Head, Northern

Position
Head, Northern

Location
Toronto, Ontario

Position Details
Full Time, Permanent

Reports To
Executive Director with a dotted line reporting to the Northern Committee of the Board

Website

The Organization
At the Weston Family Foundation (“the Foundation”), more than 60 years of philanthropy have taught us that there’s a relationship between healthy landscapes and healthy people. That’s why we champion world‑class health research and innovation with the same passion that we support initiatives to protect and restore biodiversity on our unique landscapes. We take a collaborative approach to philanthropy, working alongside forward‑thinking partners to advance Canada and create lasting impacts.

We aspire to do more than provide funding, as we enable others to find transformational ways to improve the well‑being of Canadians.

We are invested in the well‑being of all Canadians. Our national identity encompasses a wide range of perspectives, ideas, and experiences. We aspire to develop and celebrate these differences in our working strategies and overall philosophy. We strive to take a mindful, deliberate approach, and to adopt policies and practices that advance and value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the Foundation, our operations, and our extended community.

This approach is always evolving, it includes dedicating time and resources towards equitable hiring and communications, and cultivating a safe, welcoming, and accessible work environment. Our firm belief is that by taking this outlook, we will increase the beneficial impact of our philanthropy.

With a new ambitious focus on Canada’s Northern Peatlands (amongst other priority areas), the Foundation is looking for a Head, Northern to lead the design and execution of innovative programs that yield real‑world, economically sound, and timely biodiversity outcomes, at‑scale, in Canada’s northern landscapes.

Working in close partnership with the Northern Committee (a committee comprised of a subset of the Directors of the Board), this role will interface with the highest levels of government, land stewards/rights holders, critical industrial sectors, environmental not‑for‑profit/charitable entities, Indigenous and northern communities, and the full portfolio of Northern grantees. This role must serve as a convenor of people and ideas, to ensure that the Foundation’s activities in Canada’s north are externally viewed as credible, ambitious, relevant, and impactful.

The Position
The Head, Northern is a member of the Foundation’s senior leadership team. They will be responsible for deploying $16M+ of annual charitable capital towards evidence‑based, high‑risk / high‑reward programs that improve northern biodiversity outcomes, while creatively finding solutions that incorporate the competing needs of conservation action, economic sustainability, and national prosperity.

The Head, Northern develops and upholds key relationships with critical external stakeholders necessary to achieve the Foundation’s ambitious objectives in the peatlands and other priority areas.

It is expected that the Head, Northern will use the best practices set forth by the Foundation’s Executive Director and Board to position the Northern Committee’s work as best‑in‑class and uphold the Board’s strategic interests and values. This role is also regarded as a senior leader within the broader Weston organization, and where appropriate, will interface with strategic activities across the broader organization.

The Head, Northern is a seasoned, forward‑thinking professional that approaches northern biodiversity protection, with a creative and entrepreneurial mindset. They are a willing trailblazer who can chart new paths that balance risk and reward, while challenging conventional ways of working.

Candidates with direct experience working in Canada’s North are considered highly competitive.

Responsibilities
Strategic Portfolio Development

Serve as the Weston Family Foundation’s senior strategic lead overseeing the $16M+ annual portfolio focused on bolstering Canada’s northern biodiversity.

Develop evidence‑based, ambitious theories of change and associated programs focused on…