Senior Policy Advisor; Rare Diseases), Child Health Policy Accelerator

Dedicated exclusively to children and their families, The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) is one of the largest and most respected paediatric healthcare centres in the world. As innovators in child health, we lead and partner to improve the health of children through the integration of healthcare, leading‑edge research and education. Our reputation would not have been built – nor could it be maintained – without the skills, knowledge and experience of the extraordinary people who come to work here every day.

Sick Kids is committed to ongoing learning and development, and features a caring and supportive work environment that combines exceptionally high standards of practice.

When you join Sick Kids, you become part of our community. We share a commitment and determination to fulfill our vision of Healthier Children. A Better World.

The Department of Paediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) is seeking a Senior Policy Advisor to support the objectives of the Child Health Policy Accelerator (Accelerator). As Canada's first hospital‑based applied child and youth health and social policy initiative, the mission of the Accelerator is two‑fold: (1) to forward specific, focused, evidence‑based policy objectives designed to deliver positive change for children and youth in Canada;

and (2) to train the next generation of maternal and child health change‑makers by facilitating didactic, episodic, and longitudinal policy immersion experiences.

The successful candidate will support the collaborative development and implementation of comprehensive advocacy strategies designed to advance the policy objectives of the Accelerator. This position will focus on federal health‑specific legislative and regulatory files, including pediatric drug and medical device regulations, clinical trial regulations, and related health policy initiatives.

• Lead the development of position papers, policy briefs, government submissions and other correspondence, as required, related to the Accelerator's priorities and strategic interests.
• Monitor the legislative, regulatory and policy activities of both the provincial and federal government as related to the strategic priorities of the Accelerator and the child and youth health sector more broadly.
• Contribute to the selection of the Accelerator's policy priorities through the review of policy evidence, guidelines, models, agendas, priorities and strategies of government, other organizations and/or partners at regular intervals.
• Build and foster productive relationships with content experts, patient groups, advocacy leaders to forge consensus, influence positive change and advance the Accelerator’s priority policy objectives.
• Support communications with internal and external partners.
• Support the development of advocacy strategies aligned with each of the Accelerator's evidence‑based policy objectives, including engagement with relevant partners, as well as academic, community‑based and advocacy organizations.
• Build and maintain complex interdisciplinary relationships and strategic partnerships with advocacy groups, professional organizations, research collaborators and patient and family groups to support evidence‑based policy change.
• Support meaningful episodic and longitudinal advocacy experiences for learners, at all levels of training, affiliated with the Accelerator.

• Graduate degree in Political Management, Public Policy, Health Administration, Law, or related field, with a minimum of five years of experience in public policy, public affairs and/or government. A Bachelor's degree with an equivalent combination of education and work experience will be considered.
• Experience working with government, either at the Federal or Provincial level, with a proven track record of strategic planning, coalition building, positive influence and/or policy implementation is required. Experience navigating both governmental and non‑governmental environments, and influencing health policy outcomes, will be considered an asset.
• Knowledge of the current Canadian child health policy landscape, with an understanding of federal…