Vice President, Communications & Government Relations

We’re Vancity, a member-owned credit union built on the principles of inclusion and social justice. Since 1946, our relentless commitment to these values has helped us challenge the status quo and break down barriers. We’ve made bold commitments to become net-zero by 2040 across all mortgages and loans, and we’re actively pursuing strategies in Indigenous banking and financial resilience for our members.
Your Role in Supporting Our Members:  As a  Vice President, Communications and Government Relations , you will lead and integrate Vancity’s internal and external communications and government relations strategies to protect and enhance our reputation, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and position Vancity as a trusted thought leader aligned with our values and strategic priorities. This is a senior executive role suited to a strategic, values-driven leader with deep expertise in enterprise communications, media relations, public affairs, and government relations, who can provide trusted counsel to the CEO, Board, and Executive Leadership.
This is a  Full-time, Permanent  role based at our  Vancity head office  and will report directly to the  Chief Member Experience Officer . This role is primarily on-site, with some flexibility. While limited hybrid flexibility may be available, you will be expected to be on-site regularly and present for key meetings, events, and business needs.
How You'll Make an Impact:
Leading the development and execution of integrated internal and external communications strategies aligned to enterprise priorities
Providing strategic communications counsel to the CEO, Board, and Executive Leadership on reputational risk, emerging issues, and executive profiling
Overseeing enterprise media relations, acting as a senior spokesperson, and guiding crisis and issues management
Building and stewarding Vancity’s government relations and public policy agenda across federal, provincial, and municipal levels
Engaging Ministers, political staff, senior public servants, regulators, and sector partners to advance advocacy priorities
Integrating public policy intelligence and environmental scanning into enterprise strategy to identify risks and opportunities
Managing escalated member concerns in partnership with internal and external oversight bodies
Building, mentoring, and leading a high-performing and diverse communications team
Overseeing measurement and reporting to demonstrate communications and government relations impact beyond activity tracking

What You’ll Bring to the Team:
A bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, political science, journalism, public policy, or a related field; a master’s degree is an asset
A minimum of 12-15 years of progressive senior leadership experience in enterprise communications, public affairs, and/or government relations
Significant experience advising CEOs, Boards, and Executive Leadership teams on reputation, risk, and complex issues
Demonstrated expertise in media relations, crisis communications, and executive-level stakeholder engagement
Proven experience leading government relations, advocacy, and public policy initiatives in complex, regulated environments
Strong people leadership experience, including building and leading high-performing, diverse teams
Exceptional strategic thinking, judgment, and influence skills aligned with cooperative values
Extra Skills That Set You Apart:

Experience with in financial services, cooperatives, or highly regulated sectors
Existing relationships with federal, provincial, or municipal government stakeholders
Experience integrating communications, marketing, and brand strategies at an enterprise level
You’ll Thrive Here If You Are:
Strategic  - Able to connect communications and public policy to…