Director of Policy and Public Affairs

Social Capital Partners (SCP) is hiring a Director of Policy and Public Affairs to develop and lead SCP’s advocacy for employee ownership in Canada, as well as its overall communications strategy.

Who we are

Founded in 2001 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Young, SCP uses capital to address social inequities. Our independent funding allows us to play the role that’s needed most — whether that be as an investor, by designing and implementing new financial tools, or advocating for policy change.

Our current focus is on reducing wealth inequality by creating business ownership opportunities for people who would otherwise not have them. We believe that in order to address the systemic issues in our economy, ownership needs to be held more broadly. We’re partnering with pension funds to invest in employee ownership, which we believe can be a compelling alternative to private equity transactions. We’re providing seed capital to start-ups that are leveling the playing field for small businesses. And we’re helping launch new funds that are dedicated to alternative forms of ownership. We recognize that the political and regulatory environment dictates what is possible, so we’re also taking on public policy initiatives related to supporting this work.

In the past year our work has gained significant momentum. We partnered with a pension fund for the financing of Taylor Guitar’s sale to its 1,200 employees, which was the first ever pension fund-backed employee ownership transition. We’ve helped launch two campaigns that had a significant impact on charities and small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and secured a commitment from the Federal government to explore how to unlock the potential of employee ownership in Canada. We believe we’re on the cusp of leading real change, and are looking to grow our team to accelerate our impact. In our future, we will make investments, seed new platforms, advocate for policy change and influence public opinion to re-balance our economy and reduce inequality. We’re looking for people who, like us, have worked in the mainstream economy while thinking, in the back of their minds, that the economic incentives aren’t quite right. If that’s you, SCP will provide an exciting opportunity to apply your skills to meaningful change.

About the role

This is a role with two missions: to advance employee ownership trusts (EOTs) in Canada and to communicate SCP’s overall work and message. The successful candidate will report to SCP’s managing director (Jon Shell), and work closely with SCP’s founder (Bill Young) and the other members of the team.

To be successful in this role, you should have a passion for the potential of employee ownership in Canada. EOTs have been very successful public policy tools in the US and the UK, where they have led to significant growth in employee ownership. They drive economic resiliency, improve business succession, and increase employee wealth.

In part due to SCP’s advocacy, the 2021 Federal budget announced that the federal government will examine the benefits of and barriers to EOTs in Canada. We have a mention in the budget. Now, we need your help to move this issue forward. Building on our success to date, you will work to build a stakeholder coalition, increase awareness and support for employee ownership in Canada and, with the support of senior SCP staff, develop practical policy proposals to push governments to make EOTs a reality.

You will also be responsible for clearly communicating SCP’s mission and work to our broader network, beyond our focus on EOTs. To support this work, you will participate in the hiring process for a marketing and community manager, who will report to you.

The candidate will need to be ambitious, entrepreneurial and be willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hands-on work as needed.

Why join SCP?

• A career with purpose: everyone who works at SCP is dedicated to broadening economic opportunity and increasing economic justice through ownership.
• A clear and important public policy goal: EOTs are proven to create significant societal benefits, and the door is open to establishing them in Canada.
• An attractive career path: this is an opportunity to build and lead something great — a successful employee ownership campaign could lead to ongoing advocacy impact at the scale of the NCEO in the US or the Employee Ownership Association in the UK.
• Meaningful influence: SCP is a well-respected Canadian non-profit that punches above our weight. As a result, our work influences public discourse and decision making.
• Independence: we are looking for a candidate to take control of this opportunity, acting entrepreneurially to achieve our objectives.

Responsibilities

In this role, you will develop and lead a clear strategy for advancing SCP’s employee ownership agenda in Canada (public policy efforts, coalition building, and strategic communications). You will also steer the organization’s overall strategic communications efforts with support from the marketing and community manager. The focus of SCP’s communications in the near term will be advocacy for employee ownership, but may become broader in time.

Success in this position means you will:

• Drive policy change at the federal level to enable employee ownership trusts in Canada by maintaining relationships with key public policy decision makers and ensuring a clear and compelling policy ask
• Develop a network of allies and champions that support EOTs in Canada
• Gain media attention for SCP and the issue of employee ownership
• Clearly communicate SCP’s mission and work to our broader network

Public policy:

• Develop a government relations strategy to advance SCP’s employee ownership agenda
• Work with senior SCP leadership to articulate the policy details that will make EOTs a reality
• Proactively engage government on the issue of EOTs in alignment with government decision making cycles
• Prepare and support SCP’s senior leadership for meetings with senior policy decision makers.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with political and civil service decision makers.
• Comply with relevant lobbying rules and ensure compliance across SCP’s activities

Coalition building:

• Plan and lead a campaign to gain high-level supporters and champions for EOTs among the public and business community
• Build relationships with business, labour, and industry leaders
• Lead the development of key events (roundtables, symposia) to convene key leaders and potential supporters
• Cultivate conversation, and where possible, consensus on key aspects of how EOTs can and should operate in Canada

Strategic communications:

• Work with SCP’s senior leadership team to develop the organization's communications strategy
• Provide editorial and writing support for content creation of SCP Partners and staff, pitching content to media as needed
• Help hire and manage a community and marketing manager to support implementation of the communications strategy
• Lead the development and drafting of key communications products with the support of the Manager, Community and Marketing
• Work with the Manager, Community and Marketing on the strategic direction of media assets, such as website, newsletter, Medium, Facebook and Twitter. Identify where gaps exist and develop/curate assets as needed
• Source and oversee third party vendors for public policy and communications activities that can’t be performed internally

Preferred qualifications

• 5-10 years of experience shaping policy and regulation from within government, or in a public policy/government relations role
• Demonstrated success achieving policy change either inside government or as an outside advocate
• Experience with proactive stakeholder outreach and relationship management
• A talent for strategic storytelling and for making complex ideas understandable and appropriate to specific audiences
• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills
• Proven ability to generate media interest and build relationships with media
• Experience in both government and the private sector
• Strong understanding of economic and business policy priorities in Canada
• Passion for inclusive economic growth, the SCP mission, and the power of employee ownership to be a difference-maker
• Meets lobbying requirements for federal government and most provincial governments

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $110,000-120,000 per year, with possibility for bonus.

How to apply

Please submit a resume (no more than 2 pages) and a short cover letter letting us know why you think you would be a good fit for the position through our careers portal by June 7, 2021.

Those selected for interviews will be asked to complete a short written exercise.

Diverse candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. SCP is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace. We believe that a team of diverse experiences, abilities, and perspectives contributes to more successful and impactful work. We are happy to accommodate any reasonable individual needs throughout the application process and after hiring. If you require any accommodation to apply for the position, please contact us.

During COVID-19 our team has been working remotely, and we anticipate continuing to do so for the foreseeable future. While this position will start in a remote work environment, our preference is for hiring a candidate based in Toronto (where our offices are located) or in Ottawa.