Senior Policy Advisor

REPORTING TO:

DIRECTOR, POLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS

SALARY RANGE FOR THIS POSITION:

$75,240 – $89,000

WHO WE ARE:

The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) is a proud membership of more than 100 non‑governmental and civil society organizations, academic institutions, health professional associations and private sector entities working to improve health outcomes for women and children in more than 1,000 communities worldwide. CanWaCH brings together the expertise and commitment of Canadian organizations and individuals to advance the health and rights of women, children and adolescents globally. We envision a world where women, children and adolescents, in all their diversity, realize their right to thrive in full health.

PURPOSE:

The Senior Policy Advisor is a key member of the team, responsible for advancing and supporting CanWaCH’s policy and government relations work. The role develops policy materials, manages issues, prepares strategic recommendations, and carries out engagement activities with government and sector partners. The Advisor works closely with the Director to implement a coordinated and impactful approach to government and partner engagement.

WORK LOCATION:

This position is home based and operates within CanWaCH’s virtual office model, with regular set hours from a home office setting. The successful candidate must be based in the Ottawa area and able to travel as required.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Working within a collaborative and fast paced environment, the Senior Policy Advisor supports the advancement of CanWaCH’s policy, government relations and stakeholder engagement priorities. The role contributes to the development of key initiatives, prepares policy materials and recommendations, manages emerging issues and carries out engagement activities that support CanWaCH’s strategic direction. The Advisor ensures effective knowledge translation across the organization and the sector and helps maintain a coordinated and integrated approach to stakeholder engagement.

The Senior Policy Advisor works closely with the Director, Policy and Partnerships, members of the Senior Management Team and the Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Working Group, demonstrating strong professionalism and superior communication skills across all interactions.

Specific responsibilities include:

Advancing CanWaCH’s Stakeholder Engagement Priorities

- Leads coordination of the Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Working Group, including work plan development, preparation of agendas and materials, tracking action items and advancing deliverables.

- Contributes to the design and implementation of a stakeholder engagement strategy, ensuring CanWaCH is positioned as a credible, solutions focused partner.

- Identifies, monitors and tracks key opportunities for engagement with government, partners and sector allies.

- Represents CanWaCH on relevant coalitions, technical and thematic working groups, and collaborative sector initiatives as required.

- Builds and maintains strong, respectful relationships with member organizations and sector partners to support collective action and alignment.

Supporting Policy and Government Relations Work

- Develops policy briefs, letters, statements, submissions and other materials that advance CanWaCH’s leadership on global health and gender equality.

- Monitors and analyzes political developments, government priorities, parliamentary activities and emerging issues relevant to CanWaCH’s mandate, and provides timely updates and advice.

- Supports engagement with parliamentarians, ministerial offices, government officials and political staff by preparing backgrounders, meeting notes, speaking points and follow up materials.

- Participates in meetings with parliamentarians and government officials, providing clear and credible representation of CanWaCH’s positions.

- Ensures alignment between CanWaCH’s priorities and key thematic areas, policies, government commitments and global moments.

- Prepares content for events, workshops, roundtables, briefings and webinars led or co‑led by CanWaCH.

- Supports planning and coordination of institutional government and partner meetings and events, ensuring clear objectives, quality materials and consistent follow through.

- Contributes to sector wide coordination efforts, including joint policy statements, budget submissions, advocacy campaigns and coordinated responses to emerging issues.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE and ABILITIES:

As the successful candidate, you will have:

- Post‑secondary education in a related discipline.

- A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in government relations, public policy, international cooperation, global health or related fields.

- Direct experience engaging with government, including preparing materials for and participating in meetings with parliamentarians, ministerial offices and senior officials.

- Strong knowledge of Canada’s international assistance, global health and gender equality policy landscape, including key institutions, commitments and decision making processes.

- Demonstrated ability to develop clear, credible and actionable policy briefs, statements, submissions and recommendations.

- Proven ability to manage complex issues, prioritize competing demands and deliver high quality work in fast moving environments.

- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to political, governmental and sector audiences.

- Strong relationship building skills, with experience working collaboratively across coalitions, networks or multi stakeholder initiatives.

- High degree of discretion, sound judgment, tact and professionalism.

- Ability to work independently and take ownership of tasks while contributing effectively to a small, high performing team.

- A commitment to human rights, gender equality, diversity and social justice.

- Eligibility to engage in government relations activities without restrictions, including compliance with federal and provincial lobbying regulations.

DESIRED SKILLS

- Fluency in both English and French

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and abilities. Should you require an accommodation or adjustment, please indicate this in your application.

CanWaCH is an equal opportunity employer. We believe deeply in equality and diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, disability, and all other protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code. CanWaCH particularly welcomes submissions from qualified applicants from diverse communities, including but not limited to: youth, Indigenous communities, newcomer Canadians, visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2I communities.

CanWaCH does not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. All offers of employment are conditional upon signing Human Resource Policies.

WHAT WE OFFER

- Opportunity to work remotely

- A knowledgeable, high‑achieving, and fun team

- Contribution to retirement plan

- Wellness allowance

All staff must be eligible to work in Canada and able to travel for work.

We invite candidates to submit a cover letter that clearly explains their qualifications for this role, along with a current resume no later than 11:59 PM (EASTERN) on December 4 . Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in interviews on December 11 or 12 . We kindly ask applicants to hold these dates as much as possible for scheduling. Candidates selected for an interview will receive advance notice.

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