Bilingual Policy Analyst

**Posting 23-09**

**Bilingual Policy Analyst**

**Administration, Membership Services Department**
- Permanent Position_, Category 5 - Hiring Range $92,451 - $128,007_

**Background**

The Ontario College of Teachers licenses, governs and regulates Ontario’s teaching profession in the public interest. Under the authority of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, _1996_, the College:

- sets ethical standards and standards of practice for the profession
- accredits teacher education programs and courses
- issues, suspends and revokes teaching certificates
- receives complaints about its members and investigates allegations of misconduct, incompetence or incapacity

To be eligible to work in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary school system, all teachers, principals and vice-principles must be certified by the College and remain members of the College in good standing.

**Purpose of Position**

Reporting to the Director of Membership Services, the Bilingual Policy Analyst will primarily work on legislative, regulatory and operational programs and projects that impact Membership Services in particular and often have cross-College and profession-wide impacts. Supported by strong research, policy analysis, project management and stakeholder relations skills, this position plays a critical role in operationalizing significant enhancements in the regulation of the teaching profession.

**Key Responsibilities**

**Policy & Research**:

- Conduct research and provide policy advice on statutory and regulatory proposals, interpret existing legislation and regulations, and help design policies and procedures that give effect to regulatory requirements.
- Prepare research papers and make recommendations on complex policy issues.
- Assess the implications of proposed legislation on the department’s operations and the regulation of the teaching profession generally.
- Assist in developing practical and streamlined business solutions for all the three units of the Membership Services department that comply with legislation.
- Prepare materials, including presentations, position papers, briefing notes, decision notes and statistical analysis for Council and Committee meetings, Legislative Committee hearings, policy conferences, work groups, task force meetings, and so forth.
- Respond to senior management and Council correspondence and inquiries as required.
- Liaise with external legal counsel when specialized advice or expertise is required.
- Familiarity with the _Education Act_, _Teaching Profession Act_, _Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act_, _Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act_, _Ontario Labour Mobility Act _and _Canadian Free Trade Agreement_, the _Lisbon Convention_, among others, would be highly valuable.
- Professional Suitability & Fraud:_
- Review professional suitability cases and make recommendations related to next steps to the Director of Membership Services.
- Contribute in all other aspects of the professional suitability process, including drafting letters, corresponding with authorities, and interviewing applicants.
- Advise the team on process to ensure due diligence.
- Assess and mitigate the potential risks of legal challenges on specific cases.
- Issues and Change Management:_
- Ensure issue-monitoring systems for assigned policy areas.
- Provide strategic advice to members of the Membership Services leadership team on various topics, including responses to stakeholders/clients and planning/implementation for various initiatives.
- Monitor regulatory developments in Ontario and elsewhere to assess the implications for the College’s certification and registration policies and practices.
- Draft and review correspondence on complex issues that require a Membership Services policy perspective or research.
- Assess and manage risk for specific departmental files and identify areas that may expose the College to operational, reputational, or legal risk.
- Represent the College in stakeholder meetings, including with various ministries, agencies and other regulators (specifically, where proficiency in French is required).
- Registration Appeals:_
- Represent the College in both French and English before the Registration Appeals Committee.
- Articulate the College’s position on denials or certifications with terms, conditions or limitations, represent the department before RAC panels, and identify registration/certification process strengths and weaknesses of the cases.
- Draft written submissions, responses to RAC panel questions, and any other documents related to the registration appeal.

**Qualifications, skills and knowledge**
- Post-secondary education in policy or a related field is required; an equivalent combination of training and experience may be considered.
- Ability to gather and synthesize complex information and gear this information (written and verbal) to the appropriate audience level.
- High level of communication skill