Senior Manager, External Relations

About Children's Aid Foundation of Canada

Children's Aid Foundation of Canada is our country's leading charity dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth involved in the child welfare system. Guided by a bold five-year strategic plan and Impact Framework and working alongside with 99 child-and-youth serving organizations across the country, we are focused on driving meaningful, measurable change through outcomes-based partnerships, philanthropy, and systems-level influence.

This posting is publicly available and open to all qualified applicants.

Before applying, please kindly refer to our HOW TO APPLY section.

The Ideal Candidate:

A strategic doer with strong political acuity, you have the judgement to navigate complex, sensitive issues. You build trust quickly, communicate with clarity, and move from insight to action, whether that's shaping a briefing, preparing a leader for a key meeting, or advancing a cross-sector conversation. Highly organized and experienced in public policy and government relations, you bring a track record of shaping decisions through strong analysis, clear writing, and well-timed engagement. Grounded in equity, you center lived experience in authentic ways and are motivated to influence decisions that improve outcomes for children, youth, and families involved with the child welfare system across Canada.

The Opportunity:

The Senior Manager, External Relations plays a pivotal role in advancing the Foundation's interest holder, government relations, and public policy objectives, with a primary focus on our role as an Influencer. Reporting to the Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, this role supports efforts to shape public policy, influence systems and funding decisions, and elevate critical issues affecting children, youth, and families involved with the child welfare system across Canada.

By translating evidence and insights from the Foundation's Impact Framework into credible influence with government and cross-sectoral decision-makers, the Senior Manager helps position the Foundation as a trusted advisor, thought leader, and convenor working to drive long-term systems change and improved outcomes for children and youth in and from care.

Key Responsibilities:

Systems, Policy, and Public Influence

• Support the development and implementation of strategies that advance the Foundation's role as an Influencer, under the direction of the VP, Communications & Public Affairs.

• Engage with provincial, territorial, and federal government departments, partners, and interest holders to inform and influence policies, funding priorities, and system solutions that support children, youth, and families involved with the child welfare system.

• Identify and advance opportunities for the Foundation to act as a trusted advisor to decision-makers, supporting evidence-informed and equity-centered approaches.

• Contribute to the development of policy position statements and thought leadership materials by translating evidence and insights from the Foundation's Impact Framework, in collaboration with the Impact and Communications teams, youth with lived experience, and partners.

• Apply a strong equity and inclusion lens across policy engagement, convening, and communications activities.

• Participate in external working groups, coalitions, and committees related to child welfare and our key areas of focus.

• Ensure that public policy efforts amplify partner and youth voices in ways that are authentic, respectful, and aligned with shared goals.

Research and Policy Development

• Conduct research and analysis to inform organizational positions, priorities, and external engagement.

• Prepare policy briefings, backgrounders, analyses, and recommendations for the VP, Communications & Public Affairs and senior leadership.

• No Monitor legislative developments, regulatory changes, committee activity, and broader government and sector trends at the provincial, territorial, and federal levels to anticipate opportunities and risks related to the Foundation's objectives.

• Provide insight and intelligence on government priorities, key decision-makers, funding opportunities, and emerging issues relevant to mandate.

• Support issues management and external engagement by preparing briefing memos, presentations, and speaking notes for senior leaders.

Administration and Compliance

• Schedule and coordinate meetings, including agendas, background materials, meeting summaries, and follow-up, to ensure discussions lead to actionable insights and next steps.

• Track, centralize, and maintain contact records for government officials and interest holders.

Essential Qualifications and Competencies:

• Relevant experience, typically 3+ years, in government relations, public policy, or related roles within government, the non-profit, or charitable sector.

• Relevant post-secondary education in public policy, political science, public affairs, social work, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience representing an organization externally and collaborating with diverse interest holders.

• Demonstrated experience conducting policy research and translating complex issues into clear, actionable advice for senior leaders.

• Strong written communication skills, with experience preparing materials for diverse audiences, including government officials and other external and internal interest holders.

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to connect day-to-day work to broader organizational priorities.

• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and exercise sound judgement with appropriate escalation.

• Deep commitment to youth voice, equity, and systems-change values aligned with the Foundation's mission

• Committed to upholding the Foundation's VOICE values: Vital Learning & Innovation, Open Communication, Inclusion & Diversity, Care & Compassion, and Empowering Accountability.

Asset (non-essential):

• Lived experience with the child welfare system.

• Experience working in child welfare, social services, or with Indigenous-led organizations.

• Bilingualism in English and French

CHILDREN'S AID FOUNDATION AS EMPLOYER

Children's Aid Foundation of Canada acknowledge that the Foundation's main office is in Toronto, which is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississauga's of the, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The area now known as Toronto is covered by Treaty 13. Children's Aid Foundation of Canada is committed to supporting meaningful reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and others in these lands and across Canada.

WHY WORK WITH US

At the Foundation, we prioritize your well-being and professional fulfillment by offering:

• A 35-hour workweek to support work-life balance

• A hybrid model, with a mixed blend of remote work and 2-3 days in office (Toronto)

• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact on child welfare

• A generous compensation package, including: 4 weeks' vacation package, a comprehensive benefits (including medical, dental, life and disability) package, Employee Assistance Program, a Health Care Spending Account and a competitive salary.

• A welcoming, supportive, and collaborative work culture that embraces the Foundation's VOICE values.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your
resume and a cover letter in one single document,
to and include "Senior Manager, External Relations" in the subject line by Friday, January 9, 2026. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. Early submissions is encouraged.

We thanks all candidates for their interest in the work of Children's Aid Foundation of Canada. Only

those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted due to high applicant volumes. No

telephone inquiries, please.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS

We value transparency and want to ensure you feel prepared and supported throughout our hiring

process. Here is what you can expect:

Initial conversation:
A 30-minute virtual conversation with one of our team members to discuss your interest in the role and Children's Aid Foundation of Canada and how you can make an impact.

First interview:
A 1-hour meeting (in-person or virtual) with the Hiring Manager and relevant team members. We will discuss your skills and how they align with the team's needs. We will also answer any questions you have about the role, our culture, and the impact we strive to make.

Second interview:
A 1-hour in-person meeting with the Hiring Manager and different team members, depending on the role, it can be our CEO This stage might involve a short preassigned presentation, a case study, or a discussion of role-specific scenarios. A brief behavioural assessment is completed in advance of this meeting.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Foundation does not use artificial intelligence (AI) systems to screen, assess, select applications or inform hiring decisions. All applications are reviewed and evaluated by our human HR and hiring team, and no part of the hiring decision-making uses AI tools.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE RECRUITMENT

The Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to employees regardless of their gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or marital status. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from equity seeking groups, including members of communities that are overrepresented in the child welfare system. We offer a family-friendly environment that allows for flexible work arrangements in order to support staff diversity and ensure a healthy work-life balance.

The Foundation is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment process as accessible as possible and provide accommodation as required for applicants with disabilities. If you require any accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact