Policy Coordinator CHPA

The Hospital for Sick Children; Toronto; On-site; CAD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee benefits

Well-being initiative

Job summary

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) seeks a Government Relations and Policy Coordinator to support the Child Health Policy Accelerator. This one-year contract focuses on organizing Hill Days in Ottawa and coordinating meetings with Parliamentarians and federal decision-makers.

You will work with the Policy Lead and accelerator team, gaining exposure to policy details while supporting outreach, partnerships and event logistics.

Qualifications

• Degree in Political Management, Public Policy, Public Health or Law.
• Interest in government relations or policy work at the federal or provincial level.
• Knowledge of Canadian health policy landscape is an asset.
• Strong written and oral communication skills; attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate and execute the Accelerator's advocacy events, including Hill Days in Ottawa.
• Coordinate meetings with Parliamentarians and federal decision-makers; prepare briefing materials.
• Monitor federal proceedings and announcements to flag opportunities or risks for policy files.
• Assist with policy briefs, correspondence and advocacy materials.
• Support communications with internal and external partners.

Skills

Policy communications

Event coordination

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Public policy

Education

Undergraduate or graduate degree in Political Management, Public Policy, Public Health, Law

Tools

PowerPoint

LinkedIn

Graphic design

Job description

Dedicated exclusively to children and their families, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is one of the largest and most respected paediatric healthcare centres in the world. As innovators in child health, we lead and partner to improve the health of children through the integration of healthcare, leading-edge research and education. Our reputation would not have been built - nor could it be maintained - without the skills, knowledge and experience of the extraordinary people who come to work here every day. SickKids is committed to ongoing learning and development, and features a caring and supportive work environment that combines exceptionally high standards of practice.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to work alongside the world's best in paediatric healthcare.

The Department of Paediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is seeking a Government Relations and Policy Coordinator to support the objectives of the Child Health Policy Accelerator ('Accelerator'). As Canada's first hospital-based applied child and youth health and social policy initiative, the mission of the Accelerator is two-fold: (1) to forward specific, focused, evidence-based policy objectives designed to deliver positive change for children and youth in Canada; and (2) to train the next generation of maternal and child health change-makers by facilitating didactic, episodic, and longitudinal policy immersion experiences.

The successful candidate will provide coordination and support across the full breadth of the Accelerator's federal government relations and advocacy activities. This is a one-year contract position with a significant focus on organizing the Accelerator's annual Hill Days in Ottawa and coordinating meetings with Parliamentarians and other federal decision-makers. The Government Relations and Policy Coordinator will work closely with the Policy Lead and the broader Accelerator team, gaining exposure to the policy details of each of the Accelerator's files while supporting general government relations and advocacy outreach. The successful candidate will bring strong organizational skills, a genuine interest in government and public policy, and a passion for creating positive change for Canadian children, youth and their families.

Here’s What You’ll Get To Do

Government Relations and Event Coordination

• Supports the planning, logistics and on-the-ground execution of the Accelerator's advocacy events, including a lead coordination role in organizing the Accelerator's annual Hill Days in Ottawa.
• Coordinates and helps secure meetings with Parliamentarians, political staff and other federal decision-makers, including scheduling, briefing material preparation, follow-up, and maintenance of the Accelerator's contact and distribution lists.
• Monitors House and Committee proceedings, Question Period and relevant federal announcements, and helps flag emerging opportunities and risks for the Accelerator's priority files.
• Supports the development of policy briefs, correspondence, and other materials related to the Accelerator's advocacy priorities.
• Supports communications with internal and external partners.

Advocacy, Partnership and Collaboration

• Builds familiarity with the Accelerator's partner network, including academic, clinical, patient and advocacy partners, to support ongoing relationship management.
• Assists with the coordination of Accelerator partnerships and coalition activities, including logistics for meetings, events and joint initiatives.

Communication

• Supports the Accelerator's LinkedIn presence, including drafting and scheduling posts, monitoring engagement, and helping to grow the Accelerator's profile among policy and advocacy audiences.
• Provides graphic design and PowerPoint support for policy briefs, presentations and event materials, helping translate policy content into clear, visually engaging formats.

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Undergraduate or graduate degree in Political Management, Public Policy, Public Health, Law; no direct work experience is required.
• Interest in or exposure to government relations, public affairs, or policy work at the federal or provincial level.
• Knowledge of the Canadian health policy landscape would be an asset, but is not required.
• Project management skills would be considered an asset.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex issues clearly and persuasively.
• Ability to function collaboratively with multiple, diverse partners.
• Ability to function independently with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple initiatives in a timely manner and flexibility to adapt to changing workload.
• Ability to travel within Canada (up to 3 trips per year, for a total of 5-10 days per year)
• Bilingualism in French and English is not required, but is an asset.
• Demonstrated commitment and actions in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion objectives

Here’s What You’ll Love

• Advancing focused, evidence-based child and youth health and social policies with direct and meaningful impacts on the lives of children and families across the country.
• Hands-on exposure to federal government relations and policy work, alongside a small, dynamic team.
• An academic and learning environment, with awards and bursaries, mentoring programs, and a focus on continuous improvement.
• This position is eligible for employee benefits coverage. The full benefits package will be discussed at the time of offer.
• A focus on employee wellness with our new Staff Health and Well-being Strategy. Self-care helps us support others.
• A hospital that welcomes and focuses on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• The opportunity to make an impact. Regardless of your role or professional interest, you will be making a difference at SickKids and contributing to our vision of Healthier Children. A Better World.
• For more on why you'll love working at SickKids, visit our careers site.

Team Dynamics

The Government Relations and Policy Coordinator will report to the Policy Lead, Child Health Policy Accelerator, and will support all of the Accelerator's files on events and general government relations and advocacy outreach. The role carries a significant focus on organizing the Accelerator's Hill Days in Ottawa and coordinating meetings with Parliamentarians and other decision-makers, and offers exposure to the policy details of every file in the Accelerator's portfolio. While the ability to perform focused work independently is essential, collaboration is the cornerstone of the Accelerator. We seek a candidate who will thrive on the energy generated by sharing ideas, pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities, and who is eager to build foundational government relations experience in a fast-paced, hospital-based health policy environment.

Employment Type

• Temporary 1-year contract
• 35 hours/week

SickKids is committed to championing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do, fostering an intentionally inclusive and culturally safe environment that reflects the diversity of the patients, families and communities we serve. Learn more about workplace inclusion.

If you require accommodation during the application process, please reach out to our aSKHR team. SickKids can provide access and inclusion supports to eligible candidates to support their full engagement during the interview and selection process as well as to ensure candidates are able to perform their duties once successfully hired. If you are invited for an interview and require accommodation, please let us know at the time of your invitation to interview. Information received related to access, inclusion or accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

Technical difficulties? Email [e-mail] with a short description of the issues you are experiencing. We will not accept resumes sent to this inbox but we are happy to respond to requests for technical assistance.