Associate, Strategic Initiatives

Venture for Canada

18h•Remote

About The Position

Venture for Canada is a national registered charity dedicated to equipping talent across Canada with the entrepreneurial skills, mindset, and opportunities to succeed in a rapidly changing economy. The Strategic Initiatives Associate is a cross-functional role supporting Venture for Canada's executive leadership in advancing strategic priorities. This role involves government relations, strategic initiatives, thought leadership, and executive enablement, aiming to strengthen partnerships, influence, and long-term impact. The Associate will cultivate relationships, identify collaboration opportunities, research emerging trends in entrepreneurship and workforce development, and contribute to policy reports and government engagement. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguous, fast-paced environments, can manage multiple priorities, and possesses strong judgment and initiative.

Requirements

2+ years of professional experience, ideally in business, consulting, government relations, policy, or a professional-services environment.
Strong research skills and the ability to translate research into clear, structured written materials (briefing notes, reports, case studies).
Experience developing and managing external relationships, partnerships, or stakeholder ecosystems, including maintaining relationship pipelines, CRM systems, and engagement tracking processes.
Skilled in working across multiple, unrelated workstreams simultaneously without losing quality or follow-through.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for different audiences, including executives, partners, government stakeholders, and external audiences.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada at the time of application.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to government relations, public affairs, or policy work (e.g., briefing notes, RFPs, coordinating with external firms) is a strong asset.
Experience supporting senior executives is a strong asset.
Proficiency in both English and French is considered a strong asset for this role.

Responsibilities

Partner cross-functionally with senior leadership on high-priority strategic initiatives as organizational priorities evolve.
Research emerging opportunities in entrepreneurship, workforce development, and innovation.
Support the leadership and program teams in the development of new program concepts, partnership opportunities, and international collaborations.
Contribute to and maintain partnership tracking systems and CRM records.
Support initiatives that strengthen Venture for Canada's engagement within Canada's entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
Prepare briefing notes, meeting materials, and background research for government relations engagements.
Coordinate with external government relations firms and support RFP preparation as needed.
Research government priorities, policy developments, and funding opportunities relevant to Venture for Canada's work.
Help maintain stakeholder engagement records and support relationship tracking.
Support the development of policy reports, white papers, and strategic publications, including Venture for Canada's work on AI adoption among SMEs.
Develop case studies, research summaries, and other materials that showcase Venture for Canada's impact and strategic priorities.
Translate research and external insights into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
Provide executive support to senior leadership, including calendar coordination, scheduling, email support, network management, and other administrative support as needed.
Prepare briefing materials, presentations, and talking points for meetings, speaking engagements, and external event support.
Draft and edit correspondence and other communications on behalf of senior leadership.
Triage time-sensitive requests and prioritize competing demands with sound judgment.
Coordinate logistics for leadership travel and external engagements.