LAA-26-03 - Director, Government Relations

 
Legal Aid Alberta is seeking to fill a full-time, Director, Government Relations position in our Edmonton office. This position will appeal to an individual that likes to take initiative, is client focused and is exceptionally strong in delivering high-quality results
 
Who We Are
As a publicly funded, non-profit organization, Legal Aid Alberta provides affordable legal services in family law, domestic violence, child welfare, immigration, and youth and adult criminal defense. We are Alberta-wide, with 300 staff and 1,200 private practice lawyers helping people overcome their legal challenges in more than 75 communities across the province.
 
Who You Are
Reporting to the Vice President, People, Culture & Communications, the Director of Government Relations provides executive advice, leadership and strategic direction for the organization's government and community relations portfolio. The Director is responsible for advancing Legal Aid Alberta's (LAA) interests at the provincial level, with a primary focus on the Ministry of Justice as LAA's principal funder. The position also supports engagement with municipal and federal governments and key community and justice sector stakeholders.
 
This role leads the development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of LAA's Government Relations Strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, operational objectives, and key funding relationships. The Director brings significant political acumen and strategic insight to anticipate emerging issues, drive organization-wide engagement plans, and position LAA effectively in a complex and evolving public policy environment.
 
The Director plays a central role in supporting organizational strategy—supporting executive decision-making, guiding operational planning related to government-facing initiatives, and ensuring that reporting, commitments, and relationships with government partners and stakeholders are proactively managed.
Alongside the CEO and VP, the Director supports Board engagement by preparing government relations updates, briefing materials, strategic analysis, and insights that help inform Board decision-making and oversight.
 
The Director oversees government relations operations, leads stakeholder engagement programming, and ensures that the organization advances its mission while maintaining strong, collaborative, and trusted relationships across government and community sectors.
 
Job Description
Reporting to the Vice President, People, Culture & Communications, some of the key responsibilities include:
Strategic Leadership & Planning

Lead the development, execution, and evaluation of LAA's Government Relations Strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and operational priorities.
Provide strategic counsel to the VP, executive team, and Board related to government priorities, political dynamics, legislative changes, and stakeholder impacts.
Drive organization-wide operational strategies related to government reporting, compliance requirements, and external accountability.
Anticipate and assess emerging political, legislative, or public policy issues with potential impact on LAA; advise executive leadership on risks, opportunities, and strategic responses.

Government Relations & Advocacy

Lead LAA's interactions with the Government of Alberta, with a primary focus on the Ministry of Justice as LAA's principal funder, ensuring coordinated, strategic, and consistent engagement.  Coordinate engagement with municipal and federal government officials to support GR strategy.
Develop high-impact government engagement plans, including advocacy positions, briefing materials, communications, and strategic messaging.
Build and maintain relationships with elected officials, senior bureaucrats, and key partners to advance LAA's operational, strategic, and reputational objectives.
Oversee all government reporting requirements, collaborating with executive leadership to ensure accuracy, quality, and timeliness.

Stakeholder & Community Engagement

Lead the design and implementation of stakeholder engagement plans aligned with LAA's strategic priorities.
Support LAA in community, justice sector, and cross-government discussions and consultations.

Work collaboratively with Communications Department,  Justice Services and other business units to support stakeholder outreach, community relations, and external engagement initiatives.

Operational Leadership & Implementation

Direct government relations operations, including intelligence gathering, strategic monitoring, risk identification, and trend analysis.
Manage high-profile or complex inquiries from government or community stakeholders; oversee coordinated, timely, and accurate organizational responses.
Ensure operational alignment between government relations priorities and organizational strategic plans, project plans, and performance indicators.
Lead the preparation of high-quality briefing notes, research, environmental scans, and strategic documents for the VP, CEO, executive, and Board.

Board Engagement

Prepare government relations updates, analyses, and strategic insights for the Board of Directors.
Present GR updates to the Board as required and support board-level discussions related to LAA's policy, government relationships, and strategic positioning.
Ensure the Board is informed of emerging legislative, political, and public policy issues relevant to LAA's mandate.

Leadership & Collaboration

Provide strategic guidance, mentorship, and oversight to staff involved in government and stakeholder relations.
Participate as a member of the executive management team, contributing to organization-wide planning, decision-making, and prioritization.
Build strong internal relationships and collaborate across divisions to ensure organization-wide alignment of messaging, reporting, and external commitments.

Other Responsibilities

Lead or support events, consultations, and meetings that advance LAA's government and stakeholder relations objectives.
Oversee the tracking, monitoring, and reporting of KPIs related to government relations strategy.
Perform other related duties and strategic projects as assigned by the VP.

Qualifications
Education and Experience:

Post-secondary degree in public administration, political science, law, communications, or related discipline.
Minimum of 8-10 years experience in government relations, public policy, or political environments.
Supervisory or leadership experience required.
Experience working with senior leadership teams and/or Boards of Directors is an asset.

Knowledge:

Deep understanding of provincial legislative and policy processes, especially those related to the Ministry of Justice, combined with working knowledge of municipal and federal legislative and policy processes.
Knowledge of government operations, justice sector dynamics, and public-sector accountability frameworks.
Strong political acumen and the ability to interpret complex political environments.
Understanding of community and stakeholder groups relevant to LAA's mandate.

Skills:

Strong written and verbal communications skills, including briefing note and executive report preparation.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical capability, and policy interpretation skills.
Advanced relationship-building and advocacy abilities.
Creative and adaptive problem-solving skills with the ability to manage ambiguity and shifting priorities.
Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and handle highly confidential information with discretion.
Significant experience in providing advice and support to senior leadership with the ability to research and analyze and summarize complex issues.
Analytical, advisory, consultative skills are required for addressing emerging issues.
Creative problem solving is important in this role.
Ability to accommodate constantly changing priorities.
Ability to proactively identify emerging political issues and place them in context within both verbal and written briefings.
Shows familiarity with community and stakeholder groups, and their issues and government processes.

What We Offer
Perks of working with us

Competitive wage
RRSP employer contribution 
Health and dental benefits 
Health and wellness accounts
Employee assistance program
Hybrid work opportunities
Team environment

How to Apply
If you got excited at the prospect of being a part of our team when you reviewed this posting and you meet the minimum qualifications, please select 'Apply Now' to create your candidate profile. This competition will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 
 
Requirements
Successful candidate will be required to provide an acceptable criminal record check and social media screening.

---