Senior Communications & Public Relations Officer

Position: Senior Communications & Public Relations Officer (Full-Time)

Employer: ByWard Market District Authority (BMDA)

Salary Band: $60,000 – $70,000, commensurate with experience

Language Requirement: Bilingualism (English and French) required

Location of Work: 55 ByWard Market Square, Ottawa, Ont.

The ByWard Market district is Ottawa’s number one tourist attraction and the premier destination for shopping, dining, arts, culture, and entertainment for visitors and residents. Established in 2023, the ByWard Market District Authority (BMDA) serves as the custodian of the vision, vibrancy, and economic prosperity of the historic ByWard Market district. Our mission is to connect community, culture, and commerce through meaningful experiences, programming, and initiatives.

As the voice of one of Canada’s most recognized public market districts, the BMDA plays an important role in shaping the narrative and public perception of the ByWard Market locally, nationally, and internationally.

The BMDA is seeking a Senior Communications & Public Relations Officer to support the organization’s public communications, media relations, and district storytelling with a strong focus on editorial writing and narrative development. Reporting directly to the Marketing & Communications Manager, this role helps shape and protect the public narrative of the district through clear, timely, and compelling communications.

The successful candidate will develop written communications such as newsletters, Linked In posts, media materials, and public messaging; coordinate media relations and public relations opportunities tied to district initiatives and events; and work with external creative partners to coordinate the production and rollout of communications materials for district campaigns and activations.

This position works closely with the Digital Media Content Creator to ensure messaging across digital platforms, media relations, and newsletter remains aligned and consistent. From time to time, this role may represent the organization at community events or announcement moments and will support leadership in preparing key messages and speaking materials.

• Draft press releases, media advisories, background materials, and public communications for district announcements, initiatives, and programming.
• Draft written communications, including newsletters, Linked In content, and other public-facing messaging.
• Coordinate media outreach and maintain relationships with local and regional media outlets.
• Monitor local, regional, and national media coverage related to the ByWard Market and provide summaries identifying key narratives, emerging issues, and opportunities for proactive communications.
• Track online conversations and public sentiment (online media, forums, blogs, review platforms, etc.) using monitoring tools such as Cision to identify potential reputational risks or opportunities.
• Assist in coordinating interviews and preparing briefing materials, key messages, and speaking notes for BMDA leadership.
• Assist with organizing media events, press conferences, and announcement moments tied to district initiatives and programming.
• Coordinate the production and rollout of communications materials by working with external creative partners, print vendors, and internal teams to ensure assets are produced and deployed on schedule.
• Represent the organization at select community events, public forums, or announcement moments as required.
• Stay informed on emerging issues, media trends, and best practices in communications and public relations.
• Other duties as required.

• Minimum 3–5 years’ experience in communications, public relations, journalism, media relations, or public affairs.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Experience working with media outlets and an understanding of newsroom environments.
• Ability to monitor media coverage and identify emerging narratives related to an organization or sector.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple communications priorities simultaneously.
• Experience coordinating communications initiatives with external creative partners or vendors.
• Exper…