What We’re Looking For

TAF is seeking an engaged and active individual to support and help build out TAF’s public policy and advocacy team. This role will support our mandate to invest in urban solutions to climate change and support the GTHA’s net-zero goal by 2050.

This is a full-time, 2-year contract with potential for extension. Salary range: $50,000-$60,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Reporting to the Climate Policy Manager.

Position Responsibilities

You will play a vital role supporting the activities of TAF’s policy advocacy team. Under the supervision of the Climate Policy Manager, and the strategic direction of VP Policy & Programs, you will enable the policy team to work across TAF’s various departments to develop and advance TAF’s policy goals. This work has real world impacts. We are looking for candidates who are organized and resourceful on teams, and able to communicate persuasively and effectively to a range of stakeholder audiences. TAF works with people across the GTHA, including NGOs and other civil society actors, as well as with elected officials and civil servants across ministries and departments, and industry players.  

This results in dynamic day-to-day work that varies from coordinating policy team meetings to support team productivity; providing research and writing support for deliverables ranging from short briefing notes to strategic budget submissions and more; providing regular media and policy monitoring from NGOs and government; undertaking stakeholder research and outreach to ensure we understand and include more perspectives and analyses in TAF’s work; and providing project management and campaign coordination for the policy team to ensure we deliver great work, on time.

This role is unlike most policy jobs because TAF works with both public and private sectors in a dynamic environment tackling issues and barriers to addressing climate change. The policy team plays an often creative role of problem solving major barriers to adopting low carbon policies, technologies, and solutions.

Your work will be focused on these key activities:

Low-carbon policy research and analysis:

• Research and assess key low-carbon policy opportunities at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

• Support the preparation of policy submissions, background papers, and other advocacy materials to advance select policy outcomes.

 Sustainable finance policy research and analysis:

• Research and assess key policies and programs at the municipal, provincial and federal levels, to accelerate investment in climate change mitigation, including opportunities for leveraging public dollars with private capital.

• Support the goals TAF’s Impact Investing team as they relate to advocating for new regulations or programs that enable funding of low-carbon activities.

 Communicating the multiple benefits of low-carbon policies: 

• Provide research and writing support including briefs, memos and other content

• Coordinate and support delivery of communications deliverables that support TAF’'s policy agenda from rapid response to strategic campaigns

Stakeholder engagement:

• Be a responsive point of contact for TAF allies and stakeholders Canada-wide

• Coordinate and support TAF’s outreach and engagement activities such as webinars, workshops and conference presentations

• Support TAF activities to build consensus on key policy issues

 Project management: 

• Coordinate policy research and engagement projects undertaken by TAF and its partners including contract and budget management, procurement, scheduling, meeting minutes, development of project timelines and milestones

 The kind of candidate we’re looking for

• Completed an undergraduate degree in public policy, political science, or a related field (graduate degree is an asset)

• Demonstrated experience in research and analysis, including the ability to consolidate and integrate multiple perspectives and issues

• Excellent communicator with demonstrated ability to translate complex policy and finance concepts into clear and compelling messages, both written and verbal

• Knowledge of environmental and/or energy policy, with emphasis on policies to accelerate urban GHG reduction

• Aptitude for stakeholder relations and engagement with diverse audiences; experience working with civil servants and elected officials of different levels is an asset

• Experience in project management, note taking, and media monitoring

• Ability to work independently as well as in a team;

About TAF

TAF is a regional climate agency with a $90 million endowment fund to invest in innovative low-carbon solutions in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and scale them up for broad implementation. We are experienced leaders and we collaborate with stakeholders in the private, public and non-profit sectors. We advance the most promising concepts by investing, providing grants, influencing policies and running programs. We’re particularly interested in ideas that offer benefits in addition to carbon reduction such as improving people’s health, creating local jobs, boosting urban resiliency, and contributing to a fair society.

We are a registered non-profit, with a Board of Directors appointed by the City of Toronto, made up of City councillors and citizens. Learn more at taf.ca.

Working at TAF

Talk to our staff and they will tell you that working at TAF comes with amazing advantages. We’re on the leading edge of urban climate change solutions and our work makes a tangible difference. We build meaningful relationships with all kinds of stakeholders – from thought leaders advancing new concepts and approaches to the people who implement change on the ground. Join our dedicated and collaborative team to contribute to the value and impact of our work.

Building an inclusive community with a shared purpose is critical to our work and mandate. We are Equalx30 signatories and believe that teams work best when the people within them are diverse in background and approach, including diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different.

Virtual Office Update: TAF staff are currently working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we have no way of knowing when we’ll return to our downtown Toronto location.  We are open to hiring candidates from different locations, provided you have relevant knowledge of the region, and ideally live within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. We expect that all staff will need to meet in person on occasion when we can safely return to our office.

Perks

• Comprehensive extended health, vision and dental benefits package and quarterly RSP contribution after your first year of employment

• Support for virtual office during pandemic, including hardware and stipend for internet and other expenses

• Flexible work hours and work from home options (beyond COVID-19)

• Starts at three weeks vacation per year

• Access to Learning Fund