Description

The Role
The objective of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) Policy Team is to create the conditions for members to make investments. The Vice President of Policy is accountable for the development and implementation of CanREA’s advocacy strategies with governments, regulators, system operators and utilities in support of this aim and the organization’s strategic objectives as determined by the Board of Directors. 

Such strategies will utilize a synergistic mix of tools and approaches including government relations, policy research, and alliance building and will require collaboration with CanREA’s Senior Director of Communications with respect to media and social media relations. 

This role has a high level of interdependency, spanning the depth and breadth of the organization; objectives are achieved through collaboration.

Primary Responsibilities
Strategy & Leadership:

• Work as an integral part of CanREA’s Management Team to:
  • Develop strategic plans to advance CanREA’s vision, mandate, objectives, and values and to promote the development and operation of renewable energy and energy storage projects.
  • Meet CanREA’s organizational mandate and objectives while ensuring operational performance, in a high performing culture.
  • Manage all cross-cutting policy initiatives and coordinate reporting and communications.
• Function as a top strategic adviser to the President and CEO with regards to policy, regulatory, and advocacy issues and positioning.
• Participate in CanREA Board meetings and provide updates and strategic advice on issues related to policy, regulatory, and advocacy issues.

Advocacy:

• Responsible for the development and implementation of CanREA’s advocacy strategies with governments, regulators, system operators and utilities across Canada in support of the organization’s strategic objectives as determined by the Board of Directors.
  • Provide strategic guidance and advice to CanREA’s Policy Team, ensuring their work is consistent with CanREA’s strategic objectives.
  • Lead a coordinated effort by CanREA’s Policy Team to pursue the organization’s strategic objectives and to facilitate a cohesive and coherent team.

Team Leadership:

• Foster a culture of engagement, creating and supporting a high-energy, results oriented, inclusive team that is consistent with the organization’s strategic intent and that emphasizes CanREA’s mission and vision.
• Engage, develop, and inspire the team to successfully collaborate in pursuit of CanREA’s strategic plans.
• Model CanREA’s values, policies and procedures as the mechanism to foster a spirit of teamwork among the team that enables cohesion, an appreciation for diversity and effective work habits to enable individual and organizational success.
• Build, lead and manage the team, including talent decisions, performance management, development, resource management, work allocation, and career progression that provides an overall framework to encourage employee contribution.
• Lead employees to meet the organization's expectations for productivity, quality, and goal accomplishment.
• Coach, mentor, develop and empower employees to build an environment in which the team can thrive and bring their best to work every day.
• Maintain transparent communication; authentically communicating information through multiple mediums to ensure inclusive and engaged messaging.
• Provide oversight and direction to the employees in the Policy Team in accordance with the organization's policies and procedures.
• Foster a spirit of teamwork and unity among team members that allows for disagreement over ideas, conflict and expeditious conflict resolution, and the appreciation of diversity as well as cohesiveness, supportiveness, and working effectively together to enable each employee and the team to succeed.

Organizational and Fiscal Leadership:

• Collaborate with CanREA’s Management Team in the development of CanREA’s Strategic objectives, budget and work-plans.
• Actively participate in Board Meetings and weekly Management Team meetings.
• Develop and oversee the implementation of the Policy Team’s Strategy, budget and work-plan and ensuring alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives.
• Establish objectives and metrics for the Policy Team and measuring and monitoring progress against those objectives and metrics.
• Build and strengthen working relationships between all CanREA teams.  
• Work closely with CanREA’s Business Development Team on initiatives that involve policy content and are directed toward the achievement of CanREA’s strategic objectives with respect to revenue generation and member services.
• Work closely with the Senior Director of Communications and the Communications Team to develop and implement public affairs strategies supporting CanREA’s overall objectives.
• Provide strategic advice to CanREA’s President & CEO, and Management team on policy challenges and opportunities across the country.
• Manage the overall operational, budgetary, and financial responsibilities and activities of the Policy Team.
• Plan and implement systems that perform the work and fulfill the mission and the goals of the Policy Team efficiently and effectively.
• Plan and allocate resources to effectively staff and accomplish the work to meet departmental productivity and quality goals.
• Make business decisions that are financially responsible, accountable, justifiable, and defensible in accordance with organization policies and procedures.
• Prepare periodic reports for management, as necessary or requested, to track strategic goal accomplishment.

Please note other duties may be assigned as needed to meet the evolving needs of the Association and its mandate.

Requirements

Qualifications
Functional Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills for building relationships with the Board, association members, allies and key stakeholders;
  • Experience working with multiple stakeholders/members with differing mandates and views.
  • Present items at Board of Director meetings.
• Effective communication, public relations and interpersonal skills;
  • To communicate/ interact with government officials and work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in diverse communities.
  • Represent the organization at legislative sessions, committee meetings, and at formal functions.
  • Promote the organization to local, regional, national, and international constituencies.
  • Review and contribute to collateral and media efforts that support CanREA’s strategy and mission.
• Ability to motivate teams and simultaneously manage multiple initiatives;
  • Exercise a strong presence and leadership competencies.
  • Evaluate performance of functional managers for compliance with established policies and objectives of the organization and contributions in attaining objectives.
  • Action and results oriented.
  • Principled, ethical with values of openness and transparency.
  • Team leader and team builder
• Strategic Thinking - Ability to create a clear vision, model end-to-end value creation, key objectives and what it takes to inspire others to achieve. Can scale from big picture thinking to details in order to succeed.
• Remote Work – The candidate must be able to confidently and competently work from home.

Administration:

• Knowledge of MS Office Suite.
• Ability to travel on a monthly basis (15-20 percent of the time), mainly across Canada

Education:

• University degree in a relevant area of study or an acceptable combination of education and relevant experience.

Experience:

• 10+ years’ experience in leadership role for a large division or organization;
  • Relevant experience in the not-for-profit or association sector is an asset
  • Relevant experience in the renewable energy industry, electricity sector or related sector is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing people and teams.
• Demonstrated management experience with hands-on experience in strategy development and execution;
  • Develop a strategic plan to support/advance the organization's mission and objectives and to promote growth as an organization.
  • Oversee departmental operations to ensure production efficiency, quality, service, and cost-effective management of resources.
  • Contribute to organization operational procedures, policies, and standards.
  • Review activity reports and financial statements to determine progress and status in attaining departmental objectives and revise objectives and plans in accordance with current conditions.