Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada

Vice President, Strategic Affairs & Advocacy

Location: Remote, Canada

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Travel: Occasional travel mostly within Canada

About Neighbourhood Pharmacies

Neighbourhood Pharmacies is Canada’s leading national business association representing community pharmacy and the organizations that support it.

Community pharmacy is both an essential part of Canada’s healthcare infrastructure and a significant economic sector – supporting jobs, investment and economic activity in communities across the country while providing highly accessible healthcare to millions of Canadians.

Guided by our Prescription for Success 2025–2029 strategic plan, our ambition is to support thriving pharmacy businesses and a sustainable, innovative pharmacy sector. We work nationally and across provinces to shape the policy and business environment in which community pharmacies operate and advance the sector’s contribution to Canada’s healthcare system and economy.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Vice President, Strategic Affairs & Advocacy to lead Neighbourhood Pharmacies’ advocacy, government relations and external influence strategy.

Reporting to the CEO, you will have end-to-end accountability for developing and executing proactive strategies that advance the business priorities and outcomes that matter most to our Members by influencing government, policy and system decisions.

You will lead our federal and provincial government and stakeholder relationships and determine the mix of approaches most likely to move the priority issues forward. Government relations is an important part of the role, and is one lever among many. Depending on the issue, success may require a combination of direct government engagement, coalition building, media and public engagement, grassroots advocacy, research and evidence, economic analysis, Member voices, and external agency or creative support.

This is not a role focused simply on responding to policy developments, securing meetings or relying on traditional government relations tactics. We are looking for an inventive and adaptable strategic thinker who understands how governments and regulatory systems work, but who can think beyond the conventional playbook, create multiple pathways to an outcome and change course quickly when the obvious route is not enough.

As a member of the senior leadership team, you will advise the CEO, engage regularly with our Board and membership, and represent Neighbourhood Pharmacies with senior government, industry and stakeholder leaders.

We are a small, collaborative organization with access to strong internal and external expertise. This is both a strategic and hands-on role. You will set the strategy, mobilize the right people and resources around it, and personally execute key elements of the work required to advance it.

What You’ll Lead

Strategic Advocacy & Influence

- Own and execute integrated federal and provincial advocacy strategies aligned with our strategic plan and Members’ business priorities.
- Translate business challenges and opportunities into clear advocacy objectives, narratives and strategies.




- Identify emerging opportunities and increasingly position the Association to shape agendas rather than simply respond to them.
- Map decision-makers, influencers, champions, competing interests and potential barriers, adapting strategies and deploying the right relationships, voices and channels as circumstances change.
- Advise the CEO and leadership on political, policy, stakeholder and reputational opportunities and risks.

Government, Stakeholder & Member Relations

- Build and strengthen relationships and political and stakeholder capital that position Neighbourhood Pharmacies as a credible, constructive and solutions-oriented partner.
- Represent Neighbourhood Pharmacies in senior government, industry and stakeholder engagements.
- Develop coalitions, partnerships and credible third-party voices that strengthen priority initiatives.
- Build a deep understanding of Members’ businesses, operating realities and strategic priorities, and translate those insights into effective advocacy.
- Navigate differing Member perspectives to identify common interests and strong sector-wide positions.

Narrative, Evidence & Execution

- Connect pharmacy priorities to broader government objectives including healthcare access and capacity, economic growth, productivity, innovation and community infrastructure.
- Determine what evidence, research, economic analysis or specialized expertise is needed to strengthen an advocacy strategy.
- Work with communications resources to deploy media, thought leadership and public affairs strategically.
- Determine when and how to engage the CEO, Members, pharmacists, subject-matter experts, partners and other credible voices to maximize influence.
- Personally lead and execute priority elements of advocacy strategies, including strategy development, briefing materials, stakeholder outreach, coalition building, presentations and other work required to move critical files forward.
- Provide strategic leadership to the Pharmacy Affairs function and direct external government relations and other advisors against clear objectives, holding partners accountable for outcomes and value.
- Establish meaningful measures of progress and success, with a focus on outcomes rather than activity.

Who We’re Looking For

You are a strategic influencer, relationship builder and entrepreneurial problem solver who combines sophisticated political judgment with strong business acumen and a bias toward action.

You understand how decisions get made, but you are not constrained by the traditional ways of influencing them. You are curious enough to quickly understand complex businesses and operating environments, politically astute enough to navigate competing interests, and creative and persistent enough to find another path when the obvious one does not work. You naturally look across the full range of influence levers available and adapt your approach as circumstances change.

You are equally comfortable advising a CEO,



engaging senior government officials and business leaders, presenting to a Board, building a coalition, working with Members and personally developing the strategy or materials needed to move an initiative forward.

You bring

- Strong business acumen and the ability to quickly understand complex business models, economic incentives and highly regulated operating environments.
- A sophisticated understanding of Canadian government, politics, public policy and decision-making.
- Ability to stay on top of current events, monitor the media landscape, and identify potential issues before they arise.
- A track record of developing and executing advocacy, influence or public-affairs strategies that produced meaningful outcomes.
- Exceptional relationship-building, stakeholder management and coalition-building skills.
- Strong strategic instincts, political acuity and sound judgment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and credibility as a senior external representative.
- Robust ability to distill complex regulatory information into the key points that matter most to Members and communicate them clearly in plain language.
- An entrepreneurial, collaborative and hands-on leadership style, with the ability to develop, empower and get the best from talented professionals and subject-matter experts.
- French is an asset.

Experience & Qualifications

You will likely bring 10+ years of progressively senior experience in government relations, public affairs, strategic advocacy, government, industry associations, highly regulated sectors or related environments, including significant engagement with senior government and executive-level stakeholders.

Experience leading professional staff and managing external advisors is important, as is a strong understanding of federal and provincial government and public-policy processes in Canada. You can manage a budget, prioritize resources, and stay organized in a busy environment.

A university degree or equivalent combination of education and senior-level experience is expected.

Experience in healthcare, life sciences, retail, pharmacy or another highly regulated sector is an asset, but not required. We are particularly interested in candidates with strong business acumen, curiosity and the ability to quickly understand a complex sector and the businesses within it.

Why Join Neighbourhood Pharmacies

Community pharmacy sits at a powerful intersection of healthcare, business, innovation and public policy. As governments confront challenges related to healthcare access and capacity, productivity, workforce pressures, affordability and modernization, pharmacy has an increasingly important role to play.

This is an opportunity to help shape that future – advancing the conditions for thriving pharmacy businesses, strengthening a significant Canadian economic sector and expanding the contribution community pharmacy can make to Canadians and the healthcare system.

As a senior leader within a national industry association, you will also have exceptional exposure to CEOs and senior executives from across Canada’s pharmacy sector – and a unique opportunity to influence the business, policy and market forces shaping its future.

📌 Vice President, Strategic Affairs & Advocacy (Ontario)
🏢 Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada
📍 Ontario