Corporate Policy Senior Advisor

Employment and Social Development Canada; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 97,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

Employment and Social Development Canada is seeking a strategic leader to shape corporate policy across PPS Planning Sector. You will guide the development, modernization, and governance of policy instruments, collaborating with senior leaders, managers, and external partners to ensure practical, compliant solutions that advance organizational priorities.

You will prepare briefing notes and executive materials, lead policy rollout efforts, and provide expert guidance to strengthen accountability

Qualifications

• A recognized university degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, policy studies or in any other field relevant to the position.
• Recent and significant experience leading the development, implementation, review, and evaluation of enterprise-wide policy instruments, frameworks, directives, standards, and governance mechanisms to support organizational priorities, legislative or regulatory requirements, and strategic objectives.
• Recent and significant experience conducting strategic research, environmental scanning, and analysis of complex, sensitive, and high-profile policy and organizational issues, and providing evidence-based advice, recommendations, and policy options to senior executives and decision-makers, including the assessment of risks, impacts, and mitigation strategies.
• Recent and significant experience leading consultations and building consensus among diverse internal and external stakeholders to develop, advance, and implement strategic policy initiatives.
• Recent and significant experience preparing and presenting strategic policy products and executive decision-support materials, including briefing notes, Memoranda to Executive Committees, policy papers, Cabinet-level or executive presentations, reports, and governance documents to support decision-making, approvals, and organizational direction.
• Recent and significant experience leading complex, horizontal, or enterprise-wide strategic initiatives involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and sensitive issues, including the coordination of governance processes and the provision of strategic advice to senior executives and decision-making bodies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, review, modernization, and maintenance of corporate policies and related policy instruments that support organizational priorities and operational excellence.
• Collaborate with managers, senior leaders, subject matter experts, clients, and external partners to ensure policies are practical, aligned, and responsive to business and operational needs.
• Design and maintain policy frameworks, governance processes, and policy instruments that advance strategic objectives and strengthen organizational accountability.
• Prepare and present strategic products, including policies, briefing notes, executive reports, presentations, and consultation materials for senior leadership and decision-makers.
• Develop and implement policy rollout strategies, including communications, training, workshops, toolkits, and awareness initiatives to support successful adoption across the organization.
• Provide expert policy advice and guidance while building strong stakeholder relationships, participating in policy governance activities, and enhancing employee access to policy resources and tools.

Education

A recognized university degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, policy studies or in any other field relevant to the position

Job description

Parliamentary Protective Service- Planning Sector - Corporate Policy

Salary $96,886 to $127,494-(under review) Annual salary is based on a 35-hour work week.

Level EC-05-EC-06 - EC-07 - The position is at the PPS PSA-09 Group and Level.

Who can apply Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents residing in the NCR.

Duties Shape the Future of Policing Through Strategic Policy Leadership. Reporting to the Deputy Chief, Corporate Policy Branch, Planning Sector, you will join a small, high-performing team of policy professionals serving as the organization's centre of expertise for corporate policy development. This is a unique opportunity to influence organizational direction, drive modernization, and contribute directly to the strategic evolution of the Service. In this role, you will lead complex policy initiatives that support organizational excellence, operational effectiveness, and informed decision-making across the Service.

• Lead the development, review, modernization, and maintenance of corporate policies and related policy instruments that support organizational priorities and operational excellence.
• Collaborate with managers, senior leaders, subject matter experts, clients, and external partners to ensure policies are practical, aligned, and responsive to business and operational needs.
• Design and maintain policy frameworks, governance processes, and policy instruments that advance strategic objectives and strengthen organizational accountability.
• Prepare and present strategic products, including policies, briefing notes, executive reports, presentations, and consultation materials for senior leadership and decision-makers.
• Develop and implement policy rollout strategies, including communications, training, workshops, toolkits, and awareness initiatives to support successful adoption across the organization.
• Provide expert policy advice and guidance while building strong stakeholder relationships, participating in policy governance activities, and enhancing employee access to policy resources and tools.

Why Join Us? This role offers the opportunity to influence corporate decision-making, contribute to organizational modernization, and work on initiatives that have a lasting impact across the Service. You will collaborate with leaders at all levels, tackle complex policy challenges, and help shape the frameworks that guide the organization's future.

Work environment The Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) is a separate and distinct organization not subject to the Public Service Employment Act. It has its own classification, compensation system, and staffing regime. Persons appointed to PPS continue to be part of the federal government and will receive the public service pension plan and public service insurance benefits plan.

What we offer:

• Public service health, dental, and vision care insurance plans
• 35-hour standard work week
• Minimum 4 weeks of paid vacation
• Free on-site fitness facilities
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Flexible work schedules
• Centrally located in downtown Ottawa
• Proximity to O-Train Parliament Station and most of all main OC Transpo and STO bus lines

Intent of the process The purpose of this recruitment and selection process is to staff one (1) indeterminate basis position AND/OR to establish a pool of qualified and/or partially qualified candidates. The pool may also be used in the future to staff similar positions within the PPS and in other organisations

Positions to be filled 1

For PPS Enhanced Reliability Status (ERS): All candidates must obtain both a Site Access Clearance and a PPS Enhanced Reliability Status. To initiate the PPS security screening process, candidates will be required to complete a personal history questionnaire, a pre interview questionnaire, and undergo fingerprinting. The security screening process involves a comprehensive background investigation to assess the candidate's reliability, honesty, trustworthiness, loyalty to Canada and reliability as it relates to that loyalty. This security screening investigation includes, but is not limited to, a loyalty assessment, law enforcement verifications, financial verifications, internet inquiries, as well as personal and employment reference checks. Candidates will also be required to participate in a security screening interview, which will cover a range of topics needed to complete the security screening assessment. Candidates should be aware that participation in, or completion of, the recruitment process does not guarantee eligibility for a PPS security screening. Security screening is conducted as a separate process, and the outcome may be influenced by several factors, including the length of time an individual has resided in Canada and the resulting ability to verify required background information. Interactions with law enforcement, credit history, personal associations, and other relevant security considerations may also affect a candidate’s eligibility to be granted the required security screening level and may influence the time needed to complete the security screening process. Candidates who do not meet the security screening requirements will not be granted the required security screening level and will therefore be removed from the hiring process as it is a condition of employment.

Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following

EDUCATION: A recognized university degree* in human resources, business administration, public administration, policy studies or in any other field relevant to the position OR an acceptable combination of education, experience, and training.*The university degree must be from an accredited learning institution recognized in Canada. If you completed a degree outside of Canada, you will be required to obtain proof of a Canadian equivalency at your expense from an accredited learning institution recognized in Canada.

E1: Recent* and significant** experience leading the development, implementation, review, and evaluation of enterprise-wide policy instruments, frameworks, directives, standards, and governance mechanisms to support organizational priorities, legislative or regulatory requirements, and strategic objectives.

E2: Recent* and significant** experience conducting strategic research, environmental scanning, and analysis of complex, sensitive, and high-profile policy and organizational issues, and providing evidence-based advice, recommendations, and policy options to senior executives*** and decision-makers, including the assessment of risks, impacts, and mitigation strategies.

E3: Recent* and significant** experience leading consultations and building consensus among diverse internal and external stakeholders, including senior management, subject matter experts, clients, partners, and governance bodies, to develop, advance, and implement strategic policy initiatives.

E4: Recent* and significant** experience preparing and presenting strategic policy products and executive decision-support materials, including briefing notes, Memoranda to Executive Committees, policy papers, Cabinet-level or executive presentations, reports, and governance documents to support decision-making, approvals, and organizational direction.

E5: Recent* and significant** experience leading complex, horizontal, or enterprise-wide strategic initiatives involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and sensitive issues, including the coordination of governance processes and the provision of strategic advice to senior executives and decision-making bodies.

DEFINITIONS: *Recent means within the last five (5) years. **Significant is defined as the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of complex activities related to this task, which are acquired on a full-time basis over a given period of time. ***Senior officials means at the Director General, Assistant Deputy Minister or Deputy Minister level within the federal (including agencies and Crown corporations), or the equivalent of executives within the private sector or non governmental organization sector.

Applied / assessed at a later date

KNOWLEDGE:

• K1 - Knowledge of policy development, governance, and lifecycle management principles including the development, approval, implementation, monitoring, and review of policy instruments.
• K2 - Knowledge of policy analysis methodologies including research, environmental scanning, risk assessment, options analysis, and the development of evidence-based recommendations to support executive decision-making on complex and sensitive issues.
• K3 - Knowledge of stakeholder engagement, consultation, facilitation, consensus-building, and change management principles used to support the development, implementation, adoption, and sustained application of policy, governance, and organizational initiatives.

COMPETENCIES:

• C1 - Teamwork and Collaboration
• C2 - Thinking Skills
• C3 - Communication
• C4 - Leadership
• C5 - Client Service Orientation
• C6 - Initiative
• C7 - Organizational Skills
• C8 - Vision and Strategy

Language requirements (essential for the job)

Applied / assessed at a later date

Bilingual - Imperative(CBC/CBC) - To help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your written expression and reading comprehension in your second official