Project Director, Adaptation In Action - Gmf

You in this role

You have a passion for climate action, building resilient communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.

As Project Director, Adaptation in Action, you are responsible for the strategic leadership, design and direction of the Adaptation-in-Action (Track 2) stream of the Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation (Adaptation) program to ensure it achieves expected results. The Adaptation program is intended to be efficient, impactful and accessible to all municipalities across Canada enabling equitable action towards resilient communities. In a manner consistent with FCM’s values and employment philosophy, you will lead, motivate and manage a team of talented professionals and consultants based in Ottawa that will plan, budget, implement, monitor and report on program activities. You will also foster and nurture working relationships with your peers at Infrastructure Canada (INFC), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), with FCM’s board members and GMF’s Council members, and with other strategic partners, including Canadian provincial and territorial municipal associations.

Why GMF is the place for you

At GMF, we empower our people to create change where it has the most impact – municipalities. GMF is a $1.6 billion permanent endowment from the Government of Canada, managed at arm's length, making it nimble and available for higher-risk, higher-impact initiatives. A further $530M investment into GMF to support the National Adaptation Strategy was announced in November 2022. Our team is committed to helping local governments switch to sustainable practices faster. GMF is the cornerstone program of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

Our unique mix of funding, resources, and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resiliency — and create better lives for Canadians. Through GMF, municipalities have reduced carbon emissions; built better transportation assets; constructed efficient and resilient buildings; diverted waste from landfill; made previously unusable land available for development; and improved soil and water quality.

What you’ll be doing

The Project Director, Adaptation in Action (Track 2) will:

• Lead and supervise your team’s annual work planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting processes, and risk management, ensuring the achievement of results in compliance with the GMF funding agreement, corporate reporting requirements and FCM’s Financial Accountability Framework.
• Responsible for implementation of the Track 2 Results-based Management Framework (RBMF) including a Risk Management Framework and a Performance Management Framework.
• Model the behaviours needed to support staff through the GMF reorganization, working collaboratively with Sr. Managers of supporting units.
• Lead and supervise the equity-informed design of Track 2 of the Adaptation program working collaboratively with the Project Director, MAMP & Climate-ready Plans and Processes (Track 1) and GMF's senior leaders for Track 3 (Financing Adaptation) and GMF’s directors and senior management team to ensure alignment across the Adaptation program.
• Collaborate with the Adaptation Management team in strategic engagement of critical stake- and rights-holders throughout the program design phase including a GMF Council working group, meeting the established design decision gates leading up to April 2024.
• Provide overall strategic leadership and direction to the Track 2 team, recruiting all necessary resources to meet the needs and required service levels for this program.

Why working here rocks

We prioritize work-life balance with our flexible model:

• While you do need to live in Canada for this role, you can primarily work from home. Travel may be required to Head Office in Ottawa periodically. The majority of the GMF team operates from the National Capital Region.
• When we say flexible work model, we mean that in collaboration with your manager and based on what your team needs, you have the flexibility to determine when you work so that you can enjoy a healthy balance between work and personal demands.
• We do like to visit the areas we are impacting and it allows us to see unique and wonderful parts of our country. You may find yourself traveling nationally 10-15% of the time.

We don’t just talk about employee wellness, we live it:

• Competitive range of employee benefits and services
• Flexible work arrangements to support productivity and well-being
• Summer hours between July 1 and Labour Day:
• Every Friday off in the summer
• 7-hour workdays rather than 7.5
• Office facilities located in the Byward Market and Ottawa’s downtown core
• Commitment to employee development

We’re committed to fostering an organizational culture that embraces equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, where individuals from diverse racial and ethnic identities, nationalities, social economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and physical and mental abilities can thrive and be fully engaged at their best level.

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.

Your skills make us better

You bring:

Education

• Master’s degree in public administration, engineering, urban planning, program management, or related field or equivalent education or experience in climate adaptation.

Experience

• Strong verbal and written communication, interpersonal, negotiation, representation and influencing skills.
• Strong leadership, teambuilding, mediation, mentoring and coaching experience to support the development of effective and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong experience in capacity building and grant allocation projects, adult education, and the transfer of skills and knowledge.
• This position requires 10 years of relevant experience in strategic project management of multi-million dollarmillion-dollar capacity building programs, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior role.
• Superior results-based project management experience including work planning, budgetary processes, resource allocation, program management, program evaluation, reporting & risk management.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of integrating equity considerations into program design.
• Knowledge of FCM, its strategic directions and local government is an asset.
• Strong financial acumen in developing and managing a multi-million dollar budget and experience managing a dynamic portfolio of publicly funded projects.
• Expert knowledge in climate adaptation and mitigation with relevant experience delivering climate adaptation initiatives in the public sector, preferably with local governments and other sectors relevant to the program.
• Strong networks of key stakeholders in Canada who are strategic for infrastructure asset management skills building and policy development.
• Strong knowledge in capacity building approaches, adult education, and the transfer of skills and knowledge.
• Good knowledge of project monitoring and evaluation approaches, frameworks, tools.

Competencies:

• High level of commitment, integrity, fairness, transparency and demonstration of work-life balance.
• Strong results-based project management skills including budgetary processes, resource allocation, program evaluation, program management, reporting and strategic planning.
• Excellent strategic agility and creativity to develop innovative programing, develop and maintain networks, and take timely action to generate, leverage or expand opportunities.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, negotiation, presentation and influencing skills to influence and engage with diverse audiences.
• Strong leadership, teambuilding, mentoring and coaching skills, ability to optimize staff capacities and lead a highly collaborative, dynamic team with clear performance expectations and in an outcomes-focused, real-time, client service environment.

How to apply

If this role speaks to you and the impact you want to make, we’d love to hear from you! Apply today.

Fine print

The benefits to joining the FCM team include summer hours (Fridays off between July 1st and Labour Day); office facilities located in the ByWard Market, FCM’s commitment to employee development and a competitive range of employee benefits and services. FCM encourages flexible work arrangements to support the wellbeing and productivity of employees.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is committed to fostering an organizational culture that embraces equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, where individuals from diverse racial and ethnic identities, nationalities, social economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and physical and mental abilities can thrive and be fully engaged at their best level.

FCM welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.

The future of work at FCM includes a hybrid work model; therefore, this role will be a combination of virtual and on-site work. The successful candidate is required live in and be authorized to work in Canada. They are also required to be able to work from home/remotely, from within Canada.

For additional information on this posting, or for further information on FCM, access our website at www.fcm.ca. Visit the careers section of our website to apply. The deadline for applications is August 7, 2023.

We thank all candidates for their interest; however, we will only contact those selected for an interview. All the applications will be kept on file for six months following the hiring.