Senior Program Manager

“Immediate for Hire”

Position: Senior Manager, Drinking Water Program
Organization: Water First
Location: Creemore, Ontario – Hybrid but open to fully remote, Canada

Are you looking for a place where you can help people, do meaningful work, and grow as part of a positive, collaborative team? Are you creative, enthusiastic, and excellent at building meaningful relationships? Join Water First, a passionate and growing organization supporting sustainable access to safe, clean water in Indigenous communities.

Water First is a Canadian charity that partners with Indigenous communities across Canada to help address the water crisis through education, training, and meaningful collaboration.

With significantly expanding operations and community partnerships, we seek a Senior Manager, Drinking Water, reporting to the Director of Programs.

The Senior Manager, Drinking Water, is responsible for leading the internship project team and further developing, implementing, and growing Water First’s Drinking Water Internship in close collaboration with Indigenous communities in Ontario and across Canada.

Start Date: October 2024

Wage: $85,000 - $110,000 (Some flexibility based on the level of experience)

Water First supports progressive labour policies, including:

• A hybrid in-office/work-from-home position
• Flexible hours
• Health benefits
• Defined benefit pension plan
• Generous paid vacation

Preference for this position will be given to candidates who can reliably commute to our Creemore, ON office two days per week, with the remaining three days being a work-from-home arrangement. Qualified remote candidates will also be considered.

The Senior Manager, Drinking Water accountabilities include, but are not limited to:

Program Development

• Expand several key programs, including the Drinking water internship program and the Alumni network, by identifying new partners and fostering local relationships
• Continue expanding funding models, work with government funders
• Build a network through online and in-person activity, including public and community relations
• Build and maintain relationships with interns, graduates (alumni), and strategic partners
• Participate in networking (online and in-person) and attending relevant conferences & events
• Represent Water First in public and community relations, presentations and other public speaking engagements as needed

Program Management (Drinking water internship, alumni network and other department activities outlined in the strategic plan)

• Identify new partners (Tribal Councils, communities, etc.) and develop new partnerships
• Collaborate with internal departments, Tribal Councils (“TC”), communities and Local Delivery Mechanism (“LDM”) and oversee setup and recruitment
• Collaborate with Executive Director & Director, Programs to develop budgets & agreements with project managers/partners
• Develop and oversee work plans, reporting and cost analysis/metrics
• Manage and oversee full project milestones, timelines, and training activities
• Provide effective, supportive leadership to the program team members; communicate company goals; establish departmental/individual goals; communicate safety practices, policies, etc., to team members
• Motivate team members by modelling the cultural behaviours of Water First, providing regular performance check-ins, assessing performance, training, etc.
• Create, plan and measure program objectives, goals and KPIs
• Explore opportunities to enhance delivery and training
• Assist with training delivery; this may involve facilitation
• Establish measures to maintain program quality

Finance and Administration

• Collaborate with senior leaders on the development of 3-year planning and budgets
• Manage departmental budgets and reporting both internally and externally as required
• Develop and oversee activities that foster a positive, vibrant, collaborative, and effective organizational culture
• Provide leadership to the Drinking Water program through change management, mentoring, coaching staff, continuous improvement, and ethical and accountable decision-making
• Provide support and oversight for project leads (remote and in-person) to develop and manage project milestones, timelines, and training activities
• Provide detailed requirements for the specifications for drinking water contracts, equipment, and supply tenders/quotes
• Document and implement various operating procedures to drive optimum program delivery
• Support and encourage utilization of customer relationship software program
• Respond to enquiries and resolve complaints from staff, community groups, and other external partners about drinking water programs
• Assist with preparing funding proposals, annual reports, and other communication materials
• Liaise with internal departments as well as other external agencies, contractors and consultants on matters related to drinking water programs
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and related organizational requirements

The ideal candidate for this position will possess the following:

• A related college diploma, an undergraduate degree in an environmental field, or a graduate degree preferred in any of these fields: drinking water or wastewater treatment, water engineering, hydrology, water chemistry, aquatic ecology and/or environmental science,
• Extensive management experience in a related field
• A minimum of 5 years of professional Indigenous relations experience with a non-profit, governmental, or for-profit organization
• Demonstrated track record of successful leadership experience
• Self-starter, capable of independently identifying opportunities, creating strategies, and successfully implementing plans
• Teaching or training experience with mature students (facilitating workshops with hands-on, project-based learning, developing curriculum, mentoring learners during work experience, etc.)
• Experience in drinking water, wastewater, surface water sampling, monitoring and laboratory testing
• Experience in coordinating community projects and working with multiple stakeholders
• Strong project management, research and data management skills
• Basic accounting skills
• Effective communication skills, both oral and written
• Regular access to a vehicle & willingness to travel to northern Indigenous communities approximately 10-15% of the time
• Class G Ontario driver’s license or other provincial equivalent with a clean driving record
• Ability to work effectively from home and on the road
• Strong cultural sensitivity and awareness
• Strong editing and proofreading skills with a meticulous eye for detail
• Advanced experience using MS Office and Google Suite applications
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to work respectfully and collaboratively in a dynamic, multi-faceted team environment and independently
• A willingness to continually expand one’s professional skill set, learn on the job, take on additional responsibilities as required and respond to and thrive in a dynamic work environment
• Candidates must have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada under relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations
• A vulnerable sector security check is required as part of the hiring process

The following are considered assets:

• Advanced/ graduate degree in one of the fields of study noted above
• Experience with the operation of water and wastewater facilities
• Experience with ArcGIS mapping software
• Advanced knowledge of the regulatory landscape for water and wastewater operators in multiple provinces/territories
• Experience in designing water and wastewater-related training workshops
• Experience in data analysis and interpretation

We would love to hear from you if you want to learn more about this exciting opportunity! Qualified Indigenous applicants are encouraged to apply.

Apply:

For more information or to apply:
https://waterfirst.ngo/about-us/careers/

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Water First is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical and or mental handicap or financial ability.

By following the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Water First Education and Training strives to ensure that all recruiting processes are non-discriminatory and barrier-free. If you require accommodation, please advise us before attending an interview.

While we appreciate all interest, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Candidates will be required to undergo a Vulnerable Sector security check as a condition of employment.