Director, Government Affairs & Industry
About The Position
The Director, Government Affairs & Industry is a senior leader and key member of the Corporate Affairs Leadership Team. This role is accountable for designing, shaping, and driving AstraZeneca Canada’s national government relations strategy. The Director drives a coordinated, enterprise-wide engagement approach across federal, provincial, and municipal levels, aligned to a clear vision and business strategy. The Director is an expert communicator and planner, engaging both internally and externally to ensure stakeholder understanding. Working cross-functionally, the Director leads and develops a diverse team of field experts—building a unified, high-impact team with a shared vision and strong collaboration. The Director is a trusted internal advisor who informs business strategy and regularly briefs Canadian and global AstraZeneca executives on policy developments relevant to our priorities. They clearly convey priorities and regularly measure and articulate the impact of their team’s effort and outcomes. The role also leads AstraZeneca’s strategy and operational plan within Innovative Medicines Canada, ensuring effective cross-functional participation, CEO-level engagement and alignment, and advocacy for policy positions that foster innovation and expand patient access. This role will also support AZ’s position as Board Chair at IMC. This role calls for a politically astute, results-driven and high-values leader who thrives at building & driving strategy, advocacy, and influence, to advance AstraZeneca’s reputation, policy priorities, and societal impact across Canada.
Requirements
- Strong track record leading multidisciplinary teams and integrating cross-functional government affairs initiatives.
- At least 10+ years in government affairs, policy development, corporate affairs or related fields.
- Deep knowledge of Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal policy environments, with established relationships in Canada, Ontario and Quebec; experience delivering government affairs strategies in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, or life sciences sectors.
- Capability to communicate economic and societal impact assessments relating to industry presence and investment.
- Ability to align policy strategy with business objectives, provide impactful executive briefings, and influence internal/external partners.
- Involvement in industry groups with strategic representation responsibilities, ideally at a national leadership level.
- Superior written and verbal communication with both internal and external partners.
- Bachelor’s degree required
Nice To Haves
- Bilingual English-French proficiency an asset.
- advanced qualification in public policy, political science, economics, law, or a related field preferred.
Responsibilities
- Designing, communicating and completing a cohesive GR strategy that focusses on the biggest opportunities to unlock the power of AstraZeneca’s science for Canadians.
- Build plans and achieve buy-in across Corporate Affairs, Market Access and others, to drive success of core policy priorities across provincial and federal governments.
- Develop compelling strategies that measure and communicate the economic and societal contributions of AstraZeneca’s Canadian head office, key partnerships and clinical investments.
- Leverage these to drive policy priorities, supporting external advocacy and internal decision-making.
- Enable the identification & development of critical evidence necessary for policy priority advancement.
- Advance strategic initiatives aligned to Corporate Affairs policy priorities, including accelerating access to medicines, and improving sector competitiveness via economic policy change.
- Lead the coordination and execution of AstraZeneca’s proactive engagement with federal, provincial, and municipal government partners.
- Support, and lead where appropriate, engagement with other key life sciences and health care partners.
- Build and execute strategies to raise our corporate profile with key decision makers and advance our policy priorities.
- Build trusting relationships aligned to our values.
- Act as a convenor of key internal cross-functional roles, including Alexion, ensuring GR input into core business and TA strategy, and regularly and proactively providing timely, high-quality briefings to Canadian and global executives on key GR issues and advancements.
- Lead our strategic and operational engagement within Innovative Medicines Canada, including CEO briefings, industry coalitions, industry team representation and advocacy efforts.
- Support AZ’s role as Board Chair’s in all IMC matters.
- Guide and deliver government engagement at all levels supporting the growth and prominence of AstraZeneca’s Ontario operations.
- Unify and coach a group of regionally-focused government affairs experts, fostering collaboration, shared purpose, and consistent guidelines across Ontario, Quebec, and Canada.
Benefits
- competitive Flex Benefits & Retirement Savings Program
- 4 weeks’ paid vacation
- annual Personal Days
- Annual base salary for this position ranges from 150,594.40 to 197,655.15.
- annual Variable Pay Bonus/Short Term Incentive opportunity
- eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (if applicable to role)
- Contract Benefits Program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
