Senior Manager, Client and Funding Services - Net Zero Acceleration

Who we are at FCM:

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of local governments, representing their interests with the federal government.

With over 2,000 members, including Canada’s largest cities, small urban areas, rural and remote communities, as well as 20 provincial and territorial municipal associations, FCM represents more than 90% of the country’s population. Through its advocacy, funding offers and diverse programs, FCM’s work has a direct impact on Canadians’ quality of life.

At FCM, we are committed to making the communities Canadians live in more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable. We aspire to be deeply respectful, collaborative, empowering and inclusive. All leaders in the organization embrace these values, the corporate culture and the passion for FCM’s mission.

About This Role:

Reporting to the Director, Client and Funding Services (CFS), the Senior Manager, CFS is responsible for functional and strategic leadership, planning activities and management of all aspects of the Program to which they are assigned in direct funding offers of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF). The goal is to ensure strategic development, systems oversight, communication of cascading organizational messages, due diligence in process and controls, alignment with corporate strategic priorities, and right-sizing within operations to funding offers, in addition to providing strategic prioritization on mission critical change initiatives that ultimate impact the client funding journey. The Senior Manager also ensures that there is capturing and reporting on critical client feedback, looking for trends and patterns that may inform continuous improvement, reduce process inefficiencies, and enhance client value delivery.

The Senior Manager, CFS leads their unit’s work to ensure that the funding products and associated processes are aligned to client needs. The Senior Manager also plays an active role in understanding how to lever additional investments into municipal sustainability projects beyond those being directly supported by GMF funding to enable broad replication and mobilization of environmental solutions in the municipal sector. The Senior Manager, CFS, serves as a leader in internal and external brokering of agreements to ensure that GMF supports and ensures the success of the most transformative opportunities.

What you’ll be doing:

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for the overall leadership of the funding and outreach staff within their respective unit, which includes but is not limited to formulating and implementing goals and objectives that align with the Program’s goals and objectives, the direct management of staff, recruitment, employee development, coaching, performance improvement planning, terminations, annual performance evaluations, supporting budget development inspiring a shared vision within the unit, fostering an equitable environment, continuous process improvement and encouraging clear communication of messaging to the unit.
• Provides leadership in the development and management of innovative funding programs that meet all compliance requirements of GMF’s relevant funding agreements, delivers on business objectives, and provides optimal value to GMF’s clients and stakeholders;
• Oversees the team’s strategy and Annual Plan development with the relevant Programs Directors and works with the team to meet overall funding approval target, withdrawal rates, disbursement metrics as well as other key metrics.
• Works with the Director, CFS, in facilitating key business and legal decisions in agreement templates and negotiations.
• Oversees quarterly and annual reporting as it relates to funding initiatives. Carefully monitors the funding performance and ensures that annual and long-term funding targets are met in a way that derives maximum results for the program.
• Ensures clear objectives, cascaded from the wider GMF Objectives and Key Results, that best support achievement of strategic objectives and builds and fosters a performance culture that consistently achieves these objectives.
• Identifies bottlenecks and redundant steps in client service delivery and proposes improvements aligned with Lean thinking.
• Participates in rapid feedback loops (e.g., after-action reviews or process huddles) to integrate lessons learned into practice.
• Oversees funding delivery processes and communication strategies to under served communities in a manner consistent with principles of Reconciliation, Anti-racism, equity, and inclusion.
• Works with CFS Director, Programs, and Marketing and Communications to ensure effective participation in outreach events and activities, according to the Program’s goals and objectives, as specified in the GMF Strategic Plan.
• Monitors and responds to pipeline (under or oversubscriptions, regional balances, in the deployment of outreach resources, as appropriate, to address any gaps or needs.

Knowledge and Experience

• University degree in Business Administration, Finance, Engineering or Environmental Sciences, or related field. MBA or Masters’ degree is considered an asset;
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in funding programs or project management with demonstrated knowledge and experience in project funding, including a minimum of 4 years of experience leading professional teams of staff;
• Strong knowledge and experience in the financial and legal aspects of contract negotiation;
• Process improvement: Experience applying Lean or Six Sigma principles to streamline service delivery,reduce waste, and improve client experience.
• Strong people leadership skills (influencing, coaching, challenging, motivating) and ability to delegate,monitor and follow up on projects;
• A proven track record of negotiating complex deals;
• A good understanding of emerging environmental solutions relevant to the municipal sector;
• Strong knowledge of public policy, priorities, trends and delivery mechanisms related to sustainabledevelopment and the environment with emphasis at the municipal level;
• Strong client service orientation;
• Financing experience involving Canadian municipalities and their partners is considered an asset;
• Exceptional leading and initiating skills; can proactively develop strategies and align resources to meet future needs;
• Exceptional strategic/conceptual skills;
• Excellent interpersonal skills including negotiation, conflict resolution and the ability to influence to get results;
• Excellent judgment and decision making skills;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including group presentations;
• The ability to work in both official languages (English and French) is an asset.

Additional information

• This posting is for an existing position
• This posting is a temporary contract for maternity leave coverage.

What we offer:

We offer a flexible work model grounded in accountability, collaboration, and delivering results. It is designed to support both performance and well‑being. While work is primarily virtual, occasional travel to our Head Office in Ottawa is expected. The majority of the team is based in the National Capital Region.

Where applicable, you may also have opportunities to travel across Canada to engage with the communities we support and better understand the impact of our work.

Employee experience and supports:

We are committed to creating an environment where people can do their best work while maintaining a healthy balance including:

• Flexible work arrangements that support productivity and collaboration
• Summer schedule (July 1 to Labour Day): 7-hour workdays
• Fridays off, aligned with team and operational needs

• Ongoing commitment to employee development
• Comprehensive range of employee benefits and services designed to support employee wellbeing and development. Please note: details and eligibility may vary depending on the role
• Modern office space in Ottawa’s ByWard Market and downtown core

We’re committed to fostering an organizational culture that embraces equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, where individuals from diverse racial and ethnic identities, ages, 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.

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 within 80kms of downtown Ottawa, unless otherwise specified, and be authorized to work in Canada.

As part of our recruitment process, we use automated artificial intelligence tools to screen applicants. All AI-generated assessments are reviewed and validated by our People and Culture team.