Irina C. - 14595 Public Affairs Officer from Ottawa

I have a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration and over 16 years of experience in policy development, project design and delivery, and process and people management in the federal government where I held various management, project lead, analytical and policy positions. In my current role, I manage a team of policy analysist in development of Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) program design and delivery policies. In the past, I led issues management and stakeholder engagement planning and implementation. I am an effective motivator and a team lead, focused on utilizing adaptable agile methodologies to build relationships and overcome organizational and project barriers. My strong organizational skills, effective prioritization, ability to monitor progress and project goals have always enabled me to finalize projects and tasks, in time and on budget. I am a strategic thinker with extensive experience in leading a team, working on high visibility projects and briefing senior management and providing advice and guidance on a range of critical issues and organizational program design and delivery policies. I worked on establishment and implementation of processes, protocols, policies and procedures for a range of projects; and developed communication and risk mitigation strategies to enable their success. I have extensive experience in leading stakeholder engagement and building relationships with a range of stakeholders, including senior management and others outside of the government, (e.g., Canada’s agri-food industry and provincial and territorial partners). I led stakeholder consultations, engagement planning and strategy development for a range of initiatives, including Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, and worked closely with stakeholders to advance mutual objectives, develop policy documents and implement action plans. I am goal-oriented, focussed on results and have always been able to effectively manage competing priorities under pressure and time constraints. I strive to be responsible and collaborative. I am a creative problem solver with an objective of inspiring trust and rapport with my colleagues, team members and other stakeholders.