Director of Policy & Advocacy

Description

Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB) brings people and ideas together to tackle the most crucial causes of poverty and inequality. We link people living in poverty with the opportunities they need to improve their lives by supporting social enterprises that serve their needs, by educating Canadians about de-colonized approaches to global development and by advocating for improved development-related policies in Canada.

EWB is seeking an experienced Director of Policy & Advocacy to lead the organization’s high-level influence goals, executing on strategies that press governments and institutions to adopt policies and practices that will accelerate sustainable, inclusive global development.

Over the past decade, EWB has contributed to several policy wins including an increase in Canada’s ODA bill in budget 2018 by $2 Billion, along with an additional $1.5 billion for innovative finance; the creation of Canada’s DFI, FinDev Canada; and the passage of “The Better Aid Bill” untying Canada’s aid and having Canada sign on to the International Aid Transparency Initiative. As we set our eyes on global post-pandemic recovery, we are going through a period of rapid growth in ambition to build a holistic agenda and develop coherence towards increasing Canada’s contribution for sustainable global development across all financing mechanisms- from grants to concessionary finance to private sector investments.
We are looking for a candidate who is hungry to work on complex social challenges, able to learn quickly and overcome unforeseen hurdles, and eager to take on a leadership role within a small but high-performing team. 

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Policy & Advocacy is responsible for team management and cross-sector collaboration. The Director of Policy and Advocacy will, in concert with a Campaign Communications Manager, develop and implement the organization’s public policy agenda to build the political will necessary to guide Canadian and international institutional policies that result in a thriving and sustainable world. 
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1) Strategic leadership

• Monitoring and analyzing relevant political activity and national/international trends, predominantly at the Canadian federal level but also at any level that may be applicable to EWB’s work.
• Providing strategic analysis and background for the development of EWB’s campaigns and policy agenda.
• Developing and implementing campaign strategies for advancing policy goals with key political and bureaucratic decision-makers.

2) Team management and development

• Managing, enabling the success of, and effectively collaborating with EWB’s National Office Policy and Advocacy Team staff and EWB volunteers
• Organizing the efforts of EWB staff and volunteers to act on EWB’s advocacy strategy.
• Coordinating with EWB leadership and contributing to the organization’s overall planning and accountability systems.

3) Relationship management

• Building and maintaining strategic relationships with governments, public policy and industry experts, NGOs, and other key partners that are critical to the success of EWB’s mission.
• Communicating with and briefing Members of Parliament, their staff and other officials through in-person meetings, written communications, and phone calls;  
• Collaborating with EWB’s partners and allies on policy matters, organizing coalitions and joint efforts where strategic.

4) Budget planning and management

• Managing the policy and advocacy budget.
• Securing, managing, and reporting to grants and other funding to support EWB’s policy and advocacy work.

QualificationsThe successful candidate will have or possess the strong potential to develop talents, aptitudes, skills and experiences in the following areas:

• Genuine passion for EWB’s Policy and Advocacy priorities and areas of focus.
• A minimum 8 years proven track record in public policy, communications, political advocacy or related field.
• Experience navigating multilateral institutions is an asset.
• Experience leading policy advocacy and citizen engagement particularly in Canada or in a similar parliamentary democracy is essential.
• Interest in being part of a fast-paced, young team that is working to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. 
• Demonstrated ability to analyze public policy proposals.
• Experience in and comfort communicating with high level political figures, government policy-makers, and civil servants. 
• Experience managing programs and leading a team of staff and volunteers.
• Excellent team player with experience in coalition building, and superior interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly in writing and in oral presentations to a range of audiences.
• Ability to use data in shaping policy messages.
• Proficiency at multi-tasking, working well under pressure and prioritizing a number of ongoing projects.
• Self-starter who is able to effectively take initiative, work independently, and complete tasks in a timely manner.

Location EWB is a remote work organization. The candidate should be based in Ottawa, the Greater Toronto Area or Montreal and may be required to travel within Canada and internationally. 
CompensationThis is a full-time, permanent position. Compensation is commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package. 
What’s it like to work at EWB?EWB is a high-performing team-based work environment. We are a small team with staff members based across Canada and on the African Continent.  While initially due to Covid, EWB is now permanently a remote working office. Our office culture is one of passion, entrepreneurship, pragmatism, thoughtfulness, dedication and hard work. We have a strong commitment to excellence and achieving results. Our leaders, staff, and volunteers are youthful; this manifests in our dynamic and positive outlook.
Diversity, Inclusion and Gender EqualityEWB embraces diverse cultures, heritages, experiences and opinions in efforts to enrich our programmes and foster inclusive decision making. EWB is committed to providing inclusive, barrier-free employment free from discrimination, and to hiring diverse candidates.EWB believes that gender discrimination is a root cause of global poverty and economic inequality, and the achievement of gender equality is integral to our mission of achieving systemic change and creating a more just society. We seek to achieve a vision of a more equitable society, inherent to which is the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, class, ethnicity, disability, age or another status.

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