Senior Media Relations Advisor

Role Responsibilities

The Senior Media Relations Advisor supports strategic media relations through media monitoring and analysis, proactive and reactive outreach, and targeted engagement with, national, international and specialty media. The position provides strategic advice on emerging media issues, identifies audiences and media opportunities, and supports accurate and effective communication of government information. The role supports implementation of the annual media relations plan, using research and data to inform outreach strategies related to government priorities that expand engagement in national and international media markets. Working with communications teams, senior government offices and media partners, the Senior Advisor coordinates targeted media opportunities, including interviews, roundtables and translated content for international markets. The advisor may also be required to support rural media engagement opportunities.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Media Relations & Issues Management

• Monitor and analyze media trends and emerging issues and recommend proactive and reactive media relations approaches.
• Develop targeted media outreach strategies supporting government priorities across rural, national, international and specialty media.
• Use research and data to identify audiences, media sources and opportunities for effective outreach.
  
  

Media Outreach & Engagement

• Support implementation of the annual media relations plan, including expanded national and international media engagement.
• Build and maintain media relationships and coordinate interviews, media roundtables and other targeted outreach.
• Coordinate translated and culturally appropriate content needed to support effective media engagement.
  
  

Media Intelligence & Program Support

• Maintain detailed and up-to-date media outlet profiles and contact information, including circulation, audience and reach demographics, geographic coverage, publication frequency, languages and editorial focus.
• Leverage media intelligence and audience insights to identify outreach opportunities and inform targeted engagement strategies across national, international and specialty media.
• Lead or support media relations projects and provide strategic advice to communications partners and senior stakeholders.
• Coach and mentor junior staff and students and contribute to coordinated media relations service delivery.

The Job Description is provided for further details on 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.

Systems Thinking: Considers media trends, audience needs, stakeholder interests and the broader government context when developing advice and outreach strategies. 

Creative Problem Solving: Uses research, data and diverse perspectives to develop practical options for complex or emerging media issues. 

Agility: Adapts advice and priorities as media issues, timelines and communications needs change. 

Build Collaborative Environments: Builds productive relationships across communications teams, senior offices, media outlets and community partners. 

Qualifications

University graduation in journalism, communications or a related field, plus 4 years of related experience.

Related experience should demonstrate:

• Media relations and proactive outreach, particularly with national and/or international media outlets
• Communications planning
• Issues management and strategic communications advice
• Project delivery involving internal and external stakeholders.

Equivalencies:

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 of education.

Preference may be given to candidates who demonstrate one or more of the following: 

• Experience developing or implementing media relations or outreach strategies involving national and/or international media outlets or audiences.
• Experience building and maintaining professional relationships with journalists, editors, producers, broadcasters, or other media partners. 
• Experience providing strategic communications or issues management advice to senior leaders. 
• Experience coordinating translation services or adapting communications for international or culturally diverse audiences. 
• Experience managing communications or media engagement projects, including timelines, budgets, logistics, and evaluation. 
• Experience using media monitoring or tracking systems.
• Experience providing communications advice or delivering communications initiatives within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, such as municipal government, another public-sector organization or a similarly complex organization. 
  
  

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

This is a temporary full-time position ending March 31, 2027.

The position works 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This position is based in-office in Edmonton.

Final candidates will be required to undergo a criminal records check (CRC).

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.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information.
• Professional learning and development.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.