Manager, External Affairs

Why West Jet

Since our story took off in 1996, West Jet has strived to enrich the lives of everyone in our world; a career with us is no exception. We’re proud to be one of Canada’s most admired and respected corporate cultures and continuously aim for the highest standards of service and success.

Location & Travel:
This role is based in Ottawa, Ontario and is primarily work-from-home. The successful candidate must reside in the Ottawa area and be available for approximately 25% travel as required.

West Jet is seeking a Manager, External Affairs to support our corporate and external affairs strategy. Reporting to the Head of External Affairs, this role will help drive West Jet’s advocacy efforts, partnerships and sponsor ships, and provide critical policy research and stakeholder engagement support. This successful candidate will play a key role in representing West Jet’s interests at the federal and occasionally provincial levels, crafting policy and advocacy materials, supporting government and stakeholder relationships, and ensuring seamless execution of sponsorship and partnership initiatives.

The candidate will be responsible for representing West Jet in Ottawa, in coordination with the Head of External Affairs, and must also be able to act as a spokesperson for the company as required at events and other speaking opportunities. This position will require strategic thinking, strong communication skills, and a strong understanding of government relations and regulatory affairs. This role presents an exciting opportunity to contribute to West Jet’s external relations strategy while developing key partnerships and shaping the airline’s public and regulatory engagement.

• Represent West Jet’s interests in federal-level advocacy and as needed, engage with provinces, other key partners and stakeholders to advance external affairs objectives.
• Support day-to-day engagement and execution of sponsorship and partnership initiatives to align with West Jet’s strategic priorities.
• Provide in-depth policy analysis, briefing materials, and research to support West Jet’s advocacy and government relations strategy.
• Support and help execute strategic events, market announcements, inaugurals, and partner-driven initiatives that align with West Jet’s corporate strategy.
• Draft and, at times, deliver policy positions, speeches, presentations, and other internal and external advocacy materials, with the ability to adapt messaging for different audiences.
• Work closely with West Jet leadership, communications teams, and government relations stakeholders to enhance the airline’s priorities and engagement efforts.
• Support engagement with industry association partners.

• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Relations, Communications, Economics, Business, or a related field.
• 6-8 years of experience in government relations, public affairs, policy analysis, or stakeholder engagement.
• Superior writing and research skills with experience crafting briefing materials, press releases, and advocacy documents.
• Strong ability to adapt writing style and tone to suit various audiences, from government officials and industry leaders to media, internal teams, and the public.
• Proven ability to convey complex issues to various external audiences.
• Familiarity with government structures and legislative functions and systems throughout Canada.
• Excellent public speaking experience, comfortable acting as a West Jet ambassador and spokesperson.
• Proven negotiation and relationship-building skills with experience engaging government officials, regulatory bodies, and industry groups.
• Business and industry acumen, and/or an…