Communication Specialist - JWS

June 2, 2026

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY M.A.S.S. VACANCY

Position: Temporary Communications Specialist

Salary Range: Band 7- $50.69 to $60.45 + 4% vacation pay

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

Work Schedule: 35 hours/week, 12 months/year

Start Date: As soon as possible

Contract End Date: December 19, 2027

Position Summary

Reporting to the General Manager, Communications & Engagement, the Communications Specialist plans, develops, implements and evaluates communications and engagement strategies to strengthen relationships between the HDSB, its employees, students, parents/guardians and community stakeholders.

An excellent relationship builder with superior organizational skills, the Communications Specialist provides strategic communications and media expertise in support of programs, projects, initiatives and public consultations. The Communications Specialist plays a key role in responding to school emergencies, crises and other sensitive or emerging issues by developing timely, accurate and appropriate stakeholder communications. The position monitors political and public-sector developments affecting public education, advises on reputational risks and implements communications strategies that enhance public confidence in the HDSB.

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. The HDSB offers funding for professional development in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Employment for management and administration support staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Plans, develops and implements internal and external communications plans and strategies to promote HDSB initiatives, successes and public events. Coordinates communication tactics and reviews deliverables to ensure consistent, timely and aligned implementation across the Communications & Engagement team.
• Provides strategic communications advice and support to staff, school administrators, senior administration and spokespersons on sensitive, complex or high-profile issues, including crisis/emergency situations and high-risk incidents. This includes developing key messages, responses and materials to ensure timely, accurate and sensitive stakeholder communication.
• Works collaboratively with schools and departments to clarify communication objectives, manage priorities and support effective communication solutions, with the overall goal of improving communications between the HDSB, employees, parents/guardians and education stakeholders.
• Monitors local and national education stories, political and public-sector developments, stakeholder concerns and emerging issues that may affect HDSB schools, public education or the organization’s reputation.
• Provides media relations expertise, including preparing and distributing news releases, proactively sharing positive HDSB stories, responding to media inquiries, preparing remarks and maintaining a current contact list of media outlets.
• Proofreads, edits and reviews internal and external communications (e.g. organizational plans and reports, website content, system updates, social media content, community letters, printed and digital communications, etc.) to ensure accuracy, consistency, accessibility, alignment with organizational priorities and adherence to brand and style standards.

Qualifications

• University degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or a related discipline. A related degree combined with a postgraduate program in corporate communications/public relations will also be considered.
• Five (5) years of relevant work experience, including media relations, issues management and strategic communications. Experience supporting crisis or emergency communications is an asset.
• Exceptional political acumen, with a strong and current understanding of political, government and public-sector developments, stakeholder confidence and organizational reputation and a demonstrated ability to identify emerging issues and reputational risks to develop clear, strategic and responsive communications.
• Outstanding writing, editing and strategic communications planning skills, including the ability to develop timely, accurate, clear and sensitive content for websites, social media, public-facing communications and sensitive or emerging issues under tight timelines and in high-pressure situations.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including discretion, tact, sound judgement and the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships.
• Strong problem-solving, conflict resolution, time management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage workload and prioritize competing demands to support effective communications solutions across departments and schools and respond to urgent communications needs.
• Knowledge of accessible communications practices and AODA requirements as they apply to written and digital communications.
• Knowledge of Canadian Press style and experience supporting brand consistency across internal and external communications.
• Understanding of all major software and online applications (e.g. Google Workspace).

Applications, along with your resume and other supporting documents must be submitted through Apply to Education – by Monday, June 8, 2026

Job Category: Management & Professionals -

Job Code# 4037803

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.

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.

Requirements

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 ***email_hidden***.

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.