Vice President, Public Engagement

The Canadian Women’s Foundation (the Foundation) is Canada’s public foundation for gender justice and equality. It advances this by growing support for grassroots feminist action, partnering with communities and organizations to improve conditions, and building diverse leadership and knowledge for sustainable change. Through fundraising, granting, research, advocacy, and knowledge sharing, Foundation works to achieve feminist systemic change. By granting to and strengthening local community programs across Canada, the Foundation empowers women, girls and gender-diverse people to move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership. Launched in 1991 by a group of eight trail-blazing women, the Foundation addresses a critical need for philanthropy focused on women and is one of the largest women’s fundraising foundations in the world.  With the support of supporters and donors, the Foundation has raised more than $260 million to fund over 3,300 life-transforming programs across the country. As a leading voice for women, girls and gender-diverse people in Canada, Canadian Women’s Foundation is committed to getting gender equality issues front and centre in the hearts and minds of people in Canada.

It is within this context that the Canadian Women’s Foundation welcomes applications and nominations for the appointment of its Vice President, Public Engagement, commencing in the first quarter of 2025.

Reporting to President & CEO Mitzie Hunter, and as an integral member of the Senior Leadership team, the Vice President, Public Engagement is responsible for increasing the awareness of the critical issues affecting women and girls in Canada and with positioning the Canadian Women’s Foundation as the charity of choice for gender equality. To support this goal, the Vice President communicates the Foundation’s strategic priorities and impact and positions the Foundation as a thought-leader and go-to media source on gender equity, while amplifying the voices of women and girls. The Vice President will mentor, guide and support a dedicated and professional team who provide operational leadership for the portfolio. Working in collaboration with this team, the Vice President develops effective public engagement opportunities that inspire people to take action through effective proactive and reactive public and media relations activities, marketing, brand and identity management, and multi-channel digital engagement. The Vice President works across the Foundation and in partnership with their colleagues, with a dedicated focus on supporting the Foundation’s philanthropy, advocacy, and programming activities through the creation of giving campaigns, donor relations and communications, and with corporate sponsors and partners.

As the ideal candidate, you are a well respected and successful senior marketing and communications professional whose career includes both budgetary and human resources oversight. Your experience includes media and public relations, creation of thought leadership, project management, ideally from within philanthropic sector and with a national organization. Your exceptional communications skills, written and verbal, have resulted in successful campaigns with persuasive messaging across various platforms and audiences to amplify your organization’s mission; bilingualism in both of Canada’s official languages (French/English) is considered a strong asset.  As a people leader, you actively support, mentor and develop your staff team, have experience setting goals and workplans, a demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and foster a safe, accessible, and inclusive environment in your organizations. Your subject matter expertise includes extensive understanding of the key critical issues affecting diverse women, girls, Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people and the domestic feminist movement. To that end, the ideal candidate must embody what the Foundation is known for:  championing gender equality, justice goals, and feminist philanthropy and with upholding the values of inclusivity, respect, accountability and support.  

To learn more about this impactful leadership opportunity with the Canadian Women’s Foundation, please submit a comprehensive resume along with a cover letter in confidence to Jane Griffith (jane@griffithgroup.ca) and/or Caroline McLean (caroline@griffithgroup.ca). 

The Canadian Women’s Foundation is strongly committed to equity in employment and seeks to attract, select, and hire a diverse team with a high level of professional skills, passion for and belief in our vision and mission. It aims to be inclusive of diverse people across gender and sexuality spectrums. This includes people who identify as women, girls, trans, Two Spirit, genderqueer, nonbinary, and 2SLGBTQIA+. If comfortable, the Foundation encourages candidates to share information about their identities, lived experiences, and the communities they are part of in their cover letter.

All qualified candidates are welcome to apply; however, priority will be given to those legally eligible to work in Canada.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation and Griffith Group are committed to an inclusive, accessible and welcoming hiring process that provides reasonable accommodation to all applicants. Please advise Jane Griffith (jane@griffithgroup.ca) should you require any accommodation to participate in the recruitment and/or assessment processes.