communications skills, a strong collaborative leadership style, extensive issues management and policy experience, and the ability to engage and oversee a strong, customer-focused team.
• You bring to the role a 4-year degree in Communications or Political Science.
• A minimum of 4 years of direct experience in a political office (municipal, provincial or federal), or in a national advocacy association such as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, or Federation of Canadian Municipalities is required.
• Must be reliable with a good attitude and employment record.

The City of Kitchener is committed to an equity-driven, inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free recruitment and selection process, and to ensuring our workforce reflects the full diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ persons, as well as other equity deserving groups.We will accommodate the needs of applicants under the Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Please contact Human Resources at recruitment@kitchener.ca, or 519-741-2200 ext. 7261 to make your needs known, so that we can support your full and equal participation throughout the hiring process.We appreciate the interest of all applicants. Only candidates whose skills, experience and qualifications meet the requirements of the position will be contacted.Please note that as per Human Resources Policy HUM-HIR-110,quot;Employment of Relatives of Staff Members and Elected Officials quot;:quot;The immediate relatives of staff of the Human Resources Division, all Directors, General Managers, or the Chief Administrative Officer and Elected Officials shall not be employed by the City in any capacity.The immediate relatives of all other Management personnel shall not be employed where such employment would be:1. within the same Department in the case of permanent full-time, temporary full-time and part-time classifications.2. within the same Division in the case of students. quot;DepartmentCorporate ServicesDivisionOffice of the GM, Corporate ServicesUnion AffiliationNon-Union/ManagementNumber of Positions1Hours of Work35 hours per weekLocationInitial Location City HallCityKitchenerCompensationSalary Range$110,888 - $138,610 annuallyGrade/Band12 (under review)