LEAD, STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS

We are banking at another level.

Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits, including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few   

• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as necessary, and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1

• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life

• Opportunities for learning, training and development, and much more... 

Explore the BDC Way in our Culture Book

POSITION OVERVIEW

As Lead, Stakeholder Relations, you will be responsible for structuring, steering and optimising strategic stakeholder engagement at BDC.  

Your mission: to maximise the impact of stakeholders on business results by aligning their interests, perceptions and actions with corporate objectives. You will work closely with external communications, government relations, international relations, strategy and other BDC business functions.

You will contribute to a better understanding of the ecosystem, the development of a solid support base and a clear view of the forces at play, in order to create an environment conducive to the conduct of BDC's business, but also and above all to that of entrepreneurs.

CHALLENGES TO BE MET

Strategic analysis and understanding of perceptions

• Conduct analyses to identify key influencers, trends and issues.

• Map and prioritise stakeholders according to their actual influence on BDC's strategic objectives, using BDC's proprietary influence and alignment matrix.

• Use various tools to understand stakeholders' beliefs, behaviours and expectations.

• Identify and remove information barriers: incomplete, misunderstood or underestimated information.

Advanced prioritisation and results-oriented approach

• Apply an OKR (Objectives and Key Results) approach: link each action and initiative to measurable business results (e.g., evolution of trust, mobilisation, support for strategic projects).

• Prioritise stakeholders according to their potential impact on results (frequency of interaction, openness to dialogue, depth of interest, etc.).

• Adapt the strategy according to sectoral, geographical and demographic variations, in collaboration with internal teams.

Cross-team collaboration and collective intelligence

• Work synergistically with external communications, government relations, international relations, strategy and other business lines to share strategic intelligence and support the development of action plans.

• Support teams in developing engagement matrix, consolidating information and disseminating learnings.

Mobilisation, monitoring and continuous adaptation

• Develop and maintain monitoring tools (dashboards) to track the evolution of relationships and the impact of initiatives.

• Integrate artificial intelligence solutions to automate the collection, analysis and visualization of stakeholder data, enabling faster and more informed decision-making, as well as proactive detection of emerging signals, issues and trends.

• Organise and facilitate stakeholder engagement (exploratory meetings, intelligence gathering, information sharing), without acting as a spokesperson or external communications manager.

• Monitor interactions, manage expectations and continuously adapt approaches based on the information gathered.

• Orchestrate stakeholder engagement in a structured and sequenced manner to avoid reputational issues and maximise value creation for BDC and entrepreneurs.

• Manage and strengthen certain strategic government partnerships to support the achievement of BDC's objectives, ensure alignment of priorities and maximise the value of joint initiatives.

Evaluation, OKRs and continuous improvement

• Establish concrete performance indicators:

• Level of stakeholder engagement and commitment (collaboration index, frequency of interactions, level of satisfaction).

• Change in perception and trust in BDC.

• Direct contribution to strategic results (e.g., support for projects, program launches, influence on key decisions).

• Stakeholder satisfaction (surveys, feedback).

• Leverage AI to generate automated reports, measure relationship evolution and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Analyse gaps between objectives and results, adjust strategies and integrate learnings into future practices.

Concrete example of a mission

• As part of a strategic project involving a complex and sensitive sector, the person in this role will be required to:

• Map key stakeholders using an influence and alignment matrix, taking into account their impact and alignment with the organisation's objectives.

• Organise individual and group meetings to listen to needs, validate positions, identify risks and gather strategic intelligence.

• Promote collaboration and engagement through active feedback mechanisms, transparent communication and continuous adaptation of the project based on feedback from the field.

• Manage monitoring tools (dashboards, satisfaction surveys) to assess the quality of relationships, the level of engagement and stakeholder perceptions, and integrate this data into strategic decisions.

• Orchestrate engagement in a structured and sequenced manner to minimise reputational risks while proactively monitoring weak signals and emerging trends.

• Work closely with internal teams to share the intelligence gathered and adjust project directions in real time.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• University degree in communications, public relations, public affairs or a related field.

• 10 to 15 years of relevant professional experience.

• Significant experience in strategic stakeholder management, ideally in a complex, institutional or associative environment.

• Proficiency in analytical tools and project management platforms.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills (French and English).

• Ability to work in project mode, mobilise teams and collaborate with internal and external partners.

• Analytical skills, rigour, autonomy, strategic thinking and results-oriented approach.

Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.