Urban Solutions)
Organization: Pembina Institute
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Position Overview
Are you passionate about solving climate change? Do you see changing government
policy as a key driver to this end? Do you understand the scale of the
challenge in meeting Ontario’s climate targets? If so, then this position may
be for you.
The Pembina Institute is seeking a policy director to join our Ontario team and
lead our work on transportation and urban solutions. We are seeking someone who
has strong relationships within the City of Toronto and Queen’s Park and a
record of working toward policy change at the provincial level. The successful
candidate will be responsible for co-creating the strategic direction of our
transportation and urban solutions work in collaboration with the Ontario team.
We are looking for a strategic thinker who will bring fresh ideas about how to
create change in a policy area that has suffered from inertia for too long. We
are looking for a relationship builder who is equally comfortable talking with
a minister at Queen’s Park, an executive on Bay Street, a community group
concerned about density or speaking to a room of 100 people.
If this sounds like your kind of challenge, then please read on.
Why the Pembina Institute?
The Pembina Institute is an organization unlike any other working to protect
Canada’s environment today. We combine the research and technical capacity of a
think tank with the values and advocacy of an environmental non-governmental
organization (NGO) and the entrepreneurial and business sense of a for-profit
consulting firm.
Our people are passionate about sustainability and dedicated to enabling
positive social change. Our organizational culture encourages creativity and
collaboration, and we offer a flexible work environment that rewards honest
character, personal initiative and innovation. The successful candidate will
join our dynamic team of nationally recognized professionals working on
delivering clean energy solutions into the hands of Canada’s decision makers
and key influencers.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary rate is competitive for a policy director in the non-profit sector
and will be based on the skills, experience and qualifications of the
successful candidate.
Benefits include:
• extended health and dental coverage
• four weeks of holidays per year
• RRSP plan
• training and professional development opportunities
Further terms of employment will be discussed with candidates during the
interview process.
Roles and Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Implementation
• Lead development and refinement of the strategic objectives for the program,
working with the Ontario director, senior advisor, and communications lead.
• Responsible for developing program-level strategic plans and overseeing the
execution of work designed to achieve specific goals, including the development
of government relations and other tactics.
• In conjunction with the Ontario communications lead, responsible for
designing a communications strategy to support the strategic objectives for the
program
• Collaborating with other staff to ensure coordination across the organization
when necessary
Team Coordination
• Assemble and coordinate teams to execute strategic plans and projects
• Support and provide mentorship and guidance to one or more staff members
Budget Management and Fundraising
• Responsible for managing the budget for the transportation and urban
solutions program, and ensuring projects and initiatives are completed within
budget
• In conjunction with the Ontario director and the director of strategic
partnerships, responsible for meeting the program’s fundraising target,
including but not limited to: completing grant applications, securing
sponsorships and developing fee-for-service contracts
External Spokesperson and Relationship Building
• Be the lead spokesperson for media related to the program area with support
from team members as necessary
• Lead government relations for priority area, with support from team members
• Be lead relationship builder/holder with external influencers for the program
area, and delegate as necessary to team members
Skills and Qualifications
Candidates must reflect the following skills and experience in their
application:
Leadership
• At least two years experience in a leadership position and demonstrated
success in building teams
• Ability to develop a vision and strategic goals in a collective setting and
develop plans and projects to meet these goals
• Demonstrated mentorship and supervisory skills
Policy development
• At least three years experience developing relationships within the
provincial government
• A clear understanding of policy development processes
• Knowledge and understanding of current transportation and urban planning
policy space in Ontario and beyond
Knowledge of transportation and urban planning
• Knowledge of some aspects of the field of transportation – could include
transit, freight and goods movement, electric vehicles and electrification of
transportation, and transit oriented development
• Knowledge of and relationships with key players (other ENGOs, vehicle
manufacturers, utilities, infrastructure planners, city planners etc.) in the
field
Interpersonal skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, conflict resolution skills and the ability to
work collectively with a team
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with individuals with a wide
range of backgrounds and perspectives
• Ability to demonstrate a high degree of diplomacy and tact
• Self-motivated and results-oriented
Administration and project management
• Strong project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage
concurrent projects while meeting deadlines
• Strong planning and organization skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Experience developing, monitoring and managing budgets
• Proven ability to secure significant grants and contracts ($100K or more)
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel
and PowerPoint
• Knowledge of SalesForce or similar CRM systems an asset
This position is located in our Toronto office and reports to the Ontario
director. It is full-time and may require some travel and occasional work on
weekends and evenings
To Apply
Email your cover letter and resume to:
careers@pembina.org . Please ensure the following:
• Subject line includes Policy Director ON and your last name
• Cover letter (one-page only) explains why you are interested in working with
the Pembina Institute and how your skills and qualifications meet the criteria
outlined for this position
• Resume outlines your relevant skills, education and experience
• Cover letter and resume are saved as one PDF document using the naming
convention lastnamefirstletter-application-position-year.pdf
• example: smithm-application-Policy-Director-ON-2015.pdf
Application deadline: Midnight (Eastern Time), Monday, November 2, 2015.
The Pembina Institute is an equal opportunity employer.
We thank all applicants for their interest but only those selected for an
interview will be contacted.