Director, Ontario & Federal

Selvam Public Affairs; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Commission based on performance

Opportunities for leadership autonomy

Job summary

A leading public affairs firm in Toronto is seeking a Director to spearhead business development and client leadership strategies. The successful candidate will have 5-10+ years of experience in public affairs, government relations, or consulting, with a strong understanding of the Canadian political environment. This role offers competitive compensation, the opportunity for a permanent position, and the chance to shape the firm’s growth and strategy.

Qualifications

• 5–10+ years in public affairs, politics, or management consulting.
• Deep understanding of Canadian federal and Ontario politics.
• Proven ability to manage senior-level client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Drive business development and client leadership strategies.
• Manage relationships and oversee deliverables for high satisfaction.
• Lead lobbying, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy strategies.

Skills

Business development

Client management

Strategic thinking

Government relations

Political acumen

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

CRM tools

Job description

Location: Toronto (Remote + in-person as required)

Contract Type: 6‑month contract, with potential for renewal/conversion to permanent based on performance.

About Selvam Public Affairs

Selvam Public Affairs (SelvamPA) is a results‑oriented, government‑relations and strategic‑communications firm headquartered in Toronto. We help organizations, innovators, and leaders navigate the intersection of politics, policy, and public perception through integrated lobbying, communications, investor‑relations, and reputation‑management strategies.

As SelvamPA enters its next phase of rapid growth, we are seeking a Director, Ontario & Federal; a savvy leader who will help to drive the firm’s expansion, elevate its market presence, and deliver high‑impact results for clients across North America.

About You

You’re politically astute, creative and looking to be a key part of an exciting and fast‑growing firm. You see opportunity in complexity and enjoy taking ideas from concept to execution with speed and discipline. You are motivated by impact, relationships, and results, and you are looking to apply your business‑development and client‑service strengths to help build a rapidly growing firm.

You bring experience in public affairs, politics, government relations, or consulting, along with credibility among political staff, stakeholders, and decision‑makers. You ideally have an existing network that can translate into a near‑term pipeline, and you are equally comfortable originating work and leading client mandates once secured.

As Director, you will be a senior leader within SelvamPA, representing the firm externally, contributing to growth strategy, and serving as a trusted advisor to clients.

This role balances new business origination and growth (50%) with hands‑on client leadership and delivery (50%).

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Growth (50%)

• Identify, develop, and convert new business opportunities across government relations, strategic communications, PR, and corporate or crisis advisory services.
• Build and manage a disciplined pipeline of prospective clients, including corporations, associations, and non‑profits.
• Lead proposal development, pitch preparation, and pricing discussions, in collaboration with firm leadership.
• Represent SelvamPA externally with senior executives, political leaders, industry groups, and partners.
• Monitor political, policy, and procurement developments to proactively position the firm and its clients.
• Contribute to SelvamPA’s brand presence and thought leadership through content, speaking opportunities, and relationship‑building.
• Identify partnership, subcontracting, or referral opportunities that expand the firm’s reach and capabilities.
• Potential for staff oversight.

Client Strategy & Leadership (50%)

• Serve as senior day‑to‑day advisor or lead on assigned client accounts, providing counsel on government relations, communications, and reputation strategy.
• Design and lead lobbying, stakeholder‑engagement, and advocacy strategies aligned with client objectives.
• Manage client relationships, ensuring high satisfaction, retention, and opportunity for account growth.
• Oversee deliverables, timelines, and reporting to ensure quality, consistency, and measurable outcomes.
• Mentor and collaborate with junior team members, contractors, and external partners as required.
• Contribute to internal systems and processes, including onboarding, proposal tracking, and project management.

Qualifications

Required

• 5–10+ years of experience in public affairs, politics, government relations, communications, or management consulting.
• Strong understanding of Canadian federal and Ontario political environments, with established professional networks.
• Proven ability to build relationships, manage clients, and operate credibly with senior stakeholders.
• Excellent writing, presentation, and strategic‑thinking skills.
• High degree of independence, accountability, and comfort in a fast‑growth, entrepreneurial setting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, LinkedIn, and CRM or pipeline‑management tools.

Assets

• Demonstrated success in business development or account growth within a consulting, agency, or advisory environment.
• Experience delivering integrated GR‑PR or multi‑disciplinary mandates.
• Familiarity with lobbying compliance, procurement processes, and political‑risk considerations.
• Experience with digital communications, marketing platforms, or AI‑enabled tools.
• U.S. or cross‑border experience.

What You’ll Gain

• A Chance to Build Something Special: We’re growing fast, bucking the status‑quo and redefining public affairs in Canada and beyond.
• Executive‑level influence: Become a member of the exec‑team to shape firm strategy, clients, and growth.
• Leadership autonomy: Authority to represent SelvamPA publicly and build business lines.
• High‑level exposure: Work with major brands, innovators, and government stakeholders.
• Growth opportunity: Potential to transition into a permanent role based on performance.
• Fast‑paced variety: Exposure to diverse sectors including technology, defence, retail, consumer brands, and social impact.

Compensation

Competitive compensation plus commission, commensurate with seniority and performance.

How to Apply

Please submit your résumé and a cover letter highlighting one idea you have to grow the brand and why you’d be the best fit for the role to [e-mail] or via LinkedIn Portal with the following subject‑line [First Name] [Last Name], Director. Applications that don’t follow this convention may be automatically eliminated.

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