Senior Manager, Strategic Projects and Governance (18 month backfill position)

POSITION TYPE: Part-time (time may flex from 0.6 to 1.0 FTE depending on needs), fixed term (18 months with the possibility of extension). Some weekends and evenings required a few times during the year as it relates to committee and Board meetings.

REPORTS TO (TITLE): Executive Director

LOCATION: Our office is in downtown Vancouver; however, we provide the option to work remotely from anywhere in BC. 

OFFICE ACCESSIBILITY: Our office is located on the 15th floor of a building with elevator access. Washrooms are gender neutral. The office has a dedicated Privacy room that is bookable and can be used for rest, sensory reduction, prayer, nursing, or other needs.

SALARY: $145,715 to $186,191 per year based on experience. We expect someone new to the Foundation to start at the lower end of this range.

ABOUT THE LAW FOUNDATION OF BC

The Law Foundation of British Columbia (the Foundation) invests in work that empowers people and strengthens communities, aimed at creating a future where systems of law and justice support all people to live and thrive in dignity.

The Foundation makes grants using funds arising from the interest paid on lawyers’ pooled trust accounts and other sources.

Through its funding, the Foundation supports many programs and services that seek to promote justice for people at both an individual and systemic level. This includes funding to support a network of civil legal aid services for low income people, to provide legal research and education, and to support public access to legal information, to name a few.

Working at the Foundation means joining a team of passionate, hard-working professionals. We are committed to building and supporting an inclusive and respectful working environment, where all employees are valued for their contributions to our mission, and feel a sense of safety, dignity, and belonging.

We offer a comprehensive benefits program, which includes:

• generous health and dental coverage for employees, their spouses, and dependents


• 4 weeks’ annual vacation to start, and late December office closure


• additional paid time off for Indigenous Leave for Ceremonial, Cultural, and Spiritual events and practice


• family friendly workplace policies, parental leave top-ups, life insurance plan, and a workplace culture with an overarching emphasis on wellness and work life balance


• RRSP contribution of 6% of salary without matching requirement


• annual wellness spending account for each employee


• generous care days (sick leave) entitlement


• flexible work arrangements


• relevant professional fees and memberships covered


• training and professional development opportunities

In its hiring practices, the Foundation strongly encourages applications from members of communities that are marginalized or that experience structural discrimination. This includes those who are Indigenous, racialized, members of non-dominant ethnic, religious, linguistic or cultural groups, newcomers, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The Foundation believes that a workforce that represents the diversity of the communities we serve strengthens our ability to achieve our mission.

The Foundation’s main office is located in Vancouver on the shared lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and conducts its work throughout the homelands of Indigenous peoples across the place we now call British Columbia. The Law Foundation of BC is committed to supporting a just and meaningful reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and others in these lands.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Senior Manager, Strategic Projects and Governance (“SMSPG”) is part of a dynamic team that supports the organization to create, amplify, and support innovative solutions to difficult access to justice challenges and systemic inequities that affect the well-being of diverse communities in British Columbia.

Reporting and working closely with the Executive Director, the SMSPG’s primary responsibility is the continuous improvement of the Law Foundation of BC’s (Law Foundation) systems and governance, including structural changes resulting from the anticipated Legal Professions Act. The SMSPG will help to lead a number of mission-critical projects under the direction of the Executive Director and in collaboration with the Law Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team.

The Law Foundation is at an exciting moment in its history, with opportunities in all areas of its work to breathe life into its Strategic Plan. It is also in a period of growth following structural and operational change to respond to the new challenges it faces.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The SMSPG’s portfolio of active projects will be set by the Executive Director, in consultation with the Senior Leadership Team members with whom the SMSPG collaborates on projects. The SMSPG’s portfolio will change based on the evolving needs of the Law Foundation, and initially, is expected to focus on: 

Governance:

• Support the Executive Director to lead the Law Foundation's governance reform initiative, managing the project from assessment through implementation, coordinating with the Governance Working Group, and coordinating across staff and board members to ensure timely progress and clear accountability;


• Research and synthesize trends in philanthropic and nonprofit governance, identifying wise and emerging practices relevant to the Law Foundation's context;


• Facilitate structured consultations with staff, board members, and other stakeholders as necessary to assess current governance structures and surface opportunities for improvement;


• Develop recommendations for governance changes, including revised structures, policies, and processes, and present these clearly to the Senior Leadership Team and where necessary support the presentation of these to the Board;


• Support the Senior Leadership Team in implementing approved governance changes, including drafting or updating policies, coordinating approvals, and tracking adoption;


• Support the development and implementation of a board engagement plan; and


• Monitor and report on Board engagement. 

Structural change:

• Serve as the operational lead for the implementation of the Law Foundation's absorption of the Notary Foundation, managing a detailed project plan through to completion;


• Track progress across all workstreams, proactively identify risks and delays, and escalate issues to senior leadership as appropriate;


• Directly carry out implementation tasks as required, stepping in as a hands-on contributor across legal, operational, communications, and governance workstreams;


• Coordinate and communicate with internal teams, board members, and external stakeholders — including legal counsel, auditors, other Foundations and regulators — to keep the project on track; and


• Maintain thorough documentation of decisions, action items, and project milestones throughout the absorption process. 

There may be other duties as assigned by the Executive Director. 

The SMSPG will regularly brief the Executive Director and Senior Leadership Team on the status of the projects they are managing. The SMSPG may also be asked to join Law Foundation working groups or committees. 

ABOUT YOU

The SMSPG must have a combination of the following (or equivalent) education and experience:

• 10+ years of demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects from initiation through completion in large institutions, whether corporate, government or not-for-profit;


• Advanced degree in a related discipline or equivalent relevant experience such as public administration, nonprofit management, law, business, or a related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered. A law degree is not required but could be an asset in combination with other experience;


• Leadership-level experience developing and implementing change management projects in a larger institutional context;


• Experience developing and maintaining detailed project plans, tracking progress against deliverables, and providing clear status reporting to senior leadership;


• Experience working with or supporting boards of directors, governance committees, and senior leadership teams;


• Familiarity with nonprofit and/or philanthropic governance; and


• Formal project management training or certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent) is an asset but not required 

The SMSPG would benefit from the following skills, abilities and attributes:

• Strong commitment to the Law Foundation’s vision, mission, and values;


• Ability to demonstrate strong leadership, good judgment, and strong ethics;


• Ability to further the Law Foundation’s work to strengthen structural inclusion through an anti-racist, intersectional approach based in a shared commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion;


• Intercultural competency, cultural humility, and experience working in an environment that works to affirm the rights of disadvantaged and marginalized groups such as Indigenous peoples, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, and/or women and children;


• Indigenous relations cultural competencies, including:
  
  
  
  • showing courage and conviction in advocating for change within institutions for the betterment of Indigenous peoples, including stepping forward from a place of humility, respect, and knowledge to name needed change and to advocate for it; and
  
  
  • demonstrating cultural humility, agility, empathy, and sustained learning and development.
  
  


• Proven ability to manage projects with interdependent workstreams, competing priorities, and firm deadlines, ideally in a nonprofit, philanthropic, or public sector environment;


• Comfort operating in a dual role — both as a project manager overseeing the work of others and as a direct contributor who takes on substantive tasks themselves;


• Strong research and knowledge translation skills;


• Experience developing policy and guidance documents, and communications products for a wide range of stakeholders; 


• Proven track record of achieving change through creative thinking, and ability to manage change including planning, building support, communication, and addressing resistance to change in a way that promotes successful implementation;


• Excellent written and oral communication skills, especially the ability to explain one’s views clearly;


• Ability to gather and apply feedback from staff, the Board of Governors, external committees (such as the Indigenous Advisory Committee) external advisors, and others;


• High attention to detail;


• Directness and openness in giving and receiving feedback;


• Orientation towards improving organizational practices;


• Flexibility and adaptability;


• Ability to get things done either via delegation or directly;


• Must be extremely well organized and able to prioritize tasks;


• Ability to work independently and as part of team;


• Discretion and ability to handle confidential issues;


• Effective at building trusting relationships internally and externally;


• Self-reflective, critical thinker about their work and the team’s work, with an aim to improve systems and outcomes;


• Excellent and sensitive interpersonal skills, including an ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas, share best practices and experiences, and contribute to a learning environment;


• Commitment to creating and reinforcing a transparent, accountable, mutually respectful collaborative work environment;


• Ability to manage own workload, recognizing both the reality of external events beyond our control and the Law Foundation’s desire and commitment to fostering a heathy workplace which supports employees with a range of family structures and personal commitments;


• Demonstrated proficiency and knowledge with project management platforms and workplace platforms (e.g. Asana, MS 365, or similar), and the ability to quickly learn and adapt to new digital tools that support collaboration;


• Ability to understand and navigate applicable regulatory requirements; and


• Ability to understand the Law Foundation’s role in supporting justice services and initiatives in BC. 

WORK CONDITIONS

Primarily work remotely from home, but ability to be on-site at the Foundation’s office or other locations for team meetings and gatherings.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please submit the following through this application portal:

• Resume (upload as PDF)


• Cover letter (upload as PDF)


• Three references who can speak to your skills and experience (the experiences may be paid or unpaid). Please enter these directly into the provided fields in the portal. The Foundation may request that a candidate provide supplemental references if required. We will not contact these references without providing you notice, and not until a later stage of the hiring process.

Interviews will be conducted by three to four Foundation staff by video. The Foundation typically uses MS Teams and could also set up interviews on other video platforms like Zoom. The Foundation will make appropriate accommodations, if needed, for candidates that we interview. Candidates need not disclose their reasons for accommodation requests.

To support candidate considerations around accommodations, here are some examples of past accommodations that the Foundation has provided:

• Extending interview times for candidates


• Planned breaks during the interview


• Supporting candidates using assistive technologies to reference or take notes during the interview

The Foundation provides interview questions 48 hours in advance of scheduled interview times, by email, so that candidates may prepare in a manner that suits them. For each interview conducted by the Foundation, candidates are compensated for one hour of preparation time and one hour spent in an interview, at a rate of $120 per hour. Compensation is sent by way of e-transfer.

We will review applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. This position will remain open until filled.

By submitting your application, you certify that all information submitted is true, complete and correct. Any information provided in your application, any assessment documents or processes and/or an interview that is found to be false or misrepresented in any respect, may eliminate you from further consideration for employment or may result in dismissal.