Project Officer, Funding-Gmf Jobs

Background

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has been the national voice of municipal government since 1901. FCM is dedicated to improving the quality of life in all communities by promoting strong, effective, and accountable municipal government. FCM aspires to be an organization that is deeply respectful, collaborative, empowering and transparent in our work. We have a commitment and passion for strengthening Canada by achieving results for our communities, our cities, and our workplace, and by sharing our knowledge and experience on the world stage, so that others may improve the quality of life in their communities.

The cornerstone FCM Program is the Green Municipal Fund™ (GMF), a $1 billion permanent endowment from the Government of Canada. GMF helps local governments switch to sustainable practices faster. Our unique mix of funding, resources and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resiliency — and create better lives for Canadians. As a leading catalyst for innovation, GMF offers funding (loans and grants) and knowledge for sustainable municipal initiatives designed to support communities to improve air, water, soil quality, and to protect the climate. Through GMF, municipalities have 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. You can find out more about how we’re helping municipalities in this short video or by taking a read of GMF’s Annual Report.

Major Purpose

The Project Officer provides assistance and guidance to applicants to the GMF loan and granting process, while providing superior client service in all phases of the funding life-cycle. The Project Officer is responsible for reviewing applications for quality, completeness and adherence to application criteria, summarizing peer review assessments and recommending files for approval by our board. The Project Officer is also responsible for guiding FCM and funding recipients through the contract negotiation, execution, and disbursement processes. In short, the project officer will follow the development and implementation of the funded projects with our clients.

The Project Officer role embodies FCM’s commitment to being a healthy, diverse, inclusive and anti-racist organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Writes and reviews application summaries and prepares recommendations for funding and is prepared to answer questions. This may involve reviewing translated presentation documents as required.
• Responsible for the overall preparation and administration of funding agreements and contracts within the assigned portfolio, which includes consulting with clients on contract terms, negotiating where required, reviewing and finalizing agreements and obtaining applicable signatures.
• Reviews and recommends disbursement requests, eligibility of project invoices, and content of progress and final reports, based on contract requirements.
• Participates as required in cross-functional team project work for GMF, FCM Programs department or in FCM-wide initiatives.
• Reviews contracts for adherence against mandatory requirements and applicable provincial legislation, ensures that it reflects the pre-approved terms and conditions, and submits for processing.
• Facilitates and supports the Peer Review process, including reviewing scores and comments, conducting additional research or consulting with applicants to clarify and/or elaborate content information.
• Conducts an initial review of applications for capital projects, studies, pilot projects and plans for adherence to eligibility criteria and mandatory requirements.
• Provides assistance and guidance to applicants with a view to improving technical & economical viability and increasing the possibility of funding, which includes sharing relevant knowledge products and capacity building resources, and providing information of importance to finalizing funding agreements or contracts.
• Communicates with direct supervisor and other internal units (Legal, Communications, Finance) to provide status updates on files, consult on complex contract negotiations, and report any significant changes in disbursement timing and cash flow changes.
• Contributes to ongoing process improvements in application and contracting process with a focus on improving client service. This may include reviewing new application forms and developing/updating tools and templates for applicants.
• Prepares and defends recommendations following approval, which may include contract amendments, scope changes and closure memos.
• Acts as primary client contact on a portfolio of applications and funding agreements through the project cycle, responsible for internal and external communications, document review, keeping accurate and up to date records, and ensuring timely processing.
• Reviews project and in some cases, environmental result reports to identify significant results or lessons learned which may be used as case studies or to support the development of knowledge/communication products, and shares relevant information with other teams (Communications and Marketing, Knowledge and Sector Development, Impact Research and Performance).

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Strong organizational skills, priority management skills, and ability to manage multiple files.
• Sound judgment.
• Excellent client service skills.
• Experience working with local governments and conservation authorities is an advantage.
• University degree in an environmental science, engineering, planning, or related discipline.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong knowledge and experience in one or more technical areas of sustainable community development (energy, water, municipal solid waste, transportation, brownfields, and planning) is ideal.
• Minimum of 3 - 5 years of professional experience in project management/evaluation, ideally related to one or more technical sustainable community development area, and in a client focused role.
• Detail oriented and strong analytical skills.

Language Requirements

• The ability to work in both official languages is an asset

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.

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 September 21, 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.