Director, Strategy & Stakeholder Relations (Toronto)

At Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), we are deeply committed to safety and passionate about making Ontario a safer place to live, work and play. As one of Ontario’s public safety regulators, established by the provincial government, our team of more than 450 professionals administers safety regulations and enhances public safety across multiple sectors—boilers and pressure vessels, operating engineers, amusement devices, ski lifts, and fuels. Our people are our greatest asset and every role is vital to our vision of working together for safer communities—today and tomorrow.

Director, Strategy and Stakeholder Relations

The Director, Strategy and Stakeholder Relations leads the development, coordination, and monitoring of the organization’s strategic planning processes and oversees stakeholder relations activities. The role ensures that strategic priorities align with the organization’s mandate as Ontario’s public safety regulator and that engagement with government and external stakeholders supports organizational objectives and public interest outcomes.

Key Contributions

• Lead corporate strategic planning and governance, overseeing the development and execution of multi‑year strategic plans, annual planning process, and mid‑cycle reviews to ensure alignment with Board direction, regulatory priorities, and organizational goals.
• Direct business planning and performance reporting, guiding the integration of the corporate business plan and annual report to ensure consistency with strategic commitments and measurable outcomes.
• Translate strategy into execution and results, partnering cross‑functionally with senior leadership to operationalise strategic priorities into actionable plans, while monitoring performance, identifying risks and trends, and driving continuous improvement.
• Enable effective Board oversight and decision‑making, preparing and coordinating high‑quality strategy materials including performance reports, strategic updates, and briefing documents to support informed governance and executive decisions.
• Develop and maintain government and stakeholder relations strategy, ensuring engagement approaches advance organisational objectives, strengthen regulatory outcomes, and reflect public interest priorities.
• Establish enterprise‑wide stakeholder engagement frameworks, setting standards for consultation, transparency and relationship management while governing stakeholder mapping, prioritisation, and advisory structures to inform strategy, policy, and decision‑making.
• Lead high‑impact stakeholder engagement and issues management, overseeing complex interactions with government, industry and partners, managing sensitive issues through risk assessment and escalation, and supporting executive leadership in external engagement planning and follow‑up.
• Support CEO external engagements, ensuring alignment, coordination and follow‑through across the Executive Leadership Team.

Qualifications & Key Strengths

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years experience in organisational strategy development and enterprise‑level planning in a complex, regulated environment, including 5 years in a leadership role managing a team.
• Strong understanding of government structures, public sector accountability, and the role of a provincial safety regulator in Ontario.
• Experience developing and managing stakeholder and government relations strategies that balance public interest, risk, and organisational objectives.

Knowledge & Skills

• Advanced strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, practical advice.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare concise materials for executive and Board audiences.
• Sound judgement and independence in addressing complex, ambiguous issues within established governance frameworks.
• Proven ability to build and sustain effective relationships with senior leaders, government officials and external stakeholders.
• Commitment to equity, accessibility and inclusion in all aspects of leadership and decision‑making.

Helpful Information

TSSA has earned the 5‑Star Safety Cultures Award from Canadian Occupational Safety magazine for three consecutive years (2022‑2024). For more information on TSSA and our values please visit our career page.

Equal Opportunity Employer

TSSA is committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or disability. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Accommodation

TSSA is pleased to offer accommodation for applicants with disabilities. If you are interested in applying for a job prospect or are contacted by us regarding a job opportunity, please advise of any accommodation you may require.