Manager, Industry Relations (Permanent, Full-time)

SkilledTradesBC•Richmond, BC

3d•CA$109,686 - CA$148,400•Hybrid

About The Position

SkilledTradesBC is seeking a Manager, Industry Relations for a permanent full-time role. This position leads the organization's industry relations strategy by building relationships within the trades training system, gathering sector intelligence, and ensuring the organization responds strategically to industry needs. The role requires a collaborative leader who can work across departments, advise senior leaders, represent SkilledTradesBC with industry partners, and manage complex issues with potentially misaligned interests. The Manager will understand the trades training system and, with the Director, External Relations, guide senior leaders and internal teams on industry needs, opportunities, and challenges. This role combines relationship-building, internal connection, and strategic planning. Key responsibilities include meeting industry partners, helping internal teams understand industry feedback, briefing leaders on emerging issues, identifying relevant personnel for responses, and translating sector insights into practical advice for better decision-making. The Manager will represent SkilledTradesBC at industry engagements and working groups, promoting initiatives, identifying issues and opportunities, and feeding external insights back into the organization. Reporting to and working closely with the Director, External Relations, the Manager ensures the development and execution of the multi-year industry relations strategy, maintaining positive relationships with industry, employers, sponsors, and partners. The role also coordinates with internal teams focused on youth, Indigenous communities, and strategic partnerships to ensure a unified approach to external relationships. Ultimately, this role ensures SkilledTradesBC understands the trades training system, its implications, and responds effectively to build trust and improve outcomes, leading to stronger industry relationships, better intelligence for decision-makers, improved interdepartmental coordination, and clearer pathways for partners to connect with SkilledTradesBC.

Requirements

High School diploma or equivalent is required.
5+ years of experience in community, industry, employer, stakeholder or government relations in a complex, stakeholder rich environment including experience managing competing priorities, advising internal decision-makers and building credibility with external partners.
Ability to work across all levels of the organization, providing sound advice and strategic counsel to Directors and Executives while building alignment across teams with different priorities and accountabilities.
Proven success gathering information from internal departments, translating organizational priorities for external audiences, and bringing external insight back into the organization to support timely, coordinated responses.
Proven ability to build understanding across diverse groups, including small businesses, large industrial employers, unions, training providers and government partners.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the confidence to brief leaders, facilitate discussions and speak effectively with both small and large groups.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and related tools used for briefing materials, reporting, collaboration and tracking.
Experience using CRM, stakeholder management or tracking systems to document relationships, issues, engagement activities and follow-up.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the public sector, government relations, post-secondary education or the skilled trades system is preferred; equivalent education and experience will be considered.
Experience managing stakeholder accounts, partner relationships or cross-functional projects is an asset.
Previous exposure to the trades, apprenticeship training system or workforce development would be an asset.
Experience building respectful partnerships with Indigenous communities, training providers and underrepresented groups to support inclusive workforce development goals is an asset.
Training experience or knowledge of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) is preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads the STBC Industry Relations strategy and serves as a key point of contact for industry, triaging issues and complex questions, coordinating responses across the organization, developing sector relationships and identifying barriers within the apprenticeship system.
Tracks inquiries from employers and sponsors and connects them with the right SkilledTradesBC expertise. Coordinates with internal teams to recommend appropriate responses and communication channels.
Builds sector relationships that promote SkilledTradesBC and generate useful industry intelligence.
Works with industry to identify and address barriers within the training and apprenticeship system.
Manages the Industry Relations budget, including travel and department needs.
Works closely with the Director to support implementation of the Industry Relations Strategy and acts as a champion for its adoption across departments, in coordination with colleagues responsible for youth, Indigenous communities and other key partnerships.
Works collaboratively with Directors, Managers and staff throughout SkilledTradesBC to build a shared understanding of key sectors, industry priorities, emerging risks and stakeholder expectations, and to support coordinated organizational responses where industry issues cross departmental boundaries.
Works closely with the Director, Truth and Reconciliation, the Youth Programs team, Apprenticeship Advisors and other frontline staff to understand industry issues, trends and information needs, and to coordinate appropriate responses.
Keeps Senior Leadership Team and Management Leadership Team informed of relevant industry trends, risks, issues and opportunities, including where external feedback may affect organizational priorities, stakeholder confidence or strategic decision making.
Represents SkilledTradesBC, or identifies appropriate designates, for regional, provincial and national industry working groups, ensuring two-way input and feedback.
Fosters and advances SkilledTradesBC’s strategic goals and reputation with trades system partners and industry by stewarding relationships with key partners and identifying the most appropriate internal connections to build and maintain those relationships.
Acts as SkilledTradesBC ambassador to industry by helping partners understand current policies, priorities, issues and mandates, and by bringing industry perspectives back into the organization.
Works with the Director, External Relations and Senior Leadership Team, identifies key partners who need to be engaged or influenced and recommends relationship strategies that support SkilledTradesBC’s goals.
Works consultatively with appropriate SkilledTradesBC partners to support efforts to attract, retain and respond to sponsors and employers, ensuring that relationship issues are connected to the right internal expertise and followed through appropriately.
Oversees the Sector Advisory Group and assesses whether additional industry-specific groups are needed, reviewing their effectiveness annually and recommending improvements.
Acts as a central source of intelligence on key industry issues, working with the Director to identify what matters most, prioritize what needs attention, and report timely insights to Senior Leadership and Executive Leadership teams so industry perspectives are reflected in strategic decision making.
Develops and manages a briefing system on key sectors and trades so internal teams and leaders have clear, current and practical intelligence about industry priorities, pressures and opportunities.
Works with other External Relations Managers to oversee the Annual Engagement tracker, following up with departments on support needs and any required follow-up related to industry sponsorships, engagements or events.
Identifies and assesses engagement opportunities for SkilledTradesBC, with a focus on opportunities that advance strategic relationships, improve sector understanding or support organizational priorities.
Provides oversight of industry engagement plans and processes, ensuring that engagement is purposeful, coordinated and connected to clear organizational outcomes.
Provides strategic advice to departments on stakeholder engagement approaches, communications, reporting and relationship management in support of external projects, initiatives and organizational priorities.
Brings forward best practices in industry engagement knowledge to help improve project and business outcomes.