Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations

Job Title: Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations

Position Type: Non-Bargaining Unit, Permanent, Full-Time

Number of Positions: 1

Reason for Posting: New Position

Rate: $110,331.00 to $143,422.50 annual salary

Vacation: 4 weeks to start

Benefits: Group benefits with Life Insurance, AD&D, Extended Health and Dental Care with premiums 100% paid by the employer, LTD with premiums 100% paid by employees; paid sick leave and float day

RRSP: RRSP with 6.5% employer contribution and 4% employee contribution after successful completion of probation

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Supervisor: CEO

Posting Date: November 5, 2026

Application Deadline: November 30, 2026, at noon

Location: 36 Lombard Street, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario

Why Fred Victor?

For 130 years, Fred Victor has been a leader in helping people rebuild their lives in Toronto. Our mission is to improve the health, income and housing stability of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. We are committed to ending homelessness, one person at a time.

The Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations will lead Fred Victor’s government relations and public policy advocacy work, positioning the organization as a credible, evidence-informed voice on homelessness, poverty, mental health, substance use, housing access, the justice system, and other interconnected community issues. The role will advance Fred Victor’s mission and advocate on issues that most impact Fred Victor clients by developing and implementing a focused government relations strategy, building internal advocacy capacity, strengthening relationships with public officials and sector partners, and ensuring the organization has clear, consistent positions on priority policy issues.

Reporting to the CEO, this position will work closely with senior leadership, various internal departments, external partners and other stakeholders to advance systemic change while balancing proactive advocacy with timely responses to urgent sector and community needs.

Does this sound like work you want to be a part of?

We offer a supportive and collaborative environment, an opportunity to join a diverse team of caring professionals and a chance to make a difference. With over 75 programs and 25 sites, there are lots of opportunities to grow your career with us.

What You Will Do:

Government Relations Strategy

• Develop, implement, monitor, and refine a government relations strategy that advances Fred Victor’s mission, strategic priorities, and community impact goals. The strategy will address advocacy with all three levels of government, with a particular focus on municipal and provincial governments.
• Identify the issue areas where the organization is best positioned to create tangible impact.
• Identify engagement strategies that support proactive advocacy while enabling timely responses to urgent issues.

Policy Analysis, Position Development and Strategic Communications

• Review government priorities, legislative developments, policy proposals, internal documents, sector research, and community trends to identify risks, opportunities, and recommended responses.
• Develop clear organizational positions, briefing notes, policy submissions, deputations, speaking points, advocacy letters, op-eds, and position papers that reflect the organization’s unique perspective, for internal and external audiences.
• Leverage internal research, data and client feedback to support organizational policy positions.
• Monitor, analyze, and brief leadership on legislative, regulatory, budget, and policy developments that may affect the organization, its clients or communities served.
• Media relations and executive communications to further Fred Victor’s policy positions.

Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy

• Build and maintain effective relationships with elected officials, political staff, public servants, sector coalitions, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate meetings, site visits, roundtables, consultations, and events with government representatives and community partners.
• Represent the organization in meetings, conferences, policy discussions, consultations, public forums, sector tables, budget consultations, deputations, and public or media events, as appropriate.
• Prepare the CEO, VPs, and other internal stakeholders for meetings with government representatives and external partners.

Internal Capacity Building and Coordination

• Track engagement activities and create regular updates and internal communication mechanisms to document advocacy work, demonstrate progress, and strengthen organizational awareness of this work.
• Gather input from subject matter experts, senior leaders, staff, community partners, clients and, where applicable, an advisory group to inform advocacy priorities and positions.
• Work closely with program, communications, fundraising, data, and executive teams to align advocacy, public funding, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Strengthen the Senior Leadership Team’s capacity to engage effectively in government relations.

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable legislation related to lobbying and advocacy.
• Manage lobbyist registration compliance where required.

What You Bring to the Team:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in government relations, public policy, advocacy, public affairs, stakeholder relations or a related field, preferably in a nonprofit, community, social services, housing, health, or public sector environment.
• Post-secondary education in public policy, political science, public administration, communications, law, social sciences, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

What Sets You Apart:

• Strong understanding of government decision-making processes, legislative and policy development, stakeholder engagement, and lobbying compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to develop advocacy strategies, policy positions, briefing materials, submissions, and public-facing communications.
• Experience working in or with non-profit, charitable, public-sector, community, or mission-driven organizations is an asset.
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex policy issues into clear and compelling messages for different audiences.
• Diplomacy, political acuity, sound judgment, and the ability to work effectively across a range of political, philosophical, and community perspectives.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling sensitive issues and confidential information.
• A strategic thinker with advanced experience in policy analysis.
• The ability to develop strong relationships and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders.
• Strong self-management skills and the ability to independently coordinate logistics, correspondence, and daily operational needs.
• An understanding of homelessness and poverty, and a commitment to Fred Victor’s mission.

Compensation and Benefits:

• For the Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations, Fred Victor offers a salary range of $110,331.00 to $143,422.50
• 4 weeks of vacation to start + 1 float day
• Generous paid sick leave allowance
• A comprehensive Dental, Extended Health and LTD group benefits package includes individual and family coverage, including prescriptions, hospital accommodation, hearing care, paramedical practitioners and a wide variety of dental care. Additional insurance includes vision care and travel for emergency medical services.
• 6.5 % of your gross salary will be contributed to a group RRSP on your behalf after successful completion of probation; you will contribute 4% of your gross salary to the same RRSP
• Access to employee and family assistance plan

How You Can Apply:

Send your resume and a cover letter describing why you want to be part of the Fred Victor Team by November 30, 2026, at noon to mashton@fredvictor.org with “Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations” in the subject line.

A Police Record Check is required by the final candidate prior to hiring.

Accessibility & Accommodation

Fred Victor is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where employees feel valued and respected, and where every employee has the opportunity to realize their potential. As such, we welcome and encourage applicants who identify as racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identities and have lived-experience

If you are a person with a disability and require accommodation and/or assistance during the application process, please contact us in advance. We strive to provide reasonable accommodations whenever requested. Information received relating to accommodation requests will be treated with confidentiality.