Associate Director, External Stakeholder Engagement

**Your way forward: Join Canada’s busiest airport as our next **Associate Director, External Stakeholder Engagement and Communications - Pearson LIFT**

Do you want to help transform Toronto Pearson into the global airport of the future? Through Pearson LIFT, we’re committed to becoming one of the most advanced, sustainable, and passenger-friendly airports in the world - and we need your help. This is your chance to play an essential role: building the story of Pearson’s transformation and engaging meaningfully with a range of critical stakeholders to build trust and support for organizational mandates and priorities.

**Position Summary**:
Reporting to the Director, Corporate Initiatives, this role will assist in the development and lead the execution of a comprehensive reputational stakeholder engagement and communications strategy for Pearson LIFT. You will oversee a team dedicated to supporting these efforts and serve as the primary liaison between the GTAA’s Stakeholder Relations and Communications department (SR&C), the primary LIFT decision making Cabinet, and the successful LIFT proponent(s). This role requires strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills to drive a coordinated and effective approach to stakeholder engagement and communications for Pearson LIFT.

**As Associate Director, External Stakeholder Engagement and Communications - Pearson LIFT, you will**:

- Oversee a team, providing strategic guidance, mentorship, and performance management to ensure the effective execution of stakeholder engagement and communications strategies for Pearson LIFT.
- Achieve alignment between project objectives, communications imperatives, stakeholder priorities, and best practices. Develop and implement strategies to mitigate risks and enhance Toronto Pearson’s reputation.
- Serve as the dedicated SR&C resource to the LIFT Cabinet, providing expert advice and guidance on stakeholder engagement and communications matters and leading decision making for SR&C at the Cabinet table.
- Facilitate effective collaboration and information sharing between SR&C, LIFT Cabinet, and the LIFT proponent to ensure a coordinated and cohesive approach to external stakeholder engagement and communications.
- Drive strategic clarity and ensure team members understand their role in contributing to the GTAA's overall goals.
- Track, evaluate and continuously assess the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement initiatives, identify emerging trends, and adapt strategies as needed to address evolving stakeholder concerns and expectations.
- Represent SR&C in rotational coverage to ensure 24/7 business continuity.
- Stay updated on media coverage and industry trends to recognize emerging issues and opportunities.

**This is a chance to be on the frontline of history at Toronto Pearson. To do so, you will bring**:

- Post-secondary degree in political science, business administration, public administration, law, public relations, engineering or another related field.
- Experience should focus on projects which have involved political and/or board involvement, internal executives and external stakeholders, diverse business objectives and agendas, and have resulted in improved organizational performance.
- Valid Ontario (G) Driver’s License
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Transportation and Security Clearance

**At Toronto Pearson, we value a wide range of experience. Consider this role if you have**:

- Experience executing complex aviation infrastructure projects and related stakeholder engagement/communications plans.
- High emotional intelligence and leadership capabilities coupled with political/organizational acuity and proven capability in developing effective working partnerships, rapport and relationships with senior leaders, teams, diverse stakeholders including elected officials, the community, and airport partners.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and promote engagement, collaboration, debate and discussion, and the ability to build consensus to achieve strategic goals and objectives, while respecting diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds.
- Strong presentation, content development and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical information, vision and direction into action and measurable results.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills, the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly to changing priorities.
- Diplomacy, facilitation, influencing, conceptual and analytical skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and SharePoint.
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically and critically about complex issues.
- Strong understanding of current affairs.
- Proven ability to prioritize and deal with responsibilities and deadlines in an environment of multiple and conflicting demands for services and resourcing, concurrent and conflicting priorities.
- A natural ability to collaborate, inspire and motivate others across a varie