Government Relations Specialist

Colleges Ontario Immediate Opportunity: Government Relations Specialist Submission deadline: Friday, May 22, 2026 | 5PM EST Full time regular employment Colleges Ontario is the association representing the province’s 24 public colleges. At Colleges Ontario, you’ll be at the forefront of shaping the future of education, workforce development and economic growth across the province. As the collective voice of Ontario’s public colleges and polytechnic institutions, we work where policy, industry and innovation intersect, driving conversations and solutions that strengthen communities, support employers and create opportunities for students across Ontario. Our team is collaborative, forward-thinking and purpose-driven, united by a shared commitment to elevating the impact of the college sector and advancing a skilled workforce for Ontario’s evolving economy. Colleges Ontario is seeking a Government Relations Specialist to join our growing team. The ideal candidate is a trustworthy and collaborative team player who operates with integrity and embraces a fast-paced working environment and competing priorities while exercising discretion, maintaining confidentiality and supporting the success of our organization and our 24 college members. As someone who is passionate about politics in Canada and Ontario, the Government Relations Specialist will research, report and inform our team of legislative and regulatory changes, helping to mitigate risk, leverage opportunity and operationalize our Government Relations strategy. Position Description This position reports to the Director of Government Relations and Stakeholder Advocacy. Compensation This position is eligible for participation in the CAAT defined benefit pension plan, a comprehensive health and dental benefits package, generous vacation time and an annual salary range of $75,000 to $115,000 per annum. Position Responsibilities The Government Relations Specialist proactively develops and implements plans that demonstrate the advocacy role of Colleges Ontario and promotes and profiles the public college sector. This position is responsible for supporting the advancement of our relationships with governments, our 24 Ontario colleges, and our stakeholders. The position plays a key role in building, maintaining, monitoring, and enhancing relationships across all core groups, and fully understands the legislative and regulatory foundation of the system, including the impact of proposed changes. The position provides research, critical thinking, analysis, and report/paper writing expertise to advocacy and outreach planning and to content-specific issues and priorities supporting the objectives of Colleges Ontario. The position collects, analyzes, and reports data related to government priorities and the impact of outreach. The position plays an important role in coordinating the engagement of core groups, including governments (MPPs, MPs, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, etc.), developing and drafting engagement plans, briefing notes, reach-outs, contact reports and follow up correspondence. The position supports the development of written and oral submissions to government, including but not limited to pre-budget submissions, committee representations, and funding proposals. The position works closely with their Director, along with other areas of Colleges Ontario (Policy, Marketing and Communications), to ensure a coordinated approach to all aspects of advocacy and relationship management. The position must, at all times, maintain strict confidentiality and exercise discretion, using core skills of sound judgement and political acumen, raising issues and important matters in a timely and appropriate manner to mitigate risk and avoid reputational damage to CO and our members. Qualifications - Post-secondary education credential in a related field, preferably a bachelor's degree - Experience in and knowledge of the post-secondary / college sector or education/nonprofit environment strongly preferred. Five (5) years relevant experience preferred. - Strong political acumen, focus on confidentiality and issues management sensitivity. - Ability to “think politically” – typically gained though prior experience working at Queen’s Park, in a Minister’s Office, inside the provincial government or with a provincial political party. - Excellent communication skills and a demonstrated ability to conduct research, write reports, letters, and briefing notes. - A team-oriented approach with the ability to support engagement and collaboration within Colleges Ontario, our members and across other external stakeholder groups in a professional and responsive manner. Working Conditions Colleges Ontario is a hybrid workplace with an expectation of a minimum 3 days per week working in the office at 130 Queen’s Quay East. This arrangement will be reviewed regularly and is subject to change. This position will require some travel across Ontario and flexibility to accommodate occasional evening/weekend work for events and deadlines. Application Submissions Applications will be reviewed immediately and on an ongoing basis, with final closing 5PM EST on Friday, May 22, 2026. If you are interested, please submit a cover letter with your resume (in one document), clearly outlining why you are interested in the position and how your experience and attributes align. Applications may be sent to careers@collegesontario.org noting in subject line “Government Relations Specialist”.