Contract, Manager, Government Relations

Covenant House Vancouver; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Covenant House Vancouver is seeking a Manager, Government Relations to foster relationships with government and nonprofit partners. This role focuses on grant management, advocacy, and securing funding, playing a crucial part in the mission to end youth homelessness. The successful candidate will have a strong background in public affairs and government relations.

Benefits

Extended health and dental benefits for family

Counselling benefits

Qualifications

• 3 years relevant experience in public affairs or government relations, ideally in nonprofit.
• 1 year experience in management and staff supervision.
• Experience in technical writing would be an asset.

Responsibilities

• Manage grant management activities including sourcing, writing and compliance.
• Act as liaison between departments to secure information for grant management.
• Coordinate government contract/grant activities.

Skills

Communication

Relationship-building

Organization

Judgement

Prioritization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in political science or public policy & administration

College, University, or professional certificate degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

When Christine arrived in Canada, she was alone and far from what she knew.

Please note: A cover letter and resume are mandatory for all applications.

As we serve vulnerable youth, all employees working for Covenant House Vancouver must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required prior to your start date.

Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has provided relentless support for youth experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, homelessness. We provide support to young people age 16 to 24 who have experienced a wide range of early life and ongoing, complex trauma; including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Our purpose is to serve all youth, with absolute respect and unconditional love, to help youth experiencing homelessness, and provide a safe and supportive environment for all youth in need.

Working at Covenant House will be one of the most meaningful things that you’ll do in your life. However, you will be confronted with significant issues in this work and frankly, this work is not for everyone. In the course of doing your work, particularly for those doing frontline work, you will be exposed to the trauma of others. The youth we serve may also experience overdose, physical harm perpetuated by self or others and even death. Because we provide a relational model of care, the harms our youth experience can impact us in varying degrees.

While we provide training for youth workers on avoiding what we call vicarious trauma (namely, the trauma you can experience or take on by hearing other’s traumatic stories), and a generous allowance for counselling, it is still difficult work that can and does take its toll on many employees. Self-awareness and self-care are key. Some candidates and employees decide during the recruiting and probationary periods that this work isn’t for them, and that is totally fair.

We will provide more information on vicarious trauma during recruiting and on-boarding, to help you decide if Covenant House is the place for you.

The Impact the Manager, Government Relations can make:

The role of the Manager, Government Relations is multi-faceted. As Covenant House Vancouver continues to evolve to support the complex needs of youth in our communities, this position will play a vital role in proactively fostering relationships with all levels of government, within the nonprofit sector, and with other strategic partners in our mission.

Through forming meaningful relationships with various government ministries, industries, and agencies, coupled with superior interpersonal and organizational skills, you will sustain, steward, and continue to grow this important portfolio. This role supports with the agency’s government funding goals and supports the overall advocacy work of Covenant House Vancouver.

As manager, you will be responsible for grant management (sourcing and writing), compliance, will work closely with our financial reporting team, liaise with research, and assist with our policy work. You will also support the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Program Officer, on matters pertaining to advocacy, government relations, and stakeholder engagement.

Collectively, these duties will help secure government partnership while furthering the team’s mandate to build the agency’s social and political capital for the purposes of fostering long-term, systemic change in the pursuit of ending youth homelessness.

How you will contribute:

Administration & Oversight

• Manage / maintain the department’s database of key government stakeholders and provide briefs and information for the CEO, COO, and CPO.
• Manage / maintain the Provincial Lobbyist Registry / submit a monthly report on behalf of the agency.
• Lead the organization of both team and external meetings, including scheduling, drafting agendas, authoring minutes, etc.
• Preparation of operational documents and key reports.
• Manage the department’s monthly expenses, time sheets, leave management etc.
• Prepare briefing materials for internal use, including for the CEO, Senior Management Team, and members of the Board of Directors.
• Support the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Program Officer to create and execute policy and advocacy plans/agendas, and provide input in the strategic roadmap.

Core Duties:

• Act as a liaison between Programs, Finance, Communications, Philanthropy, Research, and outside agencies to secure all information needed to ensure grant management and compliance.
• Coordinate all government contract/grant activities for the agency including grant submission, grant reporting and communication with funders and partners.
• Act as a centralized contact for outside funding agencies, disseminating information to the team as appropriate.
• Supervise and oversee any future roles added to this function such as a coordinator and/or grant writer in the preparation of funding proposals from identifying and applying for grants through to grant/contract management and the person responsible for compliance and ensuring financial reporting and compliance for all government grants and contracts.
• Maintain an on-going, positive working relationships with all internal and external partners.
• Lead in the identification of opportunities for Covenant House to engage in sectoral and cross sectoral activities.
• Coordinate tours and meetings with government officials and bureaucrats (including preparation of backgrounders, invitations, follow-ups, catering, thank you letters, etc.).
• Liaise with the Research, Evaluation and Learning Department on the use of data relative to advocacy and public policy initiatives.
• Monitor government agendas and activities and analyze legislation, regulations, and policies to identify risks, opportunities, and issues relevant to the agency’s goals and objectives.
• Support the government agency discussions / arrange meetings with the government officials
• Review government contracts and obtain approval from the signing authorities.
• Timely Communication between departments to explore funding opportunities.
• Information collection and clarification as standard process.
• On top of government reporting requirements, working with Finance & Research to ensure CHV in compliance.
• Support the GR report for the quarterly FPCC meeting.

This position is offered as a fixed-term contract for a duration of 1 year from the date of signing.

This position has the opportunity to work a 9-day fortnight schedule, where you’ll work longer days for 9 days and earn every other Friday off.

Who are we looking for?

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in political science or public policy & administration. Consideration may be given to those who possess other relevant undergraduate degrees in the social services or business who have worked in the nonprofit sector.
• 3-years of relevant experience in public affairs / government relations – ideally, in the nonprofit sector.
• 1-year experience in management and staff supervision.
• A strong grasp of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Experience in technical writing would be an asset.
• College, University, or professional certificate degree is an asset
• Strong communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple, concurrent tasks.
• Sound judgement and an ability to handle highly confidential information.
• A commitment to a healthy, productive, and positive culture.
• A genuine desire to make a positive difference in the lives of homeless and at-risk youth.
• Alignment with Covenant House Vancouver’s values and principles.
• A strong inner core dedicated to being a person of character, integrity, ethics, and values.
• A keen interest in understanding and navigating government.
• A commitment to remaining non-partisan when representing Covenant House Vancouver to all levels of government (municipal, provincial, and federal).

Compensation

The successful candidate can expect a starting salary of between $70,306.60and $87,887.80, depending on factors such as internally equity, experience, competencies, and education. Once hired, salaries are reviewed annually following the annual performance review and successful employees have the opportunity for their salary to increase, over time, up to the maximum of the pay band, currently $105,469.00.

Total Rewards

Beginning immediately, this position has extended health and dental benefits for you, your spouse, and your children, including generous counselling benefits.

We were recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers in 2024!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Covenant House Vancouver is a secular organization that welcomes and serves young people from all backgrounds. While the international federation to which we belong was founded in the 1970s by members of the Catholic Church, we are not aligned with any specific faith traditions.

CHV is committed to upholding diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to:

• Persons from groups marginalized due to race, ancestry, colour, religion/spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
• Persons with visible (physical) and/or invisible (mental) disabilities;
• Persons who identify as women;
• Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; and

We recognize that many of these identities intersect and that therefore, diversity, equity, and inclusion can be complex. We value the contributions that each person brings and are committed to ensuring full and equal participation for all at Covenant House Vancouver.

We love what we do and try to make a difference every day. Covenant House Vancouver offers a competitive salary with a great benefits package and excellent opportunity for training and career advancement. If you are looking to join a place where we have a purpose and aim to achieve positive outcomes, please join us by applying.

If our recruitment process does not work for you, let us know. Let’s see how we can work together to get to know you and see what might be a great fit!