Agricorp is looking for a Senior Program and Policy Specialist to join the Program Design and Policy department in our Program Development division. The Program Development division is responsible for program analysis, product development and external relations with industry groups and government. The Program Design and Policy department is responsible for understanding and interpreting program policies with respect to program delivery, design and relevance. The department coordinates discussions regarding operational, program and policy issues with key internal stakeholders, and both the federal and provincial governments.

The Role

The Senior Program and Policy Specialist helps to build and expand government relationships and ensure effective and efficient management of all program-related government issues and Agricorp program design. This role also reviews government policies and analyzes options, impacts and feasibility. The projects, issues and tasks assigned to this position are complex in nature and involve working with all of Agricorp’s programs and with public policy. Much of the work requires joint collaboration across divisions and with Agricorp’s government partners.

In this role you will:

• Act as a lead for issues management, including the coordination of responses for key players according to internal processes and procedures as assigned
• Interpret program legislation and policies in order to provide clarity for internal policies and guidelines
• Act as a lead for program policy and government relations issues as assigned, including identifying and highlighting risks to Agricorp and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food(OMAF)
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with senior policy advisors at OMAF, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and in other jurisdictions
• Collaborate with internal and external key stakeholders as the senior technical lead for program policy change to identify impacts and risks to Agricorp and recommend changes
• Articulate recommendations and findings either in writing or verbally in a manner appropriate for the audience, which can include divisional management, federal and provincial governments, senior management and external audiences
• Ensure an understanding of government needs and the impacts of those needs on the work and recommendations affecting Agricorp
• Ensure the work and analysis completed by other members of the team and division are comprehensive and accurate
• Execute and act as a subject matter expert for continuous improvement in departmental, divisional and corporate standard operating procedures, annual business cycles, etc.

Job status: Permanent
Salary range: Open
Location: Guelph

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, economics, political science, business, statistics or a related field, or equivalent experience(master’s degree is an asset)
• Minimum 5 years’ experience with a focus on government programs, policy and legislation
• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• Knowledge of Agricorp’s programs and policies, including AgriStability and Production Insurance
• Knowledge of business processes, legislation and regulations an asset
• Agricultural/agronomic, policy/government, and/or financial/insurance industry background an asset

Key Competencies

• Critical judgement, decision making & problem solving - Uses critical judgment to make decisions and solve problems involving varied levels of complexity, ambiguity and risk
• Communication - Listens to others and communicates effectively, fostering open communication
• Teamwork and collaboration - Works cooperatively within diverse teams, work groups and across the organization to achieve group organizational objectives
• Initiative - Identifies and deals with situations and issues proactively and persistently, seizing opportunities that arise
• Business acumen - Knows and understands business fundamentals and uses this knowledge to enhance business performance
• Writing skills - Communicates ideas and information in writing to ensure that information and messages are understood and have the desired impact
• Program knowledge - Understands how own organization fits into the industry, the industry as a whole, and links to related industries
• Legislation, policies, procedures and standards - Understands and uses relevant legislation, policies, procedures and/or standards in performing one’s work