Senior Advocacy and Public Affairs Advisor

Competition #: 2026-EXT-21
Posting date: October 6, 2026
Closing date: November 3, 2026
Duration: One year (with the possibility of an extension or becoming permanent)
Classification level: Level 5
Salary: $116,641 – $143,957
Number of positions: 1
Status: Unionized

About the Association 
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) is a dynamic and progressive union representing over 27,000 professional employees in the federal public sector. At CAPE, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for all our members.

Our organization offers a:

• Progressive work environment
• Flexible Work Model & Remote work opportunities
• Seamless transition for public servants
• Great work-life balance

Position Summary 
The Senior Advocacy and Public Affairs Advisor leads CAPE’s advocacy and government relations portfolio, developing strategy, identifying policy objectives as well as key advocacy and lobbying opportunities. They also keep CAPE members abreast of relevant and useful developments in the labour policy landscape.

Requirements  
 
Education & Experience  

• University undergraduate degree in communications, public affairs, government relations, political or social sciences or any related discipline.
• A graduate degree is preferred.
• At least for years’ experience of relevant and similar work with NGOs, interest groups, government agencies or unions.
• Experience providing advice to senior management, leading in research, strategy, planning, opportunities development and campaign development and implementation.
• Experience conducting stakeholder landscape analyses, devising stakeholder engagement plans, and managing policy advocacy and government relations communications activities and products.
• Experience conducting impact assessments and reporting results.
• Experience campaigning the Canadian government and political parties to advance social and/or labour issues.
• Work experience in the human rights and/or labour space an asset.
• Track record of success advancing an organization’s policy positions and designing and managing campaigns.

Note: Equivalent combinations of education and/or experience are considered.

Key responsibilities   

• Develops and promotes, in partnership with key staff, CAPE’s official positions in various areas and helps develop CAPE’s capacity to engage with and influence the Canadian federal government departments employing CAPE’s members as well as Treasury Board and other governmental, political and labour stakeholders.
• Leads initiatives to develop and deliver public policy advocacy and related government relations initiatives in collaboration with all CAPE stakeholders.
• Creates, fosters, and maintains working relationship with key elected officials from all political parties represented in Canada’s Parliament.
• Advises senior management (Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Chief of staff and President) on communications and public affairs strategy.
• Advises and supports media and public outreach efforts.
• Maintains and nurtures effective contacts and coordinates policy advocacy efforts and initiatives with other unions.
• Identifies, manages, and builds relationship with parliamentarians, special interests’ groups, and other relevant key stakeholders to help advocate for the adoption of measures and policies that can benefit members.
• Advises the President, in collaboration with the Director of Communications and Public Affairs and Senior Advisor to the President, on strategic opportunities with elected officials.
• Responsible for communicating the outcomes of key meetings with ministers, party leaders and other elected officials to CAPE members.
• Responsible for updating the Registry of Lobbyists of keeping the President and Director of Communications and Public Affairs abreast with changes to the Lobbying Act that could impact CAPE’s advocacy efforts.
• Develops and implements advocacy and government relations strategies and plans as well as the production of consultations, opinion surveys and advocacy or information campaigns.
• Coordinates the development and delivery of public opinion research and environmental scanning to inform the development of policy advocacy, government relations and communications options, strategies, plans and campaigns and their results measurement frameworks.
• Briefs, communicates and explains to CAPE members, labour and workplace related developments, news and policies likely to impact them, working closely with the communications team.
• Researches, writes and reviews draft documents in English and/or in French, provided by staff and elected officials before they are finalized and communicated to members.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Other skills and abilities  

• Ability to think strategically, as well as supervise or carry out research, analyze political context and events, and advance effective advocacy strategies.
• Strong organizational, project management, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ease to work as part of a team and ability to manage lateral and horizontal relationships with respect, tact and diplomacy.
• Proactive, entrepreneurial and creative.
• Agile and adaptable, able to work in a fast-paced environment, to pivot at the last minute and to deliver results under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the theories, principles, practices and methodologies of strategic policy advocacy, government relations, public affairs, and strategic communications.
• Solid grasp of government relations in the Canadian context, campaign design and planning, public opinion research and environmental scanning.
• Solid grasp of Canada’s political landscape.
• Understanding of issues management in the context of labour relations, labour management, organizational human resources management and government relations.
• Ability to leverage social media and digital communications to advance advocacy and government relations objectives.
• Ability to coach and prepare CAPE spokespersons and representatives ahead of meetings with government and political stakeholders to advance policy.
• Knowledge of the policy advocacy and communications community of the unions representing employees in the federal government and in the broader union network across Canada.
• Knowledge of the policy advocacy communications community promoting change to the policies of the Federal Government affecting the working conditions, pay, and benefits of union members.
• Knowledge of union principles and values.
• Knowledge of the mandates of different organizations of the federal public service, the departments and agencies employing CAPE members, and knowledge of union protocol.

Condition of employment   

• Must meet the language requirement of the position.

Additional information   

• Candidates must be fluently bilingual in both English and French at the time of application. This position requires advanced proficiency in both spoken and written English and French, and candidates should be prepared to demonstrate this fluency during the recruitment process.
• If you are a member of an equity-deserving group, we encourage you to self-declare in this recruitment process. This self-declaration information may be factored into selection decisions and to address CAPE’s commitment to increase representation of these groups.
• CAPE is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. Should you require accommodation during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact rh-hr@acep-cape.ca. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential except when required to implement accommodation.
• An eligibility list of applicants may be established from this process to staff similar positions within CAPE.
• We will contact applicants when the screening and interview phases are completed.
• The recruitment committee reserves all rights to use any methods that they deem appropriate to evaluate applicants, including artificial intelligence.
• Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that accurate contact information is provided and updated as required and to update their personal information when it changes. Applicants who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).
• Time-sensitive correspondence may be transmitted via email, and it will be the applicant’s responsibility to check their email regularly. Failure to respond to communications may result in elimination from this process.
• CAPE may decide to use top-down or random selection or any other additional qualification to determine the number of applicants who will be considered for the next stage of the evaluation.
• Beyond skills and experience, we’re looking for someone who’s the right fit for our team: a good communicator, adaptable, and passionate about the association’s mission of defending the rights of our members.
• Proof of Canadian citizenship, permanent residency documentation, or a valid work permit or open work visa may be requested to ensure that candidates are eligible to work in Canada without restrictions.

Conflict of interest disclosure 

• Candidates are required to disclose any family, personal, financial, or professional relationship with a CAPE staff member. This disclosure must be made even if you believe the relationship does not constitute a conflict of interest. It is CAPE’s responsibility to assess the situation and implement appropriate mitigation measures, if necessary. Such disclosure will not automatically result in the rejection of candidacy.

How to Apply  

To be considered for this position, applicants must submit the following documents to rh-hr@acep-cape.ca by November 3, 2026:

1. A cover letter outlining how their education, experience, and competencies meet the requirements of the position; and
2. an up-to-date résumé/curriculum vitae.

Applicants are encouraged to clearly demonstrate in their application how they meet the following key qualifications:

• a university undergraduate degree in communications, public affairs, government relations, political or social sciences or related discipline, and relevant experience with NGOs, interest groups, government agencies or unions;
• experience providing advice to senior management and leading research, strategy, planning, and campaign development and implementation;
• experience conducting stakeholder landscape analyses, developing stakeholder engagement plans, and managing policy advocacy and government relations communications activities;
• experience conducting impact assessments and reporting results;
• experience campaigning the Canadian government and political parties to advance social and/or labour issues;
• strong organizational, project management and critical thinking skills; and
• bilingual proficiency in English and French.

Format and Submission

• Submit your application as a single PDF file containing both your cover letter and resume.
• Indicate “Application – 2026-Ext-21” in the subject line of your email.