SENIOR ADVISOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Key Activities

Reporting to the Senior Director, Executive Office and Corporate Affairs, the Senior Advisor, Public Affairs and Government Relations serves as a senior strategic advisor supporting the President and CEO in advancing the National Arts Centre’s institutional positioning, government relations, parliamentary affairs and corporate public affairs priorities.

The incumbent provides strategic advice, policy analysis, research and executive support to strengthen the National Arts Centre’s relationships with federal partners and enhance understanding of its national mandate and impact as Canada’s National Arts Centre and a federal Crown corporation.

Working collaboratively across the organization—and in close partnership with the Corporate Secretary, Strategic Planning, Strategic Initiatives, and National Events functions—the Senior Advisor develops strategic briefings, policy analyses, executive correspondence, key messages and public affairs strategies that support executive decision-making and position the NAC effectively with government, Parliament, stakeholders and national partners.

The position is responsible for coordinating responses to Parliamentary Questions and Requests for Information, monitoring government and parliamentary developments, identifying strategic opportunities and risks, and supporting the Executive Office in advancing the organization’s priorities with government and key stakeholders.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, judgment and political acuity, the incumbent contributes to strengthening the NAC’s visibility, credibility and reputation as Canada’s national performing arts centre and a leading federal cultural institution.

Strategic Public Affairs and Government Relations
•Support the President and CEO and Senior Director in advancing the National Arts Centre’s institutional positioning with federal partners;
• Monitor government, parliamentary, legislative and public policy developments affecting the National Arts Centre;
• Conduct policy research, environmental scanning and strategic analysis to identify emerging opportunities and risks;
• Prepare strategic advice regarding government priorities, public policy, funding opportunities and federal initiatives relevant to the NAC;
• Support the development and maintenance of productive relationships with Canadian Heritage, Parliament, central agencies and other federal institutions;
• Prepare strategic briefing materials, background documents and analysis for meetings with Ministers, Deputy Ministers, parliamentarians, senior public servants and other government stakeholders.

Institutional Positioning
• Support the development of a coherent corporate narrative that demonstrates the National Arts Centre’s national mandate, public value and impact;
• Translate complex organizational initiatives into compelling, evidence-based narratives for government and institutional audiences;
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the NAC’s visibility, reputation and credibility among government decision-makers and national stakeholders;
• Work collaboratively with Communications to ensure alignment between institutional positioning, corporate communications and public affairs priorities.

Executive Advisory and Corporate Support
• Prepare briefing notes, executive correspondence, backgrounders, key messages and strategic analyses for the President and CEO, Senior Director and Executive Leadership Team;
• Provide strategic advice regarding the public affairs and government relations implications of organizational initiatives and executive decisions;
• Work closely with the Corporate Secretary to support matters relating to Crown corporation governance, parliamentary accountability, ministerial correspondence, Board reporting, corporate reporting and other statutory or governance obligations;
• Collaborate closely with the Senior Manager, Strategic Planning, Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives, Corporate Secretary, Communications, Finance, Artistic Programming and other departments to ensure coordinated planning, consistent institutional positioning and effective execution of corporate priorities;
• Support cross-functional initiatives led by the Executive Office and Corporate Affairs.

Parliamentary Affairs
• Lead the coordination, drafting and quality assurance of responses to Parliamentary Questions, Parliamentary Requests for Information and other government information requests;
• Coordinate information gathering across departments to ensure timely, accurate and consistent responses;
• Monitor parliamentary activity affecting the National Arts Centre;
• Maintain awareness of parliamentary processes and accountability requirements applicable to Crown corporations.

Research and Strategic Analysis
• Conduct research and benchmarking on public policy, Crown corporation practices and comparable cultural institutions;
• Analyze emerging trends affecting government priorities, public policy and Canada’s performing arts sector;
• Prepare strategic recommendations for executive leadership;
• Contribute to executive reports, briefing materials and corporate documents supporting government engagement and institutional positioning;
• Support priority initiatives led by the Executive Office and Corporate Affairs;
• Represent the Executive Office on internal committees and external working groups, as delegated;
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of corporate affairs, public affairs and government relations practices;
• Support government visits, official announcements and strategic institutional initiatives;
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Skill Requirements

• University degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Public Policy, Communications, Law or a related discipline;
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in public affairs, government relations, public policy, executive advisory services or strategic communications;
• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives on complex government, policy or reputational matters;
• Strong knowledge of the Government of Canada, Parliament, Crown corporation governance and/or federal decision-making processes;
• Excellent analytical, research and strategic thinking abilities.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into concise strategic advice for senior leadership;
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to build productive relationships across organizations and with senior stakeholders;
• Excellent political judgment, discretion and diplomacy;
• Ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced executive environment;
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint;
• Fluently bilingual in both official languages, English and French, written and spoken;
• Experience within a federal department, Crown corporation, Parliament, Minister’s Office or central agency is preferred;
• Experience supporting CEOs, Deputy Ministers or other senior executives is preferred;
• Knowledge of Canada’s performing arts sector, cultural policy or the broader cultural ecosystem is preferred;
• Requires flexibility to respond to evolving government priorities, parliamentary requirements and executive requests, including occasional work outside normal business hours.