Director, Policy and Government Relations

Universities Canada (UC) is the voice of Canadian universities, at home and abroad. We are a membership organization providing university presidents with a unified voice for higher education, research and innovation. Universities Canada advances the mission of our member institutions to transform lives, strengthen communities and find solutions to the most pressing challenges facing our world. As one of Canada’s premier advocacy organizations, we are seeking an accomplished results-oriented leader to join our team as Director, Policy and Government Relations.

Reporting to the Vice-President, Public Affairs, the Director, Policy and Government Relations leads the execution of Universities Canada’s federal policy and government relations work in support of board-approved advocacy priorities. The Director translates organizational strategy into clear policy positions, advocacy plans, and deliverables, and ensures effective prioritization and execution across policy, research, and government relations.

As the central integrator of policy and advocacy, the Director sets standards for rigor, judgement, and execution, while ensuring clear accountability across portfolios. The Director brings deep expertise in policy development, government relations and federal decision-making, with a strong understanding of legislative and parliamentary processes and how decisions are shaped across Parliament, ministers’ offices, central agencies and the public service. They translate political, legislative and policy developments into evidence-based advocacy strategies, policy positions and organizational action.

Your responsibilities will include;

• Drive national advocacy impact by translating board priorities into decisive federal policy positions and strategies.
• Build and lead high-performing government relations and policy teams grounded in accountability, rigor, and execution discipline.
• Lead integrated policy execution by aligning research, data, and political intelligence into clear, actionable outputs.
• Shape federal influence by timing advocacy to key decision cycles, including budgets, legislation, and elections.
• Set the standard for excellence in high-impact policy products and senior-level briefings.
• Own enterprise-wide prioritization across policy, research, and government relations to deliver on strategic outcomes.
• Enable executive engagement through sharp strategic advice and high-quality preparation for government relations.
• Safeguard organizational credibility through rigorous compliance with lobbying, ethics, and transparency requirements.
• Advance sector influence by strengthening relationships with members, stakeholders, and decision-makers.
• Anticipate and assess policy, political and legislative developments, advising leadership on emerging opportunities, risks and response strategies.

The ideal person for this job will have the following;

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public administration, political science,
• Advanced education in public policy, governance, economics, or a related field is considered an asset.

Knowledge and Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in government relations, public policy, political affairs or related environments.
• Experience within government, Parliament, ministerial offices or political environments is considered a significant asset.
• Experience leading teams and managing complex, multi-file policy environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading policy development, research initiatives, or analytical work that informs and advances advocacy, government engagement, and senior-level decision-making.
• Deep understanding of federal government decision-making, including Cabinet and central agency processes, parliamentary and legislative procedures, committee operations, budget development and political decision-making dynamics.
• Experience engaging with government agencies and other stakeholders.
• Experience in higher education policy, research funding, or the university sector is a strong asset.

Abilities:

• Exceptional writing and editing skills; bilingualism is a strong asset.
• Proven ability to lead teams, set direction, and translate priorities into policy, research, and advocacy outcomes.
• Strong analytical skills; able to assess, interpret, and explain complex policy issues clearly.
• Strong understanding of government institutions and decision-making processes, and ability to apply this to advocacy strategies.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and high-quality work deliver under pressure by navigating complexity, making trade-offs, and ensuring results.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Excellent judgement, discretion, and diplomacy, with strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong digital literacy; comfortable with analytical, collaboration, and productivity tools.

The position is based in Ottawa. Universities Canada has adopted a hybrid work model where employees are expected to work in the office a minimum of two days a week.

The hiring range for this position is from $124,854 to $146,000; with the ability to progress to a maximum of $187,280. To ensure fair and equitable pay at Universities Canada, placement on the salary range will be based on years of experience, skills, and qualifications relevant to the position. Candidates who do not meet all of the position requirements may be considered in an underfill capacity, in which case the candidate would be hired at a lower level than the position level.

Universities Canada is a National Capital Region Top Employer. We offer a comprehensive benefit package which includes four weeks of vacation, an attractive pension plan, group insurance, free gym membership and scholarships for children of our employees.

Interested candidates are asked to submit their curriculum vitae and a cover letter to the human resources service, Universities Canada, via email at [email protected] by June 12, 2026.