Head, Northern

At the Weston Family Foundation (the Foundation) more than 60 years of philanthropy have taught us that theres a relationship between healthy landscapes and healthy people. Thats why we champion world-class health research and innovation with the same passion that we support initiatives to protect and restore biodiversity on our unique landscapes. We take a collaborative approach to philanthropy working alongside forward-thinking partners to advance Canada and create lasting impacts. We aspire to do more than provide funding as we enable others to find transformational ways to improve the well-being of Canadians.

We are invested in the well-being of all Canadians. Our national identity encompasses a wide range of perspectives ideas and experiences. We aspire to develop and celebrate these differences in our working strategies and overall philosophy. We strive to take a mindful deliberate approach and to adopt policies and practices that advance and value diversity equity inclusion and belonging within the Foundation our operations and our extended community. This approach is always evolving it includes dedicating time and resources towards equitable hiring and communications and cultivating a safe welcoming and accessible work environment. Our firm belief is that by taking this outlook we will increase the beneficial impact of our philanthropy.

With a new ambitious focus on Canadas Northern Peatlands (amongst other priority areas) the Foundation is looking for a Head Northern to lead the design and execution of innovative programs that yield real-world economically sound and timely biodiversity outcomes at-scale in Canadas northern landscapes.

Working in close partnership with the Northern Committee (a committee comprised of a subset of the Directors of the Board) this role will interface with the highest levels of government land stewards/rights holders critical industrial sectors environmental not-for-profit/charitable entities Indigenous and northern communities and the full portfolio of Northern grantees. This role must serve as a convenor of people and ideas to ensure that the Foundations activities in Canadas north are externally viewed as credible ambitious relevant and impactful.

THE POSITION

The Head Northern is a member of the Foundations senior leadership team. They will be responsible for deploying $16M of annual charitable capital towards evidence-based high-risk / high-reward programs that improve northern biodiversity outcomes while creatively finding solutions that incorporate the competing needs of conservation action economic sustainability and national prosperity.

The Head Northern develops and upholds key relationships with critical external stakeholders necessary to achieve the Foundations ambitious objectives in the peatlands and other priority areas. It is expected that the Head Northern will use the best practices set forth by the Foundations Executive Director and Board to position the Northern Committees work as best-in-class and uphold the Boards strategic interests and values. This role is also regarded as a senior leader within the broader Weston organization and where appropriate will interface with strategic activities across the broader organization.

The Head Northern is a seasoned forward-thinking professional that approaches northern biodiversity protection with a creative and entrepreneurial mindset. They are a willing trailblazer who can chart new paths that balance risk and reward while challenging conventional ways of working.

Candidates with direct experience working in Canadas North are considered highly competitive.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Portfolio Development

• Serve as the Weston Family Foundations senior strategic lead overseeing the $16M annual portfolio focused on bolstering Canadas northern biodiversity.
• Develop evidence-based ambitious theories of change and associated programs focused on protecting the Northern Peatlands (and other key ecosystems) at-scale.
• Identify high-risk / high-reward projects that show strong potential for scaling and follow-on funding / investment by the Foundation or other entities.
• Provide sound judgement acumen and knowledge to support the Northern Committees explorations and decision-making while maintaining the priorities and values set by the Board of Directors.
• Support the Executive Director and leadership in ongoing Foundation-wide strategic framework.
• Contribute to the Foundations annual strategic priorities to ensure the opportunities and perspectives of the Northern Committee are reflected.
• Identify synergistic opportunities across the broader Weston organization that collectively contribute to Northern biodiversity outcomes in Canada.

Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary relationship manager to the Northern Committee working closely with the Committee Chair to:
• Prioritize Committee discussions to align with planning governance and decision-making cycles at the Foundation
• Represent the Northern Committees work at Board meetings
• Develop agendas pre-read materials and presentations
• Guide discussions to support decision-making
• Develop nurture and cultivate the Northern Committees high-profile expert advisory body ensuring that these valuable relationships are appropriately leveraged as thought partners for the Foundations strategic objectives.
• Convene a highly influential network of partners and key external stakeholders necessary to achieve the Foundations real-world implementation goals.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for prospective and current grantees of the Northern Committee.
• Act as the key ambassador on behalf of the Northern portfolio to the rest of the Foundation team and broader organization to support continuity and best practices interacting with various functional units as needed.

Northern Committee Operational Oversight

• Manage the Foundations $16M budget annual expenses and grant agreements.
• Manage junior Northern Committee program staff.
• Oversee the development and design of programs materials.
• Prepare governance materials required for Committee meetings Board Meetings Team meetings etc.
• Attend relevant events conferences etc. to further strategic imperatives or represent the Northern Committees work as required.

Grants Management

• Manage the Foundations $16M annual portfolio of programs and grants including but not limited to:
• Soliciting or co-developing projects
• Analyzing proposals managing external adjudications synthesizing results and providing recommendations to the Northern Committee
• Providing guidance and feedback to prospective and current grantees
• Monitoring progress and evaluating outcomes of programs or specific grants
• Overseeing grant agreements and release of funds

Communications

• Collaborating with the Senior Director of Communications to support external communications including:
• Foundation website
• Press releases
• Social media
• Third-party communications projects to ensure accuracy and alignment to overall Committee communications
• Knowledge mobilization activities related to the Northern portfolio such as roundtables government engagements etc.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in environmental conservation natural resource management environmental economics or environmental policy (direct experience in Canadas north is a strong asset).
• Minimum 10 years of varied senior experience across multiple disciplines including but not limited to: protected area establishment land-use planning and negotiations environmental policy ecological stewardship and management environmental financing and sustainable resource development.
• Demonstrated experience working in entrepreneurial environments research and innovation government industry and charitable / not-for-profit sectors.
• Fiscal experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets.
• A successful track record in national program design and execution.
• Working knowledge of performance measurement evaluation and monitoring.
• Strong governance experience including working directly with Boards.
• Brings acumen and ability to manage multi-stakeholder relationships that are credible relevant and impactful.

CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES

• A dynamic professional and persuasive leader with excellent people skills.
• A big thinker with a strategic mindset.
• Entrepreneurial and analytical with an ability to cultivate new ways of thinking and working.
• A persuasive negotiator with clear and effective communication skills.
• High level of integrity confidentiality accountability and dependability.
• Adaptable with a hands-on approach; willing and able to change priorities to meet team goals.
• Identifies and resolves issues quickly problem-solves and generates solutions.
• Self-directed with an ability to organize plan prioritize and multi-task.

COMPENSATION

A competitive compensation package including base salary between $170K and $190K plus benefits will be provided. Benefits include a 15% STIP.

HOW TO APPLY