Policy Advisor

Since 1997, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has delivered public safety services on behalf of the government of Ontario. With headquarters in west Toronto, the TSSA is a self-funded, not-for-profit organization that employs approximately 400 staff across Ontario. The roles within the TSSA are as diverse as the Province we serve. It takes all kinds of people with varied skillsets and backgrounds to meet our organizational goals, but all our employees share a few key traits:

• We are passionate about public safety.
• We are highly skilled, problem-solvers.
• We are collaborators who are invested in the communities we work in.
• We are more than employees; we are serving the greater good.
• We are committed to life-long learning and development.
• We operate with the highest integrity.

The Big Picture – this position in TSSA…

Reporting to the Director, Regulatory Policy, our Policy Advisor supports our organization in its journey to becoming an outcome-based regulator. As a Policy Advisor, you will bring a ‘can do’ attitude to the team and play a critical role in developing policy advice that is informed by evidence, considers balanced stakeholder perspectives, and includes modern regulatory principles.

Additionally, you will support the development and delivery of policy initiatives that require collaboration and partnership for multi-faceted initiatives. You will coordinate input from government, industry experts, engineers, inspectors, senior management, and other private and public sector stakeholders. Examples of projects can include a range of initiatives that cut across organizational and operational policies and programs.

So, does this sound like you? If so, this could be your next big opportunity!

What you will do?

• Lead large complex research and policy development projects. Lead policy initiatives from original concept through final implementation
• Independently conduct complex research and project analysis
• Apply knowledge of research techniques to lead, conduct information gathering and analysis, interpret research results, identify key issues and develop policy options
• Evaluate competing interests and proposals of stakeholders to identify issues and impacts, and to develop recommendations and solutions
• Prepare, present, and deliver information; provide clear and convincing explanations of technical policies and issues and compose judicious and concise presentation, briefing notes, and correspondence
• Develop, deliver and/or facilitate workshops, training and speeches and tailor the content and delivery to various audiences
• Consult and negotiate to discuss and resolve diverse and competing policy and program related issues
• Provide timely reports to the steering committee on project progress and key decisions
• Work and collaborate with team members to understand operational policy challenges and problems
• Identify and manage issues, troubleshooting proactively and recommending solutions for corrective action

What do you need to succeed?

• Post Secondary degree
• Work experience in government or a broader public sector organization
• Experience with working in a matrix structure or multi-stakeholder environment
• Demonstrated experience with:
  • writing policy documents
  • presentation skills to a range of audiences
  • facilitating stakeholder engagement discussions
  • leading projects
• Advanced skills in MS Office especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Areas of study in public policy, public administration, and law
• Experience in program, operational, and/or strategic policy
• Project management designation

Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Employment

TSSA is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are committed to building and maintaining collaborative, caring and positive work environments so that our employees bring their whole selves to work each and every day. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or disability. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

TSSA is pleased to offer accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If you are interested in applying for a job opportunity, or are contacted by us regarding a job opportunity, please advise of any accommodations you may require.

Please note that applicants who receive any conditional offer of employment from TSSA will be required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada as a condition of employment and to maintain their status as fully vaccinated as a condition of continued employment. TSSA will consider individual requests for accommodation by applicants who cannot be fully vaccinated due to grounds protected under the Human Rights Code.