Vice-president of Policy

**Vice-President of Policy** - **CANDIDATE PROFILE**_ The Public Policy Forum is seeking a broad-minded, intellectually ambitious and entrepreneurial leader with a passion for public policy and a track record in one or more of government, academia, think tanks or related organizations. We are looking for a doer and thinker, someone enthusiastic about engaging with our many partners and ready to lead a team of Policy Leads and Associates and part-time Fellows in designing processes to tackle policy challenges. This is a critical role in our organization, one that faces inward and outward. PPF prides itself on being the think tank about tomorrow, an applied policy shop working with a cross - section of stakeholders to put forward fresh policy approaches on emerging issues. Our research is generally accompanied by convening interested parties coming from differing perspectives. The Vice - President of Policy is a key member of the leadership team and is responsible for planning and overseeing our policy agenda and research activities, as well as ensuring their impact and excellence. The position reports to the President & CEO and will work closely with members of the PPF team in delivering on the organization’s strategic and operational mandates. We operate off of four delivery platforms for our content: publications, convenings, PPF Media and our learning arm, PPF Academy. The Vice-President will represent PPF in policy discussions at conferences and in the media and will often hold the pen on PPF reports or other vehicles that communicate our content. We are looking for someone with recognized public policy expertise who will seek to amplify that recognition on the PPF platform. - **THE ORGNANIZATION**_ The Public Policy Forum is a 35-year-old non-profit organization and charity that works with all orders of government, particularly the public service, as well as the private sector, trade unions, post-secondary institutions, foundations, NGOs and Indigenous groups to improve policy outcomes for Canadians. As a non-partisan, member-based organization, we work from “inclusion to conclusion," by convening discussions of emerging and established thinkers, doers and deciders on fundamental policy issues (inclusion) and by identifying fresh policy options and paths forward (conclusion). The Public Policy Forum researches and convenes around topical public policy challenges as well as celebrating great contributions to policy and public service at our testimonial dinners. We believe policy choices and execution directly impact the quality of life of Canadians. Our motto is Good Policy, Better Canada. - **SCOPE & OBJECTIVES**_ PPF conducts research and engagement activities within a portfolio of public policy issues of relevance to Canada and its people. Although this portfolio will change gradually over time, our focus on a handful of primary areas of inquiry allows us to build knowledge, relationships and reputation. Some areas will be more active than others at a given time. Our portfolio of activities currently consist of: - The social and economic determinants of growth and competitiveness, including Canada’s place in a changing geo-political order - Canada’s evolving energy and climate future - The future of work - Information, technology and democracy - Indigenous growth and economic reconciliation - Developing our health and life sciences potential A primary task of the Vice-President of Policy is to identify gaps in policy-making by different orders of government in the face of changing times and to design research initiatives and oversee the programming of public PPF events. All PPF initiatives draw on partnerships for intellectual and financial capital. Working closely with the partnership team lead, the Vice-President of Policy interacts with PPF’s diverse group of 200+ members, who reside on the frontiers of policymaking and policy impacts. The VP Policy also contributes to PPF Media and PPF Academy. The major activities of the Vice-President of Policy are: **Research and Policy Analysis** - In conjunction with the CEO, plan and execute PPF’s research and engagement activities, ensuring they are forward-looking, excellent and dynamic - Provide oversight and guidance to the policy team members working on reports and programs and ensuring they are consistently of high relevance and quality - Manage roster of PPF Fellows in organizing their contributions to PPF priorities, and lead the recruitment of future PPF Fellows - Through readings and ongoing conversations with contacts in government and elsewhere, ensure the ongoing monitoring of policy trends in PPF’s priority areas of concentration, and bring to the attention of the PPF team any emerging issues - Work closely with the PPF Academy to design curriculum opportunities flowing from the policy team’s research agenda and build economies of scale by leveraging resources and shared agendas - Collaborate with PPF Media and other PP