Manager, Policy

**Department**: Strategy, Policy, Research

**Reporting to**: Associate Director, Policy and Advocacy

**Salary**: $73K-$74K CAD

**The Opportunity**

WES Canada is seeking a Manager, Policy Advocacy, with strong policy analysis and stakeholder relations skills to join our social impact team. We are looking for someone who is committed to and passionate about the mission of WES to help people learn, work, and thrive in new places and to help society recognize the value of people’s education and experience.

If you are motivated to use your policy, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement skills to improve the labour market outcomes of immigrants, refugees, and international students, then this may be the right opportunity for you. Your strong skills and advocacy orientation will help the team to drive the WES social impact agenda forward.

The Manager, Policy Advocacy will be part of a team working to create systems changes that allow immigrants, refugees, and international students to make full use of their education, experience, and competencies in the Canadian labour market. The role supports initiatives related to global mobility, workforce development, equity, and skills commensurate labour market inclusion. Areas of focus may include internationally educated health professionals, immigrant youth, international students, and refugees.

**Description**:
The purpose of this role is to support the capacity of WES Canada to engage in advocacy and influence policy/program solutions to advance the social impact goals of WES: to enable individuals and to drive systems change. The role supports initiatives related to global mobility, workforce development and equitable, skills commensurate labour market inclusion for skilled immigrants and refugees, and international students.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Policy Advocacy, the Manager is responsible for providing analysis and research, developing policy advocacy positions, supporting stakeholder engagement, and coordinating policy advocacy tables and campaigns. In addition to general support to the WES social impact agenda, each Managers portfolio may include a focus on specific groups including internationally educated health professionals, immigrant youth, international students, refugees or other directly affected groups.

**Duties include, but not limited to**:
**Policy Analysis and Research**
- Monitor research, news, policy, programs, legislation, and other information relevant to migration to Canada, international students, and skilled immigrant labour market integration; identify trends, developments and opportunities on issues, programs, and policies relevant to WES’ work
- Conduct research, literature reviews, produce in-depth environmental scans
- Consult stakeholders through meetings, focus groups, surveys etc. to inform policy advocacy positions
- Provide analysis and develop policy advocacy positions and recommendations related to program or policy change
- Develop policy-related materials for a range of audiences: reports, position papers, briefing notes, submissions, talking points, blogs, and other materials
- Collaborate in the development of the WES Canada research agenda and annual workplan
- Support the development and delivery of original research, carried out by WES or in collaboration with external partners
- Advise on and participate in design of surveys of WES applicants, focus groups with directly affected groups
- Provide expertise in quantitative and qualitative analysis and interpretation of data; use appropriate data visualization tools to present information
- Presenting and sharing information with internal and external stakeholders

**Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination**
- Support stakeholder engagement work in areas of WES policy research and advocacy
- Identify new potential partners and develop relationships with stakeholders
- Participate in stakeholder meetings and provide support including coordination, planning, notetaking, follow up including salesforce tracking

**Project and Operations**
- Project management of research, policy, and stakeholder initiatives through work-planning, managing critical paths, tracking, and reporting
- Support social impact planning and evaluation activities including tracking, reporting, and reflection on activities
- Assist in the development and implementation of specials projects as assigned and perform other duties as and when required
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills; proven ability to create and deliver presentations; experience presenting to and liaising with senior leadership
- Strong research and analytical skills (Demonstrated abilities to carry out quantitative research, data analysis, and data visualization an asset)
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Strong knowledge and background in one or more of the following areas: immigration and refugee issues; economic integration of skilled migrants; post-secondary education and international students; int