Policy Advisor, Cultural Policy Hub

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work and create_

OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.

It is an exciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles — driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship.

Reporting to the Manager, Cultural Policy Hub, the Policy Advisor supports the research, writing and knowledge mobilization for OCAD University’s Cultural Policy Hub (the Hub), a national network that supports cultural policy decision-making from the local to the national levels. Working in close collaboration with the Hub’s team and network, the Policy Advisor will support the Hub in exploring a range of cultural policy issues, from precarity and resilience in the arts to digital transformation in the creative sector.

The Hub is located at and administered by OCAD University (OCAD U)—Canada’s oldest and largest art and design university. The Hub aims to not only facilitate and expand the arts and culture sectors’ capacity in policy research, data analysis, program design and development, but to facilitate more frequent knowledge exchange and mobilization.

**Summary of Responsibilities**:

- Conduct policy research on arts, culture and creative industries that supports the Hub’s priorities
- Coordinate and write policy papers, reports, op-eds, blogs, and other materials related to the Hub’s priorities
- Coordinate and brief speakers/facilitators/fellows for events, workshops, and meetings
- Assist the Manager in coordinating and delivering of the Hub’s convenings, events, speaker series and knowledge mobilization activities, including having current knowledge of established and emerging experts and decision-makers in various sectors
- Support the Manager and Hub leadership in the Hub’s outreach activities, including drafting and editing content for the website, social media, newsletter, etc.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with the Hub’s affiliates to establish opportunities for consultation and collaborative research, policy advising, speaking engagements, guest blogging, etc.
- At the direction of the Manager, represent the Hub at external conferences, committees, working groups and other networking opportunities
- Collaborate with the Hub’s Research Assistants to support policy tracking and research
- Support the Manager in other related duties, as assigned

**Qualifications**:

- Policy and Research_
- Post-secondary degree in public policy or a relevant field, with a minimum of three (3) years of related experience; Master’s degree preferred
- Experience researching and writing policy content and documents, including briefs, white papers, op-eds, blogs, etc.
- Knowledge of and experience with research methods, including working with quantitative and qualitative data
- Strong understanding of relevant legislation and regulations and government decision-making processes
- Experience working within cultural policy, the arts sector and/or creative industries in Canada and internationally will be considered an asset
- Communication and Collaboration_
- Strong writing/editing and proofreading, including strong knowledge of grammar, syntax, and style; and ability to work within the conventions of house and controlling style guides
- Ability to work professionally and effectively with people at all levels in and outside of the post-secondary setting
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to interact with diverse groups of individuals including but not limited to Hub administrative staff, internal special projects, external advisors, policy fellows, Marketing and Communications team, researchers, faculty and University leadership
- Bilingual in French and English is preferred
- Organizational Skills_
- Organizational and time management skills to coordinate projects and people, prioritize and track multiple projects simultaneously, and meet critical deadlines
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite is not requir