Senior Advisor, Public Affairs

Are you a strategic storyteller with a passion for building influence, shaping narratives, and driving meaningful engagement? This exciting new national role offers a unique opportunity to work alongside a diverse team of Public Affairs professionals, helping elevate the visibility of Desjardins' leaders and experts on issues that matter to Canadians. Combining public relations, thought leadership, content creation, social media savvy, publication development, and project management, this position is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, brings creativity and innovation to the table, and can translate complex ideas into impactful stories and measurable results. As a Senior Public Affairs Advisor, you will play a pivotal role in promoting our internal experts and executives within the industry and media. You will engage with external stakeholders, utilizing key contacts and market knowledge to amplify and promote Desjardins to business, finance and economic journalists. You will develop integrated communications and media relations strategies that elevate Desjardins' reputation, strengthen executive visibility, and position our experts as trusted voices on issues impacting Canadians. You will also lead the development and implementation of a thought leadership platform that transforms internal expertise into compelling content and insights that support media engagement, stakeholder trust, and organizational influence. More specifically, you will be required to:

• Lead the development, implementation and evolution of Desjardins' thought leadership platform outside of Quebec. This includes identifying strategic themes, establishing governance and processes, partnering with subject matter experts and executives to develop original content, coordinating cross-functional contributors, and measuring performance to strengthen Desjardins' reputation, influence and visibility.

• Develop and maintain relationships with key media contacts to pitch stories, secure media coverage and position Desjardins executives and subject matter experts as trusted voices on economic, financial and socio-economic issues.

• Develop and execute communications plans that align with company goals while supporting different divisions within Desjardins. Tailoring your strategy, tactics, messages and audiences to deliver impactful communications strategies.  

• Write and edit press releases, articles and other public relations (PR) related content to engage a diverse stakeholder group on various platforms.  

• Work alongside executives and other communicators to provide expert counsel and sound recommendations that are in the best interest of the organization, including reputation management. This includes pitching and presenting to management and executive councils.  

• Develop proactive, compelling, communications initiatives leveraging earned and paid strategies to promote Desjardins, its experts and expertise to targeted audiences.  

• Evaluate PR activities by collecting data, benchmarking and measure the impact of your communications initiatives.  You will report on your findings and provided data-driven recommendations. 

• Provide insights and recommendations based on trends and your knowledge of the Canadian financial market and the economy.  

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 #ON10*

What you bring to the table

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, marketing, journalism or in a related field  

• A minimum of seven years of relevant experience

• Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered

• Experience developing or leading thought leadership, executive positioning, expert profiling, or corporate narrative initiatives

• Experience building communications programs, frameworks or processes from concept through implementation

• Experience collaborating with senior leaders and subject matter experts to translate complex business issues into compelling external content and communications opportunities

• Experience in media relations

• Experience as a spokesperson

• Experience in project management

• Experience in strategizing, planning, and executing communications initiatives

• Experience in addressing PR issues to manage public perception

• Experience in preparing speeches and training spokespeople

• Experience creating content for multiple platforms (e.g., social media, blogs, newsletters)

• Expert proficiency in English, both oral and written due to the nature of the duties or work tools or because the position involves interactions with (language)-speaking partners, members and/or clients

• Advanced knowledge editing and proofreading

• Advanced intermediate knowledge of the Canadian financial market and a sound understanding of the economy

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!

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