"If we can get one child adopted into a loving family, all our work will be worth it." -- Dave Thomas Join us as we champion our mission to dramatically increase the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America's foster care systems. We've helped more than 14,000 young people find safe, permanent homes across the United States and Canada, but our mission is not complete. Invest your career in making a difference and join the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption team. We offer a supportive workplace where you can make an impact. We are dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable work environment for Foundation staff, while advocating for measurable change toward racial equity within the child welfare system. We are looking for excellent talent to support our mission. This is an exciting new opportunity to make a significant impact. The director of government relations and business development Canada will collaborate closely with our senior vice president to cultivate vital connections and relationships with provincial, territorial and government agencies, Indigenous communities, public and private leaders, influencers, elected officials, affinity groups and decision makers throughout Canada to drive the expansion of the Foundation's signature program, Wendy's Wonderful Kids (WWK). If you're a proactive leader with a passion for policy, advocacy and cultivating relationships, we invite you to explore being a part of our dynamic team. Key Deliverables Work in close collaboration with the SVP, business development & government relations to plan approaches, pitches and proposals and partner with target jurisdictions to embed the results-driven WWK program in these jurisdictions Coordinate with provincial and/or territorial child welfare departments, government leaders and relevant organizations and agencies to help identify and structure partnerships for expanding the WWK program, while also identifying new partnerships with influential, mission-aligned organizations to cultivate relationships and elevate the visibility of the WWK program among provincial, territorial, Indigenous and national child welfare leaders Assist with ongoing management and stewardship of existing relationships in provinces and territories where scaling is currently underway; leverage relationships and partnerships to support scaling of WWK as well as fiscal accountability among the relevant partners Prioritize and support relationships at the provincial and territorial government level that advance opportunities to educate these leaders on the WWK child-focused recruitment model; cultivate and sustain relationships with stakeholders and organizations able to create or influence change What You Bring Bachelor's degree; Master's degree preferred and a minimum of 5 years of experience in Canadian government relations, business development, public policy, and/or outcome-based program development or equivalent combination of education and experience 3+ years of experience working with provincial and/or federal policymakers, national partners, advocacy groups, and constituents; including but not limited to policymakers and staff, child and family welfare service providers, Indigenous communities, business leaders, philanthropic partners, advocates, community organizers, field experts, judiciary and youth Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including comfort and experience with communicating with political, civic and organizational leaders, staff and other stakeholders, such as nonprofit leaders and community members; experience in child welfare or child welfare policy is a plus Experience in navigating relationships with multiple audiences, including legislative and government agency staff, coalitions and trade groups, nonprofits and cross-functional internal teams; successful experience in building and sustaining strong relati