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Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) is a provincial Crown agency responsible for modernizing training and certification and promoting the skilled trades as a rewarding and essential career pathway. Communications and stakeholder engagement are central to STO’s mandate, ensuring clear public understanding, strong industry partnerships, and trust across Ontario.
Skilled Trades Ontario is seeking an accomplished and strategic executive to serve as its Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (CCAO).
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the CCAO will lead an integrated Corporate Affairs function responsible for shaping and safeguarding STO’s reputation, external positioning, stakeholder environment, and enterprise narrative.
This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future direction of a growing provincial organization operating within an increasingly visible and important public mandate. The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership across communications, public affairs, government relations, stakeholder engagement, corporate reporting, policy coordination, marketing, and organizational insight.
As a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive team, the CCAO will provide guidance on reputational risk, stakeholder dynamics, government relations, public policy developments, and strategic positioning. The role will also play a central role in strengthening enterprise alignment through enhanced reporting, governance, analytics, and evidence-based decision making.
Key Responsibilities:
- Define and lead STO’s external positioning, enterprise narrative, and public voice
- Develop and execute an integrated corporate affairs strategy aligned with organizational priorities
- Lead communications, media relations, brand strategy, marketing, and public awareness initiatives
- Provide strategic leadership for government relations and engagement with ministries and central agencies
- Lead enterprise-wide stakeholder engagement efforts across industry, employers, unions, training providers, and communities
- Act as the CEO’s primary advisor on reputational risk, stakeholder dynamics, and policy implications
- Oversee corporate reporting and ensure clear, evidence-based communication of organizational performance and impact
- Strengthen enterprise governance, reporting, and decision-making processes by integrating research, analytics, performance data, and organizational insight.
- Monitor political, legislative, and policy developments and provide strategic advice on implications for STO
- Establish and lead research, analytics, and organizational insight capabilities to support decision making
- Build and lead a high-performing Corporate Affairs function
About You
You are an accomplished executive with significant leadership experience in corporate affairs, communications, public affairs, government relations, stakeholder engagement, or a related field.
You bring:
- 12-15 years of progressive leadership experience in corporate affairs, communications, public affairs, government relations, or related disciplines
- Experience within the public sector, broader public sector, Crown agency, regulatory, or similarly complex stakeholder environment
- Strong understanding of Ontario’s government, political, and policy landscape
- Demonstrated success advising CEOs, executive leadership teams, Boards, Ministers, or senior public sector leaders
- Expertise in reputation management, executive communications, stakeholder engagement, and strategic issues management
- Experience integrating policy, research, data, and stakeholder insight into strategic decision making
- Strong understanding of governance, corporate reporting, performance measurement, and the use of analytics to support executive and Board-level decision making.
- Exceptional relationship-building, influence, and leadership skills
- Sound judgment, executive presence, and the ability to navigate complex and politically sensitive environments
Why Join Skilled Trades Ontario
This is an opportunity to influence how skilled trades are understood, promoted, and supported across Ontario. As a member of the executive leadership team, you will help shape organizational strategy, strengthen stakeholder confidence, and advance a mandate that has a direct impact on Ontario’s workforce and economic future.
Skilled Trades Ontario is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and accessible workplace. Accommodation is available upon request throughout the recruitment process.
How to Apply: Submit your resume and cover letter by July 31, 2026.
We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted. If you have questions or require accommodations, please contact Margaret Murphy at 416-237-1500 x.234 or at margaret.murphy@hra.on.ca.
