Coordinator, Advocacy and Public Engagement

Who we are 

At Heart & Stroke our mission is to promote health, save lives and enhance recovery. We are committed to a culture that exemplifies our core values: champion health, practice humility, embrace change, drive impact, learn and grow and be heartfelt as we work together to beat heart disease and stroke. 

We believe in equity, diversity and inclusion ― it’s embedded in our values and core mission work to support all people in Canada to lead healthier lives. We are committed to applying this principle to cultivate a welcoming environment that embraces diversity among our employees. Candidates from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to, Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, women, and people living with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 

To learn more about our mission, values, commitment to EDI, and the difference Heart & Stroke makes in the lives of people in Canada at every age, please visit our website. 

The opportunity 

Please note Heart & Stroke offers a hybrid work option. Candidates can work from anywhere in Canada. 

The Coordinator, Advocacy and Public Engagement, supports, in conjunction with the Senior Manager, Campaigns, the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition and select advocacy and public engagement efforts.   

In this role, the incumbent will support the work of the Stop M2K Coalition. This will entail working with Heart & Stroke’s Policy & Advocacy team, members of the Coalition and members of the Youth Against Marketing to Kids council to help achieve a healthier food environment for kids. In particular, our key objective is to advance progress on federal regulations to implement restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to kids. The individual will support ongoing Coalition activities and campaign specific advocacy work, including coordination of meetings, communications with external stakeholders and preparation of materials to support Coalition and Heart & Stroke advocacy on M2K. The incumbent would also work to build strong relationships with the Coalition and take the lead in guiding the M2K youth council activities. This position will also support all public engagement campaigns led by the Policy & Advocacy team.  

The support of advocacy and public engagement efforts could include engaging external stakeholders in advocacy actions, campaign budget administration, and short-term advocacy project coordination in support of the Senior Manager, Campaigns and/or Senior Manager, Government Relations.   

How you will make an impact every day 

Planning and coordination of Coalition meetings   

• Coordinate Coalition working group meetings, draft agendas, prepare minutes and liaise with members   

• Support members on sharing materials or prompting on action items that need to be followed up on or presented to the group   

Support Coalition advocacy projects and activities    

• Coordinate meetings with external stakeholders, government officials and H&S constituents, based on the Coalition’s advocacy plans  

• Documentation and tracking of the Coalition’s government meetings  

• Drafting of advocacy and communications materials (e.g. briefing materials, letters, emails to federal bureaucrats), with support of Coalition members and H&S  

• Coordinate updates to the stopmarketingtokids.ca website with H&S and Childhood Health Living Foundation staff to keep the site maintained  

• Prepare and distribute regular newsletter/list-serve communications for broader coalition supporters  

• Maintain and update Coalition stakeholder contact list 

Coordinate and guide the Youth Against Marketing to Kids council   

• Co-develop annual plans to support the ongoing engagement of the youth council with advocacy activities aligned with the Coalition work plans  

• Facilitate and coordinate regular meetings with group  

• Support the execution of their plan  

• Document and report back to Coalition on their activities, and identify opportunities for linking the two groups 

Advocacy and public engagement project coordination   

• Maintaining existing project budgets, filing contracts and invoices, appropriately filing advocacy briefings/policy updates/ new research   

• Supporting the team to follow-through on H&S processes for internal content reviews, legal and/or brand review processes   

• Supporting dissemination of project updates or new evidence/materials to stakeholders (internal and external) 

Who we need 

Education 

• Post-secondary degree, diploma or equivalent combination of education and related work experience in political science, communications, public policy, or public health preferred   

Experience 

• General understanding of government relations and demonstrated interest in advocacy, health policy or communications  

• Stakeholder relations experience  

• Experience with Google Drive and Google Docs, SharePoint and MS Teams 

• Experience coordinating volunteers   

Skills  

• Analytical and decision-making skills, creative problem-solving approaches   

• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment: flexibility, communication skills, reliability and collaboration   

• Ability to multitask, work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment and handle changes of plans or “course of action”  

• Ability to work independently and effectively with minimum supervision  

• Ability to adhere to strict confidentiality guidelines  

• Eagerness to learn, capacity to adopt new digital tools 

What we offer 

At Heart & Stroke, we make it a priority to foster a culture of caring by implementing practices and programs that foster respect, compassion, trust and attentiveness to our own and others’ health and well-being. 

This role offers a hiring range of $46,000 to $60,000, aligned with our compensation framework and your professional background. We believe that time off is integral to the personal health and wellness of our employees. We offer a generous paid time-off package including vacation days, personal days, wellness days, and paid company-wide closure between December 25 and January 1. We also provide competitive health, medical, dental and vision benefits, life insurance, disability benefits, an employee assistance program (EAP) and a defined contribution pension plan with employer matching. Our employees also enjoy a flexible hybrid working model and reimbursement for mobile phones and home office setup, as well as opportunities for professional development.  

Apply now 

If you want to join the fight to beat heart disease and stroke, please apply by sending your resume by September 11, 2026. Applicants must be currently residing in Canada and legally entitled to work in Canada. 

Only those candidates that qualify will be selected for an interview. Interviews may be conducted virtually or in-person. Selected candidates will be notified in advance if an in-person interview is required. 

Accommodation 

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, barrier-free and accessible environment. If you have been contacted for an interview and require accommodation to participate in the recruitment and selection process, please let us know and we will do our best to address your needs.