Senior Advisor, Operational Planning

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is an agency where innovation thrives, ideas flourish, and passion drives us to new heights of excellence. Reporting to the Ministry of the Attorney General, the AGCO is responsible for regulating Ontario’s vibrant alcohol, gaming, horse racing, and private retail cannabis sectors in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in the public interest.  The Operational Planning, Priorities and Performance Branch (OPB) was established to ensure the Operations Division effectively identifies, addresses, and advances its most critical priorities across all lines of business. Through a dedicated operational planning, priorities and performance team, OPB develops, monitors, and continuously refines the annual operational priorities plan that guides the AGCO’s proactive regulatory and risk mitigation activities across the province. Working closely with subject matter experts and operational partners, the team coordinates the implementation of operational plans and divisional initiatives across the alcohol, gaming, cannabis, and horse racing sectors. The branch also leads divisional planning activities and plays a key role in advancing cross-functional and organizational strategic initiatives. The Operational Planning team is seeking a strategic and collaborative Senior Advisor, Operational Planning. Reporting to the Manager, Operational Planning, the successful candidate will provide strategic leadership and specialized expertise in the proactive identification, assessment, and management of high-priority regulatory and strategic issues. The role leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of operational and divisional plans that support coordinated regulatory responses and operational deployments across all sectors regulated by the AGCO. In addition, the Senior Advisor will represent the branch in divisional and enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, fostering collaboration, alignment, and operational excellence across the organization. The Senior Advisor will represent the branch in divisional and enterprise-wide initiatives, collaborating with partners across the organization to support operational excellence and continuous improvement. This role is ideal for a proactive and adaptable professional who thrives in fast-paced environments, manages competing priorities effectively, and can translate complex issues into clear, strategic recommendations for senior leadership. Success in this role requires sound judgement, strong relationship-building and collaboration skills, strategic thinking and the ability to influence and work effectively with diverse stakeholders across the organization.   What You Will Do: diagnosis of contentious and/or complex regulatory and operational challenges. Draft and support the implementation of operational and divisional planning documents on a recurring basis. Provides subject matter expertise for the identification, analysis and assessment of a broad range of compliance issues, trends and directions which affect the development of operational plans. Conduct extensive and ongoing internal consultation and engagement across the AGCO’s functional areas to support issue identification and priority-setting. Engage in research and evaluation related to regulatory issues and operational challenges. Design and maintain a formal process for engaging with external stakeholders to support issue identification and priority-setting. Proactively monitor and maintain awareness of regulated sectors for emerging issues that may impact operational priorities. Analyze and critically evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts and convert high-level information into details to feed into planning processes. Develop high quality reports for Senior Management within established timeframes. Lead the coordination of divisional strategic planning to enable the achievement of operational goals through integrated processes in the branch and Operations Division.  Lead and coordinate enterprise-wide strategic planning on behalf of Operations Division, ensuring the division is represented in the AGCO’s strategic goals and priorities. Proactively identify issues impacting the branch and division to suggest key priority initiatives/projects while providing strategic project leadership to the team. Ensure recommendations and advice provided consider the broader implications and impacts across relevant AGCO sectors. Coordinate efforts to utilize data, intelligence, and other sources to inform priority identifications and lead analysis of research, intelligence, and data. Develop, nurture and manage consultations, partnerships and relationships with internal and external stakeholders on key compliance issues, notification matrix change initiatives and activities impacting operational plan development and implementation.      You Have:  Post-secondary education in public policy, political science, risk management, business administration, or a related field, and/or a minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible related experience. Demonstrated experience leading or supporting operational planning, compliance, regulatory, risk management, or strategic planning initiatives within a regulated, public sector, or complex organizational environment. Excellent knowledge of, and ability to quickly acquire and apply, legislation, regulations, policies, and emerging issues related to the AGCO’s regulated sectors, including an understanding of the broader political, social, and operational landscape. Strong research, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with experience taking the initiative and assessing complex issues, identifying risks, and developing practical and strategic recommendations. Exceptional relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to exercise tact, discretion, sound judgment, and political acuity when working with diverse internal and external partners. Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and persuasion skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences – including Senior Management. Demonstrated organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Knowledge of project management principles, methodologies, and continuous improvement practices. A strong digital mindset, including the ability to leverage technology, data, and digital tools to support operational planning, reporting, process improvements, collaboration, and informed decision-making. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint. Eligibility to work in Canada and the ability to successfully complete a criminal background check. Nice to Have: Experience working within or alongside regulatory, compliance, enforcement, operational planning, or risk-based oversight functions. Experience supporting enterprise-wide or divisional strategic initiatives, operational deployments, or organizational transformation projects. Familiarity with performance measurement, operational reporting, dashboard development, or data visualization tools. Knowledge of Ontario’s alcohol, gaming, cannabis, and/or horse racing sectors. Project management certification or related training would be considered an asset.