Manager, Policy & Advocacy

The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) of British Columbia is the leading professional association for lawyers, judges and law students with 40,000 members nationally, and over 8,000 in B.C. We connect our members to the people, knowledge and skills they need to successfully practice law. Our work is expressed through community building, advocacy, learning and development, and professional initiatives that strengthen the legal profession. Learn more at cbabc.org. 

Come join our team of passionate and energetic individuals who are committed to serving our members and supporting our volunteers. If you like a fast-paced environment and a variety of projects, this could be the place for you! 

POSITION OVERVIEW 

We are seeking a Manager, Policy & Advocacy to join our Association on a full-time basis. This position reports directly to the Association CEO and is responsible for overseeing policy development, advocacy, and government relations activities. This is a hybrid position, with minimum three days per week on-site at our downtown Vancouver office. 

The Manager works with groups of volunteer lawyers to identify opportunities for reform, develop evidence-informed policy positions, and advance recommendations through strategic advocacy and engagement. The role oversees a team of 2-3 staff and 10 volunteer committees and works collaboratively with colleagues at CBABC, CBA National and other legal organizations in B.C.  

This position combines policy leadership, people management, stakeholder engagement and communications expertise to ensure CBABC remains a respected and influential voice on law reform, justice policy and professional regulation in British Columbia. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Manage, coach and support 2–3 direct reports. 

• Support 5–10 volunteer committees and working groups to identify emerging issues, build consensus, and develop member-driven policy recommendations. 

• Oversee the development of CBABC policy positions, submissions, briefing notes and consultation responses on law reform, improvements to justice systems and legal profession regulation. 

• Guide policy recommendations through the CBABC submission approval process. 

• Contribute to setting CBABC policy recommendations and advocacy priorities. 

• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and justice-sector developments and assess impacts on members and CBABC policy recommendations. 

• Manage the development and implementation of the quadrennial Agenda for Justice. 

• Design and execute advocacy and engagement campaigns to advance CBABC policy recommendations and support strategic priorities. 

• Track progress of policy recommendations and report on advocacy activities and outcomes. 

• Research and write submissions for committee review, as well as briefing materials for the President and Chief Executive Officer. 

• Work closely with CBABC Communications to communicate policy positions, advocacy campaigns, and outcomes in clear and accessible language. 

• Contribute to productive relationships with government, the courts, the regulator, legal organizations, Indigenous organizations, and other industry groups. 

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS 

• University graduate in political science, public policy, law, communications or a related field. 

• Five years in policy development, analysis and/or government relations. 

• Three years supervising staff including setting priorities, managing performance and workload planning, and fostering a high-performing team culture.  

• Knowledge of the B.C. justice systems, legal profession and public policy environment. 

• Experience working with volunteers in member-based organizations. 

• Excellent research, decision-making, problem-solving and analytical abilities. 

• Superior writing skills translating complex concepts to straightforward, short positions. 

• Excellence in facilitation, consensus-building, relationship management and project management in an environment of shifting priorities. 

• Committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. 

• Ability to interact effectively and positively with peers, co-workers and senior leaders. 

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools including Teams, MS Planner, Outlook and Excel. 

• Available for early morning or late afternoon committee meetings as scheduled. 

SALARY RANGE 

$80,000-$89,000 

HOW TO APPLY 

Please email your resume and cover letter to [email protected] with the subject line “Application: Manager, Policy & Advocacy” or apply online. Please attach both a cover letter and resume to your online application.  

OUR COMMITMENT 

CBABC is committed to supporting an inclusive work environment. We welcome applications from members identifying with any group including visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, people living with a disability, people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (2SLGBTQ+), and others. Qualified applicants from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply and to indicate in your cover letter if you belong to one of the designated groups.   

We want to ensure the application process enables you to share your experience, skills and abilities. These interviews will take place at our office in downtown Vancouver. As such, you are invited to reach out to us, confidentially, if you face any barriers to participating in this application process. Contacting us will not impact the evaluation of your application.