INTERNAL/EXTERNALJob Title: Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government RelationsPosition Type: Non-Bargaining Unit, Permanent, Full-TimeNumber of Positions: 1Reason for Posting: New PositionRate: $110,331.00 to $143,422.50 annual salaryVacation: 4 weeks to startBenefits: Group advantages with Life Insurance, AD&D;, Extended Health and Dental Care with premiums 100% paid by the employer, LTD with premiums 100% paid by employees; paid sick leave and float dayRRSP: RRSP with 6.5% employer contribution and 4% employee contribution after successful completion of probationHours: 37.5 hours per weekPosting Date: November 5, 2026

Why Fred Victor?

For 130 years, Fred Victor has been a leader in helping people rebuild their lives in Toronto. Our mission is to improve the health, income and housing stability of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. We are committed to ending homelessness, one person at a time.

The Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations will lead Fred Victor’s government relations and public policy advocacy work, positioning the organization as a credible, evidence-informed voice on homelessness, poverty, mental health, substance use, housing access, the justice system, and other interconnected community issues. The role will advance Fred Victor’s mission and advocate on issues that most impact Fred Victor clients by developing and implementing a focused government relations strategy, building internal advocacy capacity, strengthening relationships with public officials and sector partners, and ensuring the organization has clear, consistent positions on priority policy issues.Reporting to the CEO, this position will work closely with senior leadership, various internal departments, external partners and other stakeholders to advance systemic change while balancing proactive advocacy with timely responses to urgent sector and community needs.

Does this sound like work you want to be a part of?

We offer a supportive and collaborative environment, an opportunity to join a diverse team of caring professionals and a chance to make a difference. With over 75 programs and 25 sites, there are lots of opportunities to grow your career with us.

What You Will Do:

Government Relations Strategy

- Develop, implement, monitor, and refine a government relations strategy that advances Fred Victor’s mission, strategic priorities, and community impact goals. The strategy will address advocacy with all three levels of government, with a particular focus on municipal and provincial governments.
- Identify the issue areas where the organization is best positioned to create tangible impact.




- Identify engagement strategies that support proactive advocacy while enabling timely responses to urgent issues.

Policy Analysis, Position Development and Strategic Communications

- Review government priorities, legislative developments, policy proposals, internal documents, sector research, and community trends to identify risks, opportunities, and recommended responses.
- Develop explicit organizational positions, briefing notes, policy submissions, deputations, speaking points, advocacy letters, op-eds, and position papers that reflect the organization’s unique perspective, for internal and external audiences.
- Leverage internal research, data and client feedback to support organizational policy positions.
- Monitor, analyze, and brief leadership on legislative, regulatory, budget, and policy developments that may affect the organization, its clients or communities served.
- Media relations and executive communications to further Fred Victor’s policy positions.

Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy

- Build and maintain effective relationships with elected officials, political staff, public servants, sector coalitions, and other stakeholders.
- Coordinate meetings, site visits, roundtables, consultations, and events with government representatives and community partners.
- Represent the organization in meetings, conferences, policy discussions, consultations, public forums, sector tables, budget consultations, deputations, and public or media events, as appropriate.
- Prepare the CEO, VPs, and other internal stakeholders for meetings with government representatives and external partners.

Internal Capacity Building and Coordination

- Track engagement activities and create regular updates and internal communication mechanisms to document advocacy work, demonstrate progress, and strengthen organizational awareness of this work.
- Gather input from subject matter experts, senior leaders, staff, community partners, clients and, where applicable, an advisory group to inform advocacy priorities and positions.
- Work closely with program, communications, fundraising, data, and executive teams to align advocacy, public funding, and stakeholder engagement activities.
- Strengthen the Senior Leadership Team’s capacity to engage effectively in government relations.

Compliance





- Ensure compliance with all applicable legislation related to lobbying and advocacy.
- Manage lobbyist registration compliance where required.

What You Bring to the Team:

- 5-10 years of progressive experience in government relations, public policy, advocacy, public affairs, stakeholder relations or a related field, preferably in a nonprofit, community, social services, housing, health, or public sector environment.
- Post-secondary education in public policy, political science, public administration, communications, law, social sciences, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

What Sets You Apart:

- Strong understanding of government decision-making processes, legislative and policy development, stakeholder engagement, and lobbying compliance requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to develop advocacy strategies, policy positions, briefing materials, submissions, and public-facing communications.
- Experience working in or with non-profit, charitable, public-sector, community, or mission-driven organizations is an asset.

Compensation and Benefits:

- For the Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations, Fred Victor offers a salary range of $110,331.00 to $143,422.50
- 4 weeks of vacation to start + 1 float day
- Generous paid sick leave allowance
- A comprehensive Dental, Extended Health and LTD group benefits package includes individual and family coverage, including prescriptions, hospital accommodation, hearing care, paramedical practitioners and a wide variety of dental care. Additional insurance includes vision care and travel for emergency medical services.
- 6.5 % of your gross salary will be contributed to a group RRSP on your behalf after successful completion of probation; you will contribute 4% of your gross salary to the same RRSP
- Access to employee and family assistance plan

Accessibility & Accommodation

Fred Victor is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where employees feel valued and respected, and where every employee has the opportunity to realize their potential. As such, we welcome and encourage applicants who identify as racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identities and have lived-experience If you are a person with a disability and require accommodation and/or assistance during the application process, please contact us in advance. We strive to provide reasonable accommodations whenever requested. Information received relating to accommodation requests will be treated with confidentiality.

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📌 Director of Public Policy, Advocacy and Government Relations (Toronto)
🏢 Fred Victor
📍 Toronto