Director, Partnerships (Government relations)

About Futurpreneur Canada

Futurpreneur is a national non-profit organization that empowers diverse entrepreneur, ages 18-39 to start, buy and grow their businesses in Canada by providing loans with mentorship and resources.

Founded in 1996, we have helped more than 20,000 young entrepreneurs launch over 15,600 businesses, promoting entrepreneurship among Canadian youth as a critical pillar for strengthening the economy while generating employment opportunities, and fostering a sustainable future.

Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, the Canadian founding member of Youth Business International and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW).

Our Purpose (why we exist): To drive inclusive Canadian prosperity by fostering the success of young entrepreneurs

Our Mission (what we do every day to achieve our purpose): To empower diverse entrepreneurs ages 18-39 by providing loans with mentorship and resources to help them start and buy successful businesses that contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity, in their communities and across Canada.

Our Values (how we work – our core principles & commitments): We are mission-driven, collegial & collaborative, diverse & inclusive, and accountable & transparent.

Here’s the opportunity:

As a Director, Partnerships, you will shape and lead Futurpreneur's government relations and multi-sector funding partnership portfolio, driving the relationships, revenue and influence that help more young entrepreneurs across Canada start and succeed. Your mandate is to sustain, grow and diversify sustainable funding, strengthen Futurpreneur's reputation and influence, and advance high impact partnerships that support inclusive entrepreneurship and economic opportunity for young entrepreneurs.

Reporting to Chief Growth Officer, and serving as a member of Futurpreneur's Leadership Team, you will lead a high-performing team responsible for building trusted relationships with governments, corporate partners, foundations, major donors and other key stakeholders, securing and stewarding the investments that advance Futurpreneur’s inclusive economic impact. Working closely with the CEO, CFO, Senior Leadership Team and colleagues across the organization, you will set direction, align priorities and be held accountable for government relations and fundraising strategies, revenue targets, relationship pipelines and stewardship outcomes while contributing to Futurpreneur’s long-term growth and sustainability.

This existing role is a permanent, full-time position that is located in Toronto, ON. The incumbent will be working on our hybrid work model (minimum 2 days in the office). This role will require frequent travel.

What you will do:

Government Relations and Revenue Development - 80%

Government Relations and Funding Partnerships

• Lead the planning, development and execution of a multi-year government relations and public funding strategy to maintain, secure, renew and steward support from federal and provincial levels of government and other public sector agencies, aligned with Futurpreneur’s organizational strategy, annual public funding targets and regional program priorities.
• Cultivate and steward trusted relationships with elected officials, political staff, public servants and public-sector partners, ensuring funding commitments, deliverables, outcomes and reporting obligations are met, and that partners receive timely, transparent updates on impact and results.
• Identify and prioritize new and expanded funding and policy opportunities, and establish clear engagement objectives, relationship plans and measures of success.
• Oversee proposal development and quality in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team and internal stakeholders, ensuring proposals present compelling, evidence-based cases for support and include clear outcomes, budgets, organizational accountabilities and reporting requirements.
• Oversee government-facing communications, including ministerial presentations, department briefings, policy and funding proposals, pre-budget submissions, reports and meeting materials, ensuring they are accurate, compelling and aligned with government priorities. Support external communications related to government funding and public-sector partnerships, helping strengthen Futurpreneur’s reputation, influence and impact.
• Position Futurpreneur as a trusted government partner in advancing inclusive economic development and impact for young entrepreneurs across Canada.
• Secure opportunities for Futurpreneur and its leaders to contribute to consultations, working groups, roundtables, panels and other priority government and policy forums.
• Provide timely strategic advice to the CEO, Senior Leadership Team and Board, as required, on government priorities, budgets, policy and political developments, including relationship strategies and emerging reputational or policy risks.
• Maintain stakeholder maps, engagement records, funding pipelines and performance measures. Monitor progress toward public-funding and relationship objectives, adjust plans as needed, and report on results, risks and next steps.
• Monitor government priorities, budgets, policy developments and political changes, and translate them into timely recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with stakeholder mapping, advocacy-aligned messaging, and federal and provincial lobbying registry requirements, ensuring filings are accurate, complete and updated on time.
• Work closely with Regional Directors, Programs, Finance, Community Engagement, Marketing and Communications, and other internal stakeholders, as well as external strategic partners where appropriate, to identify opportunities and develop evidence-based funding cases that reflect regional needs, demonstrate measurable outcomes and support consistent engagement across jurisdictions.

International Partnerships

• Provide direction and support to team members managing international partnerships, including relationships with Youth Business International (YBI), Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA), to enhance Futurpreneur’s visibility and provide strategic direction, organizational alignment and guidance as needed.
• Provide guidance for GEN Global engagements, including Futurpreneur’s role as the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week and related activities, as appropriate.

Fundraising and Stewardship

• Develop and execute a fundraising plan to attract, secure and renew multi-year corporate, foundation and major gift support in alignment with Futurpreneur’s strategic initiatives, annual fundraising targets, impact and growth objectives.
• Oversee the preparation of presentations, funding and/or budget proposals, grant applications, impact reports and other communications for prospects and partners, ensuring they are tailored to each funder’s goals, decision-making priorities and requirements.
• Position Futurpreneur effectively within the entrepreneurial ecosystem and continuously improve our partnership approaches to appeal to existing and potential funders.
• Deepen relationships with key funders, including corporate partners, individual donors, foundations, to secure ongoing support.
• Oversee market research to identify funding trends, opportunities, and potential partners by analyzing the competitive landscape and economic conditions to inform strategy.
• Track and analyze the effectiveness of funding strategies, campaigns and relationship pipelines. Provide regular reports on fundraising results, progress toward annual targets, achievements and areas for improvement.
• Collaborate with the Finance team to set revenue targets, manage budgets and report on fundraising performance against annual fundraising targets.

Leadership, Coaching and Team Management - 20%

• Lead the Partnerships team by providing strategic direction, coaching and performance management while ensuring alignment with organizational values and policies.
• Set clear team and individual performance expectations for productivity, quality, and success; offering direction and support as needed.
• Collaborate with leaders across the organization through active participation in Futurpreneur’s Leadership team.
• Collaborate with Talent and Culture for the development of role profiles, performance management, staff engagement, recruitment, onboarding, learning and development and identification of team skill gaps to manage a high-performance team.
• Create opportunities for individual and team feedback and support with open communication, fostering a respectful, values-driven culture.

What you bring:

• Relevant experience may include education with a focus in business management, economics, public policy, public administration, political science, or equivalent hands-on career experience.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in government relations, public funding, fundraising, prospect development, corporate partnerships, major gifts, or a relevant relationship-based revenue generation role, with demonstrated strength in both government relations and fundraising.
• Extensive knowledge of government at all levels, including how policy, funding priorities, budgets and public-sector decisions are developed, influenced and advanced.
• Demonstrated ability to translate public policy, economic development and entrepreneurship priorities into compelling funding cases, briefing materials and relationship strategies.
• Experience in pipeline management, proposal development, partner stewardship and funder reporting.
• Superb written and communication skills in English; bilingual (French/English) preferred.
• Strong time management skills being able to manage multiple and urgent priorities.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills, including discretion, tact and diplomacy to establish rapport and credibility and build strong, trusting relationships with all levels of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading and managing a high-performing team.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Alignment with Futurpreneur’s values and commitment to the mission/purpose of the organization.
• Be a role model for Futurpreneur’s organizational culture by creating a positive impact at every touchpoint with people.

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their resume and cover letter by August 20, 2026. This opportunity is open to both internal and external candidates, and applications may be considered until the role is filled.

Note: Futurpreneur only uses AI to assist in the initial assessment of applications, and all applications are still reviewed by a member of the recruitment team.

What we offer:

At Futurpreneur, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package designed to support your well-being, professional growth, and work-life balance.

Our package includes a fair base salary, discretionary bonus, extensive health and dental benefits, and a supportive, flexible work environment.

We embrace a hybrid work model with flexible hours, a work-from-abroad policy, and generous time off—including paid vacation, personal days, summer hours and an end of December office closure.

We are dedicated to ensuring fair, competitive, and transparent compensation. Salaries are regularly reviewed and benchmarked to uphold internal equity and reflect our values. The salary range for this role is $130,000 to $140,000 per annum.

To prioritize health and wellness, we provide comprehensive health and dental coverage, a health spending account, mental wellness support, and a RRSP matching program. We also invest in learning and development through a learning allowance, a coaching program, and access to an e-learning platform.