Government Affairs Associate

• Looking for a job in a fast-paced team-oriented environment where you can build on your existing skills and develop new ones?
• Are you able to manage multiple priorities at once?
• Do you have a background in government, political science, advocacy or public policy?
• Do you have an understanding and/or experience of the political and legislative environment at both the provincial and federal levels in Canada?

Porter O'Brien is one of the fastest growing public affairs firms in Canada. Recently, we were recognized as one of the top 15 most active federal government relations firms in the country. Our award-winning team is growing and we need your support to strengthen our government affairs practice even more.

We are looking for someone with a variety of skills to work directly with our Government Affairs team to provide our clients with the best client service possible. The ideal candidate will work from Ottawa, Fredericton or Moncton, but other locations could be considered.

As a company, we offer our staff flexibility in their work location with a focus on meeting targets instead of brick and mortar office hours.

Your primary responsibilities would include:

• Researching and writing briefing notes, as well as client work proposals
• Representing the firm at networking events and association meetings that we belong to
• Preparing contact programs and arranging meetings for clients with government officials and other groups and organizations as required
• Depending on experience, possibly registering as a lobbyist and attending meetings with clients

We are looking for candidates who have skills in these areas:

• An understanding of the machinery of government and legislative processes
• Enhanced writing and editing skills with a strong research capacity
• Proficiency in technology applications such as Google Workspace,Microsoft Office and other customer relationship management tools
• Working within a team environment and hitting targets and deadlines
• Openness to feedback with a willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment
• Providing project management support for client projects, such as organizing and hosting meetings, producing call summaries, tracking minutes and action items
• Solid verbal communications skills
• Bilingualism is not mandatory, but considered an asset

We are looking for the right combination of education and experience. While this is an early career role, first jobs that might have prepared you for a position like this would include: working in an office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa or at the provincial level, working as a parliamentary or legislative page, volunteering on a political campaign, or working for a political party or government affairs firm. We prefer candidates with a university degree in liberal arts, journalism, public policy, or business but will consider candidates with a combination of relevant work experience, particularly in government, and similar college programs. Please indicate in your application if you are, or believe you may be, subject to the federal five-year lobbying restriction, or the one-year cooling off period for former federal public office holders.

About Porter O'Brien

Porter O'Brien is a full-service public relations, management strategy, government affairs and market research firm. Founded in 2019, Porter O'Brien's roster of consultants is rounded out by professionals with backgrounds in communications, management, digital implementation, stakeholder engagement, government administration and lobbying, journalism, small and large scale event planning, and human resources.

Compensation and Benefits

Our compensation package includes not just a competitive salary and extensive benefits package, but also the equivalent of 8 weeks of paid time off each year through vacation, personal days, sick time and holidays. We invest in our team through advanced professional development programs with tuition coverage and time allotted for study and class attendance. The suggested salary range for this position is between $40,000 and $62,000 based on experience.