Senior Director, Government Relations

Are you looking to join one of Greater Toronto's Top 2026 Employers?

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) advocates for and supports doctors, seeking to strengthen their leadership role in caring for patients. We continually seek to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system by courageously pursuing best practices, new ideas, solutions, and opportunities to improve.

Job Summary
The Senior Director of Government Relations & Advocacy is a key member of the ACM leadership team. This role provides strategic leadership for government relations (at three levels of government) at the OMA. It is responsible for leading an experienced team in providing advice and counsel on political advocacy, managing government related issues, and creating strategy to advance the cause of Ontario's doctors.

How You Will Make a Difference

• Develops and executes the OMA's government relations strategies designed to influence government policy and budget planning. This involves managing relationships with key government stakeholders, identifying engagement opportunities to support the development and growth of strong relationships with key decision makers and influencers in and outside of government and to promote OMA's position
• Leads a team of senior government relations experts and external advisors to deliver planned initiatives and activities. Liaises with internal stakeholders to identify strategic business priorities and government-related issues, providing expert advice, counsel and direction to senior leaders, and developing and presenting strategies to address issues and enhance relationships with government representatives. Makes presentations on proposed activities and to report on results to senior leadership
• Oversees sustained grassroots advocacy campaigns and special projects, determining project/campaign goals, deliverables, success indicators and milestones, identifying strategies and tactics to reach targeted audiences and optimize engagement/participation, managing project teams, resources, tasks and timelines to ensure outcomes are achieved, delegating the preparation of speaking notes, briefing notes, invites, emails, etc. and evaluating outcomes and results of initiatives to determine opportunities for future improvements
• Develops briefs, position papers and messaging, ensuring internal stakeholders, members and Health Care Advocates are kept apprised of developments and issues and to ensure external communications are aligned with government relations mandates and strategies
• Directs staff activities, ensuring ongoing productivity and work quality, monitoring workloads, performance and adherence to policies and standards, managing staff performance and development, ensuring the availability of coaching and training opportunities and liaising with Human Resources Department to manage recruitment and on-boarding activities
• Prepares and manages government relations and advocacy budgets, identifying operational and staff budget requirements, preparing projections, reviewing variances, and authorizing expenditures within budget
• Identifies opportunities to improve government relations and advocacy initiatives, monitoring public opinion, industry best practices and emerging trends, and presenting recommendations for management approval

Requirements that are important to us

• Undergraduate Degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Communications or equivalent; Master's degree an asset
• Minimum 15 years relevant experience.
• Professional accreditation from Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) or International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
• Knowledge of government, public opinion research, public engagement practices, community, stakeholder and member relations.
• Expert knowledge of the mechanics of government at all levels, both related to the bureaucracy and the political spheres.
• Ability to reach out to all levels of government to facilitate discussion and to advance OMA policy positions.
• Knowledge of Ontario's health-care system

The OMA has moved to a permanent hybrid work environment. As such, the individual in this position will be required to work a minimum number of days in our Toronto office.
What do we have to offer you?

• A work environment whose values are to be respectful, bold, responsive, and transparent in our work and our behaviours
• A fantastic opportunity to grow with the team and help shape the strategic direction of the OMA, its members and the health-care system
• An organization that is committed to the equity, diversity and inclusion principles of humility, accountability, collaboration, courage and integrity
• A commitment to growth and development through paid professional development and continuous in-house learning
• A friendly and flexible hybrid work environment
• Competitive salary and bonus program
• Exceptional group benefits package, including a spending account and a robust wellness program
• An organization that has been recognized as a Greater Toronto's Top Employers for six consecutive years.

As a condition of employment, OMA conducts background checks and reference checks for all open positions.

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We're excited to share this opportunity, which is for an existing vacancy on our team. Kindly be advised that our recruitment process does not involve the use of Artificial Intelligence.

The Ontario Medical Association is strongly committed to diversity within its community and welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. In accordance with the AODA Act, accommodation will be provided throughout the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities.