Position Description

Director, RESET Alcohol Canada Policy Initiative
Location Canada, Toronto
Department Other Programs PH
# of openings 1
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Vital Strategies, headquartered in New York City, is an international public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We work in more than 70 countries, supporting data-driven decision-making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies, and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include non-communicable disease prevention, tobacco control, road safety, food policy, environmental health, civil registration and vital statistics, and overdose prevention. Our programs are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries and cities in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.

Vital Strategies is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI) organization. We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make our work and workforce more inclusive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, actual or perceived age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, marital status, sexual orientation, predisposing genetic characteristics, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity or expression), partnership status, arrest or conviction record, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws.

Read about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Vital Strategies: https://www.vitalstrategies.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-vital-strategies

About the Program – Canadian Alcohol Policy Initiative:

Alcohol consumption contributes to over 2.6 million deaths globally each year and to substantial negative impacts on health and well-being. RESET Alcohol is a global alcohol policy initiative at Vital Strategies that supports governments and civil society to develop and implement evidence-based policies to reduce the adverse health and social impacts of alcohol consumption. In Canada, we are supporting a new effort to advance public health-oriented alcohol policies at the national, provincial, and territorial levels. This position is a one year with the commitment for subsequent years of support.

Job Purpose:

The Director, RESET Alcohol, Canada is a new position within the Public Health Programs Division at Vital Strategies. Working alongside a team, the Director will be instrumental in expanding Vital’s RESET Alcohol program by leading and guiding implementation efforts and providing thought leadership to establish Canada as a global leader in alcohol policy. The Director will bring an entrepreneurial spirit and creative leadership to manage and guide a Canadian team on overall RESET Alcohol Canada implementation. This role will be responsible for establishing and maintaining government and non-governmental organizational collaborations. They will provide and oversee government engagement, technical assistance, training, capacity development, staffing support, targeted grantmaking, and consultancies with partners embedding an equity perspective into the work.

This is a full-time remote position that can be based in any major Canadian city with quick travel access to determined focus areas. The successful candidate must have the right to work in Canada at the time of hire. We offer highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits. The salary range for this position is $120,000 CAD to $125,000 CAD. The position is funded for one year with the possibility of extension.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Director will report to the global RESET Alcohol Director and will have technical and administrative support from various departments across Vital Strategies.

1. Government Relations - 

· Develop effective relationships with key government leaders, administrators, and political leaders to advance the implementation of public health-oriented alcohol policies at national and provincial/territorial level;

· Oversee the day-to-day monitoring of the alcohol policy landscape and agenda in relevant federal government departments and Parliament; meet with relevant actors to sensitize.

2. Research & Policy Analysis - 

· Conduct a review and analysis of the alcohol policy landscape nationally and in selected provinces;

· Engage relevant research experts to build timely research relevant to accomplishing policy development goals, including legal analysis, economic analysis, public opinion, etc.

3. Partner Engagement - 

· Engage existing experts and organizations across a variety of interest areas and sectors working on alcohol policy and align goals and objectives, roles and responsibilities, to achieve desired outcomes.

4. Public Engagement / Coalition Building - 

· Build a national coalition of relevant civil society and government actors that work on issues related to alcohol policy (e.g., cancer, heart, mental health, driving impaired, family and community violence, etc.);

· Build a strong network with a clear focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion to represent all aspects of those impacted by alcohol harms.

5. Changing the Narrative - 

· Oversee the development and implementation of a communications strategy in collaboration with the Policy, Advocacy, and Communications team;

· Engage polling, communications, and public relations expertise for campaign development as needed;

· Leverage the coalition to communicate the harms of alcohol and the importance of alcohol policies to policy makers and the public;

· Lead Initiative communications including press, program media campaigns, and digital media.

6. Advocacy Strategies and Implementation - 

· Ensure evidence-based positioning and data-driven advocacy;

· Develop advocacy strategies with clear objectives and outcomes.

7. Management, Finance and Administration - 

· Oversee budget development and implementation for Canada programming and operations;

· Hire, manage, train, and guide a small team;

· Manage Canada program operations including grantmaking, subcontracting, travel, and finance monitoring and reporting;

· Preparation and delivery of progress reports for donor.

Qualifications:

Education and Degree - 

· Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred.

Competencies, Skills and Abilities - 

· Demonstrated track record of planning, coordinating, advocating for, and achieving meaningful policy change;

· Extensive knowledge of alcohol, non-communicable disease, injury prevention, and substance use policy;

· Ability to navigate various interests and operate in a dynamic and complex political environment with the ability to build consensus;

· Emotionally intelligent, builds rapport quickly with others, an attentive listener with excellent interpersonal skills;

· Analytical thinker with strong problem-solving skills;

· Self-motivated with the ability to work collaboratively as well as independently;

· Enthusiastic about the work and passionate about making an impact;

· Able to lead and pivot quickly to additional policy priorities;

· Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and deliver against tight deadlines;

· Integrity, sound judgment, organizational and time management skills;

· Demonstrated ability to manage, motivate, and coach a team;

· Comprehensive project management skills;

· Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office;

· Ability to build strong, ongoing, impactful relationships at all organizational levels and across a diverse range of cultural, generational, ethnic, racial, educational, and social backgrounds;

· Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Experience:

Required - 

· 15+ years of relevant work experience;

· Demonstrated success in influencing legislative and regulatory processes and engaging with policymakers (parliament and government ministries);

· Public health or relevant policy development and advocacy campaign experience.

Preferred - 

· Alcohol policy experience or experience with other commercial determinants of health;

· Bilingual in English and French;

· Experience in strategic communications;

· Experience working with coalitions/ networks;

· 10+ years of experience in government relations or working with diverse stakeholders.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

· Travel within Canada will be required up to 25% of the time to attend in-person meetings;

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