Vice President of Stakeholder and Regulatory Affairs

The Opportunity

Impact HR is proud to represent an excellent opportunity within the Western Canadian resources sector. Our client, an expanding energy company based in Calgary, AB, is dedicated to evaluating and developing its properties with an innovative and responsible multi-decade approach. As a part of the team, you'll have the opportunity to contribute from the ground up, while enjoying a competitive salary, incentives, and benefits.

Our client is focused on creating an environment where everyone is empowered to make impactful decisions that support the company’s goals. It’s a company with a long-term view and a culture bias towards leadership over management, exception-based reporting, empowered people, and purposeful work. Their leaders are focused on their individual team members’ success, in the belief that in the culmination of many successful people, they will have an extraordinarily successful organization.

Role Overview

The Vice President of Stakeholder and Regulatory Affairs holds a pivotal role within the leadership team, reporting directly to the President and COO. Together with other senior leaders, this position carries accountability for fostering community engagement, managing external communications, nurturing relationships with First Nations and Métis communities, and addressing government and regulatory requirements.

The primary focus of this role is to contribute to the development of the company's strategic assets, enhance its organizational culture, optimize staffing performance, and uphold its reputation among stakeholders. Key responsibilities include devising permitting strategies, ensuring community acceptance of projects, and facilitating employee development initiatives.

This position will be based in Saskatoon, SK, with travel required within Canada and internationally.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically and envision the organization's future direction.
• Collaboration: Interacting and collaborating effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Clear Communication: Demonstrating clear and candid communication skills to foster understanding and development.
• Champion Development: A commitment to developing others and fostering a culture of success.

Stakeholder Leadership:

• Community Focus: Understand and prioritize community needs, requirements, and development.
• Navigate Complex Interactions: Managing the interplay between project development, community growth, and cultural change.
• Business Integration: Integrating business and economic development with the company’s commitment to supporting communities.
• Communication Channel: Serving as the primary communications channel for social media, press releases, and external representation.
• Conflict Management: Forecasting and managing interactions between conflicting stakeholder groups, fostering collaboration and solutions.
• Goal Integration: Integrating and managing community aspirations with corporate goals, responsibilities, and timelines.
• Trust Building: Operating under the principle of "under-promise and over-deliver" to build confidence and trust.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Leading stakeholder engagement activities for new projects, specifically dealing with government regulatory bodies and First Nations.

Regulatory Leadership:

• Regulatory Insight: Maintaining a strategic understanding of Federal and Provincial regulatory landscapes, conflicts, and communications.
• Legal Understanding: Staying informed about Canadian Constitutional discussions, Supreme Court rulings, and federal/provincial relations as they relate to the resource industry.
• Permitting Process: Understanding current and future directions of the permitting process at Federal, Provincial, and Municipal levels.
• Future Planning: Integrating future regulatory requirements within project development strategies.
• Communication with Authorities: Engaging with regulatory agencies regarding policy needs or concerns.
• Strategy Development: Developing strategies to deliver shorter timelines and achieve approval certainty for projects.
• ESIA Development: Proven experience in successfully developing and completing a full regulatory ESIA application for a facility.
• Presentation Skills: Experience presenting to an environmental appeal board or leading activities at a public hearing.

Media Relations:

• Media Exposure: Exposure to the media or experience as a company spokesperson.
• Media Relations Training: Having had formal media relations training to effectively handle media interactions.

Office Administration:

• Establish policies, procedures, and controls to mitigate compliance risks and promote a culture of compliance throughout the organization.
• Develop training programs and materials to educate employees on regulatory requirements, compliance standards, and best practices.
• Generate reports and data analytics of staff performance.

Communication and Relationship Management:

• Provide strategic direction and leadership to the regulatory affairs and engagement functions, setting goals, priorities, and performance expectations.
• Foster a culture of compliance, integrity, and ethical conduct throughout the organization, emphasizing the importance of regulatory adherence and stakeholder engagement.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, resources, and initiatives to support regulatory compliance efforts and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging issues, and best practices in regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement, and leverage this knowledge to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Represent the organization in industry conferences, public forums, and media interviews to enhance its reputation and influence in regulatory and public policy matters.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as business administration, law, public policy, regulatory affairs, or a related discipline.
• Over 20 years of experience in similar and related roles, with approximately 5 or more years of experience leading a regulatory and engagement team.
• Proven track record of progressive leadership and management experience, including roles of increasing responsibility and oversight.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, public affairs, lobbying, or advocacy is highly desirable.
• Substantial experience in managing mineral resource permitting processes and engaging with stakeholders, preferably in Saskatchewan and Western Canada.
• Background in legal matters or regulatory affairs, demonstrating knowledge and understanding of relevant laws and regulations.
• Proven experience in leading stakeholder engagement activities for new projects and collaborating with government regulatory bodies and First Nations.
• Proven track record as a team player with strong problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated leadership and training capabilities.
• Strong media relations experience and formal media relations training is an asset.
• In depth experience of ESIA Federal and Provincial regulatory process for permitting projects. Specific expertise in Air Quality, Climate Change, Noise and Vibration, Water Quality, Aquatic Biology, Terrestrial Biology, Ecology and Human Health, Socio-Economic Impacts, Land Use, Archaeology, Built Heritage etc.

Competencies

• Ethical Conduct and Integrity: Commitment to upholding ethical standards, transparency, and accountability in decision-making and business practices.
• Risk Management: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess compliance risks and develop risk mitigation strategies.
• Financial Acumen: Ability to understand and apply financial principles, including accounting procedures, budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Attention to Detail: Meticulousness and accuracy in performing tasks, reviewing documents, and identifying errors or discrepancies.
• Organizational Skills: Capacity to manage multiple tasks, prioritize responsibilities, and meet deadlines effectively.
• Analytical Thinking: strong analytical and problem-solving skills to analyze procurement data, assess risks, and evaluate supplier performance, pricing proposals, and contract terms.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to jess@impacthr.ca. This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals. We are committed to building a team that will make a positive contribution to the communities where we live and work.