Government Relations Advisor

Where your career meets Canada’s future

At the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the work we do matters. Every day, our people help connect Canada to global markets, strengthen supply chains, support sustainable growth, and shape the future of Canada’s largest port.

If you're looking for purposeful work where your contributions make a difference, you'll find it here - supported by a team that is collaborative, innovative, and committed to excellence.

Why join us

At the port authority, we’re committed to delivering an employee experience that is as rewarding as the work itself. We offer:

• Meaningful work that contributes to Canada’s trade and economic prosperity
• Opportunities for learning, development, and career growth
• A collaborative and inclusive workplace culture
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits
• Flexible programs that support employee wellbeing and work-life integration

Join a team that embraces innovation and continuous learning while delivering technology solutions that support one of Canada’s most important trade hubs.

Build relationships with decision-makers, provide strategic advice, help advance initiatives that have regional and national significance, and promote Canada’s largest port. Your work will help ensure that critical infrastructure, trade, environmental, and community priorities are understood and advanced through meaningful engagement and collaboration.

Build a career with purpose

If you’re looking for work that is meaningful, challenging, and connected to something bigger, we’d love to hear from you. Join us and discover how your career can help shape Canada’s future.

The government relations advisor provides strategic advice regarding the government and key stakeholder relations components of critical files. This includes: relationship building and maintenance, providing advice and guidance on strategic messaging, recommended approaches, and issues management, particularly, but not exclusively, as they relate to port authority-led infrastructure projects and tenant-led development projects. Reporting to the manager and senior strategic advisor, government relations, this position participates on and may lead, as appropriate, related tasks as required, including developing productive relationships with government and stakeholders, meeting and event scheduling and arranging, and the development of plans and strategies, reports, briefing notes, submissions, presentations and other materials.

What success looks like

• Working closely with the manager, develop and implement government, regulatory agency and stakeholder communications and engagement activities, including participating/facilitating in meetings, planning and executing outreach programs, and tracking and managing issues
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with government representatives at all levels, ensuring communication goals are met
  As required, provide VFPA representation in BC and across Canada with members of the provincial and federal government, industry, regulatory agencies, First Nations groups and other stakeholders, where tact and diplomacy will be required to reconcile issues in a manner that advances VFPA interests
• Monitor, identify, report and provide recommendations on current and emerging issues that may impact corporate initiatives
• Under direction, develop and implement outreach, advocacy and other communications strategies, plans and tactics
• Ensure communications activities are aligned with other departmental and organizational objectives and initiatives
• Incorporate government and key stakeholder engagement initiatives into project communications as required
• Coordinate the graphic design of communications and outreach materials, working closely with Corporate Communications as required
• Participate on cross-functional teams, providing subject matter expertise across the organization on government issues.
• Provide general communications support on an as needed basis, which may include planning and/or support of special events, government and media relations, business communications, tours and presentations, photography, reports, general research, budgets and information requests.
• Tracks engagement activities, action items and outcomes.
• Works with staff and external consultants to monitor regulatory, government and stakeholder issues nationally, provincially and internationally as appropriate
• Tracks government policy and regulatory changes, providing advice on their implications
• Researches and prepares briefing notes, submissions, binders, letters and other materials
• Writes regular and annual reports on work activities and outcomes
• Maintain government and stakeholder contacts in CRM and ensure records of engagement activities are kept up to date.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and create procedures and templates to assist with processes. Maintain a bring-forward system and follow-up on routine responsibilities. Prioritize and multi-task assignments to meet deliverables.
• Compose, proofread and format correspondence, presentations and spreadsheets.
• As required, organize meetings and events.
• Performs other assigned duties as required.

What you bring:

• A bachelor’s degree in political science or other appropriate university degree, along with a minimum of five (5) years of demonstrable experience in federal or provincial government relations in Canada and in developing and implementing government relations strategies around complex projects.
• Must have demonstrated, recent established relationships with provincial or federal government elected and public service officials.
• Strong networking and interpersonal skills, and strong knowledge of existing federal and provincial government structures, processes and priorities is considered an asset.
• Exceptional research, writing and analytical skills required.
• Must be a self-motivated individual with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including tact, diplomacy and the ability to liaise effectively and positively with both staff and outside contacts.
• Must be a strategic thinker with the ability to analyze individual initiatives in the context of the bigger picture, identify issues, provide advice and escalate situations when necessary.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required. Must be a team player with a customer service focus.
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and flexibility to perform multiple tasks are required.

What we offer:

• Market-competitive base salaries and variable incentive plan
• Generous and inclusive benefits offering including retirement benefits plan
• Flexible remote work program
• Earned time off program
• Paid vacation and personal care leave
• Learning, development, and advancement opportunities
• Onsite gym with towel service in a national landmark in the heart of Vancouver’s waterfront
• Friendly, unique, and respectful workplace

Salary: The starting rate for this position is $60.13 per hour, with scheduled wage progression in accordance with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 517 collective agreement. Based on a 40-hour work week.

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Job type: Bargaining Unit, Full-Time, Permanent, Hybrid

Working environment: Normal office conditions with occasional evening, weekend and off-site work, which will include travel within BC and other locations in Canada. Flexibility to occasionally respond to issues during non-working hours.

At theVancouver Fraser Port Authority, we are dedicated to employment equity and a workplace reflective of the diversity of our port community. We believe our strength comes from the diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of our people. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including Indigenous Peoples, women, persons with disabilities, racialized individuals, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and other equity-deserving groups.

Reasonable accommodation can be provided in the selection process and while working with the port authority. If you require assistance with applying to our openings or are seeking accommodations to apply in an alternative format, please contact us through a confidential, secure inbox at [email protected]. We are committed to supporting your needs and will do our best to provide the necessary assistance.

We recognize and acknowledge that we are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. To learn more about our First Nation relations and commitment to reconciliation, please visit our website.