[Hiring] Director of Policy and Research @World Education Services

Role Description

The Director, Policy and Research provides strategic leadership in advancing WES Canada's policy, research, and advocacy agenda. Working closely with the Senior Director, Strategy and Policy Research, the Director leads major policy initiatives, develops evidence-based policy positions, manages strategic research, and cultivates high-impact partnerships that strengthen WES's influence across Canada's immigration and workforce development.

The Director leads complex cross-functional initiatives that advance WES Canada's strategic priorities. This role combines senior policy leadership with hands-on technical research capability, including the design and execution of applied economic research on immigration, economics, and labour market outcomes.

The Director provides leadership to policy staff, consultants, and project teams while fostering collaboration across WES departments to strengthen organizational impact and thought leadership. The role is responsible for translating emerging policy trends and research into organizational strategy, supporting executive decision making, and representing WES externally with governments, business associations, sector partners, and other stakeholders.

What You'll Do

• Policy Leadership and Strategic Influence (35%)
  • Apply rigorous economic and quantitative analysis, including econometric evidence on immigration and labour market outcomes to strengthen the empirical foundation of WES policy positions.
  • Lead the development of policy positions, strategic analysis, consultation submissions, and advocacy strategies aligned with WES Canada's priorities.
  • Identify emerging immigration, labour market, education, and workforce policy trends and assess strategic implications for WES.
  • Lead complex policy research projects that support evidence-informed organizational decision making.
  • Provide strategic advice to senior leadership regarding policy risks, opportunities, and emerging issues.
  • Develop policy frameworks and recommendations that strengthen WES's influence with governments and sector partners.
  • Represent WES in external policy forums, advisory committees, and stakeholder consultations.
  • Lead the preparation of executive briefing materials, policy papers, presentations, and strategic reports.
• Research, Thought Leadership and Strategic Partnerships (30%)
  • Design and lead applied economic research on immigration and workforce integration, including econometric and quantitative studies related to immigration policy or economic issues, credential recognition, and labour market outcomes.
  • Direct strategic research initiatives that support WES Canada's public policy, advocacy, and systems change objectives.
  • Build and steward the team’s technical research capacity, including research design, quantitative methods, data acquisition, analytical tooling, and quality assurance standards for all empirical economic-focused work.
  • Build and maintain senior relationships with governments, business associations, post-secondary institutions, regulatory bodies, employers, and sector organizations.
  • Identify opportunities for collaborative research, policy development, and strategic partnerships that advance WES priorities.
  • Lead the development and dissemination of thought leadership publications, policy briefs, and research reports.
  • Provide strategic oversight of external research partnerships and ensure research quality and alignment with organizational priorities.
  • Represent WES as a recognized subject matter expert through speaking engagements, conferences, and stakeholder meetings.
• Strategy, Governance and Organizational Leadership (20%)
  • Lead strategic planning initiatives that support implementation of WES Canada's strategic priorities as it relates to policy, research, and the advocacy agenda.
  • Direct cross-functional projects involving multiple departments and external stakeholders.
  • Lead strategic environmental scanning and scenario planning activities to inform executive decision making.
  • Support organizational governance through development of board materials, executive briefings, dashboards, and performance reporting.
  • Lead strategic planning and implementation of major policy, research and advocacy related initiatives within the Managing Director Office.
  • Develop systems and processes that strengthen knowledge management, organizational learning, and policy coordination.
• Leadership and People Management (15%)
  • Lead, coach, and develop policy and research staff, consultants, and project teams.
  • Establish work plans, priorities, and performance expectations for direct reports.
  • Foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performing team culture.
  • Support workforce planning, recruitment, and professional development within the Policy and Research function.
  • Promote effective collaboration across WES departments to achieve shared organizational objectives.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in economics, Public Policy, Political Science, Social Sciences, or another related discipline, or an acceptable equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in economic research or public policy within the social impact, public, or non-profit sectors.
• Demonstrated technical research capacity, including experience designing and executing applied economic research on immigration and labour markets, from research design and data strategy through analysis, peer review, and publication.
• Strong econometric and quantitative skills, including regression analysis, causal inference methods, and labour market outcome analysis, with working proficiency in statistical software such as Stata, R, or Python.
• Minimum five (5) years of management or leadership experience leading teams, consultants, or complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Demonstrated expertise in Canadian labour market policy, workforce development, credential recognition, immigration or related public policy fields.
• Experience managing external research partnerships and commissioned research.
• Experience working with Canadian labour market and immigration data, such as the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), Census, and Labour Force Survey, including Statistics Canada Research Data Centre or administrative microdata environments.
• Extensive experience leading policy development, consultation submissions, research projects, and strategic advocacy initiatives.
• Proven ability to influence policy through research, stakeholder engagement, and strategic partnerships.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with senior government officials, business leaders, funders, and sector organizations.
• Excellent relationship-building skills and executive presence: ability to build strong relationships and work with individuals at all levels of the organization; work collaboratively with people of different backgrounds, experiences, communication styles, and cultures towards collective goals.
• Strong strategic planning, analytical, and systems thinking capabilities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive-level briefings, reports, and presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.
• Excellent judgment, political acuity, and ability to manage sensitive issues with discretion.
• Knowledge of federal and provincial government decision-making processes.
• Experience managing external research partnerships and commissioned research.
• Experience developing organizational policy and advocacy strategies.

Desired

• A record of published economic or policy research, including peer-reviewed publications, working papers, or widely cited policy reports on immigration, economic policy, workforce development, and/or labour market topics.
• Experience representing an organization publicly through conferences, media, or government consultations.
• Functional bilingualism in English and French is considered a strong asset.

Benefits

• Work-Life Harmony: Enjoy the freedom of remote work and flexible scheduling, paired with generous time-off policies designed to assist you in maintaining a healthy equilibrium between your personal and professional commitments.
• Rewards and Recognition: Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and tangible rewards to celebrate your contributions.
• Professional Growth and Development: Comprehensive training programs and tuition reimbursement opportunities to prioritize your learning and success.
• Innovation and Impact: Engage in work that directly transforms lives and empowers individuals and communities.
• Community and Connection: Participate in a range of activities, including employee-led resource groups, town halls, collaborative team events, and initiatives that promote equity and celebrate diversity.