Vp, Health Policy And Regulatory Affairs

Purpose of the Role:

This role is a core component of the regulatory and policy powerhouse, elevating our capacity to affect change and improve outcomes to help grow our sector. The focus of this position is to demonstrate leadership amongst stakeholders, regulators, and members to advance initiatives to reduce regulatory burden for consumer health products, incentivize innovation and promote agile policy alternatives so our members can thrive in a competitive environment.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Work with SVP Consumer Health to deliver on consumer health product priorities in the strategic and operational plans and leverage opportunities for leadership and enhanced profile.

· Lead and develop formal consumer health products policy and regulatory positions for and with our members. Influence government policy through participation in government stakeholder meetings, consultations, roundtables, advisory boards, and conferences

• Provide regulatory and policy support to health product members to assist in developing their strategy to comply with the regulations and advise on how to escalate technical issues.
• Identify and facilitate policy alignment as appropriate with health professional organizations, NGOs, allied industry associations, international associations, and academia.
• Analyze emerging regulatory issues and consultations impacting consumer health products and lead member committee discussions to understand industry impact and develop evidence-based proposals and submissions to advance member positions and improve outcomes.
• Ensure members are informed and engaged on policy and regulatory issues impacting the consumer health product sector.
• Work quickly and collaboratively to proactively research and develop technical briefs on emerging regulatory issues to inform and facilitate member decisions on positioning.
• Ensures that all Committees, councils and working groups have sufficient staff support and leadership.
• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with key Health Canada, the Treasury Board and other agency officials to navigate and escalate policy and regulatory issues, as required.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• An influential voice representing the sector on Federal advisory councils, committees and stakeholder coalitions and stakeholder Boards of Directors. Build productive working relationships to advocate for company positions and build alignment.
• Coach, mentor and oversee assigned staff.
• Maintain relationships with international stakeholders to monitor emerging international regulatory issues and inform company positioning.
• Identify opportunities to enhance member value, such as identifying research partnerships or other projects that benefit the industry. Collaborate with colleagues to develop programs to support these opportunities for member benefit, ensuring appropriate cost-benefit analysis.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in the life sciences or related field
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with experience preparing and adapting messaging that corresponds to the appropriate audience.
• Bilingualism (English & French) is an added advantage.
• Ability to think strategically and lead strategic and operating planning, advises on changes to the strategy in light of changing circumstances, takes the long-term view of organizational success.
• Strong leadership and management skills and demonstrated ability to manage, support and motivate self-and others, sharing enthusiasm for organizational goals.
• 15+ years of progressive experience with demonstrated leadership influencing federal health product regulation preferability either with the industry or within government. Knowledge of emerging regulatory policy is required as well as experience navigating and influencing the regulatory development process. A working knowledge the Food and Drug Act and Regulations is required, including experience with NHP and OTC regulation.
• Strong project management, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities with clear goals and objectives.
• Ability to rigorously conduct and guide research related to deliverables.
• Demonstrates good judgement as well as excellent people skills.
• Demonstrated ability to establish collaborative working relationships with multiple partners, government officials, stakeholders, service providers and peers including key industry association.
• Facilitation and committee experience required, including the demonstrated ability to drive consensus at the senior leadership level.
• Demonstrates the ability to anticipate and respond to business challenges by understanding the issues and factors driving them.

CROSS FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

• Collaborate with industry affairs to inform and support the health product member recruitment strategy and event needs.
• Provide support for the organization as a whole by providing value into the strategic and operational planning, governance processes and policy development by sharing ad hoc best practices, where appropriate
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in Communications to lead the development of proactive and reactive media statements in response to emerging health product regulatory issues that arise in the media.
• Work with SMT in the development of technical briefs and dissemination of materials to inform member positioning and discussions on emerging and priority issues.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in Government Relations and Communications to develop and deliver clear, cohesive, consistent positioning and accurate communication of technical issues that resonates with appropriate levels of government, as necessary.