Government Relations and Campaign Specialist

At A Glance

Position: Two (2x) Government Relations and Campaign Specialists

Location: Toronto/Montreal/Ottawa - This position is ideally located in the Greater Toronto Area, Greater Montreal Area, or Greater Ottawa Area; remote candidates will be considered

Office Requirement: hybrid 2 days/week in office (or remote)

Hours: 35 Weekly

Salary: $91,036

Reports to: Director of Law Reform

Closing Date: January 17th, 2024

About Us

As Canada’s largest environmental law charity our mission is using the law to defend nature, combat the climate crisis, and fight for a healthy environment for all. To achieve this, Ecojustice does three things:

We go to court- Our lawyers represent citizens, environmental organizations, First Nations, sustainable businesses, labour organizations, and any other groups that share our mission.

We push for better laws- Our experts testify in front of committees and make recommendations to strengthen environmental legislation.

We engage the public- Our work highlights environmental issues and changes the conversation, forcing our leaders to sit up and listen.

Our Mission is why people join Ecojustice. People who choose to join us recognize that this planet is our most treasured inheritance, and it is our imperative to be good stewards for the generations who follow us. We believe in protecting the environment while having enough time off to enjoy it. If you are courageous, collaborative, and dedicated to the fight for a healthier environment, you will find your people here.

About The Role

By using law reform to drive systemic change to change laws and policies we can address environmental issues at a larger, systemic scale. This includes leveraging our government relations and creating campaigns to influence decision-makers. Law reform seeks to set new rules that benefit the environment and the communities that depend on it. Our goal is to work with partners to create a new legal infrastructure that enables us to achieve our ultimate impact. The two main project opportunities these roles will focus on are in toxics regulation and biodiversity law.

If you're passionate about environmental protection and have a background in government relations and campaign strategy we invite you to join us in making a meaningful impact on our planet's future

Responsibilities

As a Government Relations and Campaign Specialists, you will:

• Monitor the political context and identify opportunities for government policies law reform
• Collaborate internally and externally to develop law reform proposals and practice suggestions for new and improved laws, regulations, and policies
• Design and execute campaigns that raise awareness, change public opinion, and influence decisions on environmental laws and policies
• Build and maintain productive relationships with government officials, political staff, and other key stakeholders
• Recognize and engage with the intersections of law reform, government relations, and campaign strategy with reconciliation, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI-R)
• Support indigenous engagement by strengthening relationships with indigenous communities and partners

Role Success

We are currently working to embed our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation into all aspects of our organization. We value candidates who enjoy building meaningful, collaborative partnerships with equity-seeking groups and operationalizing JEDI-R values in day-to-day practices and operations.

Typically, we find that people who succeed in this role bring:

• 3-5 years of experience in government relations, stakeholder engagement, and coalition
• Experience building and maintaining strong, positive relationships with government stakeholders, indigenous partners and communities, coalition campaigners and other key stakeholders.
• Experience representing campaigns, organizations, or interests through media communications and public representation
• Demonstrated knowledge of current issues, legal and political environment, and opportunities in environmental, sustainable, and indigenous law and policy in Canada
• Practical understanding of legislative and policy making processes of governments and the role of non-governmental organizations, the public, coalition groups, and other actors in influencing those processes.
• Understanding of inclusive law reform practices internally and externally with consideration of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation
• Bilingual in English and French or Spanish is an asset but not a requirement

Our Commitment To Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Ecojustice is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and is responding to the calls for action to further reconciliation.

We encourage applications from people with relevant job-related skills and who come from communities that have been structurally marginalized based on race, religion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. Members belonging to communities that experience marginalization can self-identify during the application process if they choose to do so.

Great Reasons To Join Us

• Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 charities by Charity Intelligence.
• Hybrid, remote, or full office setup including a $125 stipend for green transportation if you select hybrid.
• 3 weeks of vacation increasing every two years of service up to 6 weeks
• Annual winter break
• 5% salary RRSP contribution after 1 year
• 13 public holidays (including National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) and two additional floater days
• 4 hours per month of paid personal life organization time
• Additional flexible leave policies that accommodate physical and mental health leave, caregiving responsibilities, volunteering, and other life events.
• 100% employer-paid extended health benefits package, including up to $1500 per year of mental health coverage and employee and family assistance program
• $500 per year wellness spending account
• Parental leave top-up for birthing and non-birthing parents.
• Colleagues dedicated to environmental impact through their work at Ecojustice (99% mission alignment rating from internal surveys).
• A culture of collaboration where employees are fostered by their managers (97% manager relationship rating from internal surveys).
• Learning opportunities to further our strategic commitment towards justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.

Our Commitment to Transparency and Workplace Accessibility

As a charity, our value proposition is that of a mission-based organization, offering high-value benefits and perks. We are consistently benchmarking base pay to the non-profit industry and relevant areas of expertise to ensure we are both competitive and fair.  Transparency, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to us. We post predetermined salaries to ensure that the hiring process and compensation are equitable for all.

Ecojustice strives to ensure that our online application system and recruitment process are accessible to individuals with different abilities and encourages candidates to contact careers@ecojustice.ca for any accommodation requests.