Vice President, Public Affairs & Advisory

Hill & Knowlton is a strategic and creative partner to drive breakthrough opportunities for growth and value creation, advance corporate strategy, and build reputation capital and resiliency.

We're a proven partner for business and brand transformation. A full-service global firm, we provide strategic communication, marketing and corporate affairs solutions distinguished by intelligence and creativity.

Hill & Knowlton is part of the Burson Group and WPP (NYSE : WPP), the creative transformation company.

The H&K Toronto Public Affairs team brings together diverse expertise in public policy, communications, and corporate reputation to deliver results for leading organizations across Canada and the globe.

Our clients, spanning financial services, healthcare, energy, technology, transportation, and the public sector, turn to us for help navigating increasingly complex challenges at the intersection of business and government.

Ways in which we make a difference for our clients :

• We assist organizations in effective advocacy to government decision-makers : We build and execute targeted advocacy strategies that help our clients achieve their policy goals and shape the future of their industries.
• We lead winning, high-stakes campaigns : Whether it's advocating for policy change, managing a complex stakeholder landscape, or protecting reputation during a crisis, we develop and execute campaigns that deliver impactful results.
• We provide expert support for transactions : Our team provides strategic counsel and diligence assistance throughout mergers, acquisitions, and other major transactions to ensure a successful process.
• We provide political risk and issue advisory to Canada's C-suite : Our team helps leaders anticipate potential challenges, develop mitigation strategies, and navigate the ever-changing political landscape.

The Role :

We are seeking an established leader to join our practice. This is a unique opportunity to shape client programs while providing exceptional leadership and contributing to the growth of a dynamic and successful team.

As a Vice President, Public Affairs & Advisory you will :

• Have a track record of solving complex, multi-stakeholder public affairs challenges. Ideally, this experience comes from a combination of high-stakes campaign, government and / or private sector environments.
• Be responsible for providing senior public affairs counsel to organizations, generating new business opportunities for the firm, and for the day-to-day management of significant client mandates.
• Experience working in an integrated, multi-team environment. You would play different roles on various projects depending on the client mandate and the expertise required.
• Play a central role in the mentorship and development of the practice of public affairs at H&K, providing guidance, feedback, and training to team members to champion the evolution and development of this expertise not just in our Toronto office, but across Canada.
• Demonstrate understanding of and experience executing campaigns that integrate public affairs & government relations along with traditional and modern communications tactics.

The ideal candidate must have the following :

• Minimum 10-15 years of public policy and regulatory experience related to public affairs in Ontario
• In-depth knowledge and network within the public sector, including Ontario provincial and municipal governments, provincial agencies, and organizations
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships within an organization and within the business community
• Strong experience managing multiple teams at once from a financial, client delivery, and staffing perspective
• A strong sense of leadership and dedication to mentorship that sets the tone for and cultivates a high-performing team
• Excellent presentation skills, including the ability to communicate and sell ideas to prospects, clients, and partners
• A sense of judgment to set realistic expectations in the face of client demands
• Knowledge of the financial, transportation or energy sectors is an asset
• Social media & digital advocacy literacy a definite asset

Hill & Knowlton is more than an agency. It's a collection of thousands of brilliant, collaborative and driven employees - all united around a single vision of transforming our clients, our company and the world.

Across 70 offices in 30 countries our people are the heartbeat of our business. Bridging countless cultures, backgrounds and lived experiences, we are drawn together by a common drive and a collaborative spirit - called to our craft each day by the desire to deliver the best work.

And at H&K, diversity, equity and inclusion are not just values; they are strategic imperatives that fuel our future in an industry built on the art of understanding, connecting and developing relationships.

We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue and cultivating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and creativity.

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