Government Relations Advisor

The City of Mississauga is actively seeking a dedicated, motivated and highly experienced Government Relations professional who is a self-starter with a strong go-getter attitude to champion and lead the City's advocacy efforts. The position requires someone who takes initiative, does well in an engaging environment and is eager to lead initiatives that promote our City's interests. The role will be responsible for developing and executing the City's government advocacy agenda, including working across the corporation to develop the City's advocacy priorities and strategies to ensure Mississauga's voice is heard.

The position works closely with Mayor & Council, the Chief Administrative Officer, and Senior leaders and the grants team. They will be a hands-on advisor who can navigate government affairs, seize opportunities as they arise and build and strengthen inter-governmental relationships. The role involves significant fieldwork, with some workdays spent outside the office to co-ordinate, organize, and lead meetings (e.g., at Queens Park).

The role promotes the interests and initiatives of the municipality, fostering positive collaboration, building strong relationships across all levels of government, elevating the City's standing and reputation, and advancing the City's priorities.

This position will drive meaningful change by providing policy analysis, preparing and co-ordinating briefing notes and reports, leading advocacy campaigns, developing new processes, and focusing on government outreach to develop and strengthen relationships. The successful candidate will develop reports and offer strategic advice to senior leaders, the Mayor and Members of Council.

Working out of the Office of the CAO, under the Strategic Communications and Initiatives division, the role reports to the Manager, Media, PR and City Communications and will work closely with the Director of Strategic Communications and Initiatives.

This position will be required to work in a hybrid work arrangement with three days in the office or field work; and two days work from home (subject to change in the future).

Government Relations and Advocacy Program

• Partners with stakeholders (Commissioner, Director and Senior Manager level) across the City in the identification, development, and alignment of annual corporate priorities for the Government Relations and Advocacy Program.
• Proposes design of a comprehensive program model, identify priorities framework, and together with the Director Strategic Communications & Initiatives ensures timely implementation.
• Leads the development and production of the City of Mississauga’s AMO Briefing, Federal and Provincial Pre-Budget Submissions.
• Responsible for the design, execution, monitoring and improvement of the City’s advocacy program. Prepares program updates and presentations quarterly to LT and Council.

Corporate-wide Grants Programs

• Works with senior leaders to assess corporate funding needs and scope needs.
• Assesses funding opportunities from all levels of government and ministries to determine the tactics that meet the needs of both the business units and the Leadership Team.
• Working with Finance division, evaluates grants program offerings from other levels of governments to maximize opportunities

Relationships with Higher-Order Governments

• Monitors the political environment at all levels of government to assist in identifying opportunity and risk.
• Leads the development of a corporate external relations agenda to more thoroughly understand the corporation’s overall level of influence.
• Develop positive relationships with higher-order governments (Region, Province, Federal) and Associations (Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Association of Municipalities of
• Ontario etc.) in order to advance strategic priorities.
• Sets agenda and attends ministerial meetings with Provincial and Federal government officials.

Advance Advocacy, Policy & External Relations Objectives

• Determines, forecasts and advises Mayor, Council, and ExLT where focus and efforts should be placed to advance advocacy, policy and external relations objectives (define the “policy window”).
• Provides advice and analysis on how decisions of other levels of government will impact the City of Mississauga.
• Identifies and advises on key policy areas requiring attention and investigation to support the organization in achieving its objectives on effective government relations approaches, strategies, positions and tactics in their relations with provincial cabinet ministers, MPPs, MPs and senior government officials.

Monitor and identify innovative policy opportunities at the municipal level

• Produces and disseminates formal communications from Mayor and Council to other levels of government and stakeholders. Develops Corporate Briefing notes for Mayor, Council, and Leadership.
• Develops public communications campaigns and materials as part of government advocacy strategy.

• Minimum of 6-8 years of related experience in public affairs, government relations, public service or politics at the municipal, provincial of federal levels of government.
• A broad knowledge of the services, processes and deliverables of every city division.
• An expert knowledge of City’s strategic priorities and how they tie into the long-term vision of City Strategy and Council’s Vision.
• Expert knowledge of the underlying theories around Government Relations, including tools and principles related to policy windows, strategy deployment, project management, program management, group facilitation and change management.
• Strong political acuity and expert knowledge of both Provincial and Federal governing structures and legislative processes.
• Strong knowledge of the City’s policies and procedures, and technology in place to support the business.
• Solid understanding of historical information specific to the City and past initiative(s)’ successes and failures.
• Strong writer, with experience in developing public government advocacy campaigns