Senior Advisor, Corporate Affairs and Policy

OCS Ontario Cannabis Store•Toronto, ON

5d•CA$71,777 - CA$107,380•Onsite

About The Position

The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) is seeking a Senior Advisor, Corporate Affairs and Policy to join their team. This role is crucial for supporting the OCS in fulfilling its accountability and reporting obligations to the Ontario government, as the OCS is a provincial Crown agency. The Senior Advisor will collaborate across the organization to strengthen the OCS's relationship with the Ontario Ministry of Finance (MOF). They will be responsible for producing high-quality written materials for both internal and external audiences that align with corporate and strategic objectives. Additionally, the role involves fostering strong internal working relationships and leading cross-functional efforts to support the development and execution of the agency’s Annual Report and multi-year Business Plan. The Senior Advisor will also contribute policy advice to senior management, various business units within OCS, and the Government of Ontario, which includes conducting research, analysis, assessing emerging issues, and supporting stakeholder engagement. This position is ideal for a detail-oriented individual contributor who excels at managing and prioritizing multiple projects simultaneously, leveraging relationships to ensure successful project completion, and demonstrating an ability to interpret and apply provincial directives and policies.

Requirements

Post-secondary degree in public policy, public administration, business administration, political science, or a related field.
3–5 years of experience in corporate governance, public policy and/or stakeholder relations, ideally within the public sector or a regulated environment.
Experience engaging with senior management and building strong professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Strong time management, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
Demonstrated political acuity, diplomacy, negotiation skills, and sound judgment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong critical thinking, research, and analytical capabilities.
Solid understanding of legislative processes, government procedures, agency oversight, and issues management.
Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or advanced degree is an asset.

Responsibilities

Support the organization’s accountability relationship with the Ontario Ministry of Finance, including regular reporting and compliance with government directives.
Coordinate and respond to government information requests and provide issues-management support as needed.
Lead the development, approval, submission, and publication of the Annual Report, multi-year Business Plan, and agency attestation processes.
Work closely with internal partners to support accountability and reporting deliverables.
Develop and manage comprehensive workback plans, solicit cross-functional input, facilitate approvals, coordinate publication, and support post-publication evaluations.
Lead and coordinate government approvals for operational and strategic initiatives, providing project leadership to assigned resources.
Establish and support program evaluation frameworks to assess short- and long-term impacts of initiatives brought forward for approval.
Build and maintain strong internal stakeholder networks to support approval processes and guide advisors and analysts on deliverables.
Support inter-jurisdictional relationships, including engagement through the Canadian Cannabis Jurisdictional Leadership (CCJL).
Contribute to policy development, market analysis, and strategic advice for OCS leadership and the Government of Ontario, as required.
Support additional team and policy deliverables as needed.