Senior Policy Advisor

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 Policy Advisor to join its Corporate Affairs & Policy team. This role is responsible for leading complex policy research and analysis, managing relationships with public-sector partners, and assessing emerging issues to provide evidence-based policy advice to senior leadership, business units, and the Government of Ontario. The position involves collaborating across the organization to support the relationship with the Ontario Ministry of Finance, developing high-quality materials for various audiences, and contributing to policies and programs that advance Ontario’s cannabis legalization objectives. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized, comfortable managing multiple priorities, and skilled at building strong relationships.

Requirements

• Completion of a post-secondary degree in public policy, public administration, business administration or a related field.
• 3-5 years+ experience in an area involving policy analysis and development, stakeholder relations, ideally within a public sector organization or within a regulated sector.
• Experience interfacing with senior management, with proven ability to develop and maintain strong professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Significant understanding of government processes, policy, and operations.
• Advanced knowledge of policy analysis and development techniques.
• Exceptional time management skills, highly organized and keen attention to detail, with proven track record of simultaneously managing several deliverables delivered on time.
• Strong political acuity, interpersonal, diplomatic and negotiating skills, and ability to exercise discretion and judgment.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Developed critical thinking, research, and analytical skills.
• Intermediate skill in Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

• A Master’s degree or advanced degree in a similar field is preferred.
• Stakeholder consultation experience is preferred.
• Strong analytical and evaluative skills, with comfort navigating financial and business concepts is an asset.
• Project management skills to effectively lead complex initiatives is preferred.
• Working knowledge of cannabis industry and issues is preferred.
• Ability to provide guidance and technical leadership to other advisors/analysts is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Provide policy development, market analysis, and strategic advice to the Ontario Government to inform decision-making and recommend strategic, regulatory, and legislative actions that support a vibrant legal cannabis market, reduce illegal market activity, and enable economic growth.
• Develop factual, data-driven policy analysis—including reports, briefing materials, issue notes, presentations, and jurisdictional scans—to address emerging industry issues and support organizational and government decision-making.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders to support the delivery of strategic projects and initiatives.
• Lead internal and external consultations in coordination with department leadership, senior management, and government partners.
• Guide other advisors and analysts in delivering high-quality policy products and departmental outputs.
• Collaborate with the Manager, Policy to provide policy and strategic advice to operational teams and senior leadership, ensuring alignment with the OCS mandate, provincial priorities, and legislative requirements.
• Monitor the policy and regulatory environment to identify opportunities, evaluate risks, and assess impacts on OCS operations.
• Work with the Manager to coordinate business readiness for federal or provincial regulatory changes that affect OCS operations.
• Support day-to-day engagement with public-sector partners, including the Ministry of Finance, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and Health Canada.
• Partner with Corporate Affairs to respond to government information requests and ensure accurate, timely submissions.
• Support the Manager in maintaining and strengthening relationships with municipal, provincial, and federal government partners to advance organizational and provincial cannabis-related priorities.
• Assist business units in engaging with external stakeholders to advance OCS initiatives, policies, and priorities aligned with the OCS mandate.
• Support department leadership in managing acute issues and stakeholder challenges, working closely with Communications & Stakeholder Engagement.

Benefits

• Accessible, equitable and inclusive candidate and employee experience
• Reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process and in employment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior