Sr. Manager, Stakeholder Relations

Sr. Manager, Stakeholder Relations – Job Description & Posting

(Approved by Mark D.)

Position Title: Stakeholder Sr. Manager

Reports To: CEO

Type: Full-Time

Location: Toronto, ON (Hybrid)

Level: Intermediate–Senior (non-management)

Position Summary

The Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) is seeking a disciplined, politically aware Stakeholder Sr. Manager to strengthen our relationships with government, health-sector partners, and professional associations. This role is ideal for someone who knows how to navigate complex systems, prepare senior leaders for high-stakes interactions, and keep fast-moving files organized and on track.

The Stakeholder Sr. Manager is responsible for cultivating and maintaining the relationships that shape the organization’s influence—government bodies, health-sector partners, professional associations, and key strategic allies.

This role supports the CEO and senior leadership by ensuring that every interaction, including meetings, briefing notes, follow-ups, and engagements, is well-prepared, welldocumented, and well-managed. The Stakeholder Sr. Manager brings structure, discipline, and professionalism to a fast-moving environment where political acuity is non-negotiable.

This is a standalone role requiring maturity, discretion, and the ability to work confidently with senior officials, external partners, and OAO’s Board committees/working groups when assigned.

Key Responsibilities

1. Government & External Stakeholder Relations

• Support and strengthen ongoing relationships with government officials, political staff, ministry representatives, and allied health-sector organizations.
• Coordinate stakeholder meetings, briefings, consultations, and follow-up actions to ensure continuity and momentum.
• Track policy developments, political signals, and health-sector trends that may impact optometry.

2. CEO & Executive Support

• Develop meeting briefs, briefing notes, talking points, stakeholder dossiers, and strategic summaries.
• Prepare the CEO for engagements with government, partners, and external associations.
• Coordinate cross-departmental inputs to ensure the CEO receives complete, accurate, and timely information.

3. Stakeholder Planning & Engagement Tracking

• Maintain the stakeholder engagement plan and a disciplined tracking system of commitments, outcomes, and next steps.
• Ensure consistent follow-up and accountability across meetings, agreements, and shared initiatives.
• Map stakeholders by influence, risk, and opportunity.

4. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work with Member Services, Communications, and IT to align messaging, schedules, and stakeholder deliverables.
• Ensure internal teams are aware of political context, project dependencies, and external expectations.
• Support preparation for public campaigns, negotiations, advocacy initiatives, and strategic partnerships.

5. Board Committee Engagement

• Provide coordination, research, and stakeholder-related support for committees/working groups when assigned by the CEO.
• Attend meetings, prepare summaries, and ensure follow-through on action items.

6. Issues Management & Risk Monitoring

• Identify emerging issues, conflicting stakeholder positions, and reputational risks early.
• Draft high-quality responses, statements, and briefing materials under tight timelines.
• Support crisis or rapid-response situations with disciplined coordination.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of experience in government relations, stakeholder management, public affairs, or a related health-sector role.
• Demonstrated political acuity and comfort operating in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Strong written communication—briefing notes, strategic summaries, and policyoriented materials must be excellent.
• Proven track record of managing senior-level external relationships.
• Experience in government, health care, a regulatory body, or a member-based association strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel for stakeholder engagements and represent the organization professionally.
• University undergraduate degree in a related field
• Ability to work in Canada.

Core Competencies

• Professional maturity and discretion
• Political sensitivity and judgment
• Relationship-building grounded in credibility, not theatrics
• High accountability and follow-through
• Strong organizational discipline
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and competing priorities
• Concise, high-quality writing under tight deadlines

Success Measures

• Stakeholder engagements are coordinated, documented, and advanced consistently.
• CEO receives thorough, disciplined, and well-prepared materials.
• Relationships with government and key partners strengthen measurably.
• Risks and issues are flagged early and handled professionally.
• Cross-departmental coordination improves clarity and responsiveness.
• OAO’s presence in the broader health sector becomes more in-depth and influential.

Final compensation will be based on the successful candidate’s experience, skills, and level of responsibility within the role. A full benefits package and travel reimbursement are included.

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience to careers@optom.on.ca