Program Officer

Executive Director

The Sitka Foundation ("Sitka" or "the Foundation") is a private foundation with a mission to catalyze the conservation of the environment and the protection of biodiversity. It is based in Vancouver, B.C., with grants in international, national, and regional domains. This position will work closely with the British Columbian granting programs.

Sitka is looking to fill a new, permanent, full-time position to join the philanthropy team. The Program Officer (Grants and Impact) will work with the Foundation’s granting team to research, facilitate and direct grantmaking in general and with a specific portfolio of established grants focused on local stewardship for nature, biodiversity journalism, and engagement of conservation leadership. This position will also lead Sitka’s internal program of impact evaluation and will support the Foundation’s philanthropic programs overall.

• Manage a portfolio of grants to manage in its entirety (from genesis to closure) and lead relationships with grant partners, reporting to an assigned portfolio budget.
• Participatory grantmaking and trust-based philanthropic practices are core to this portfolio
• Management of wrap-around support is also crucial to the success of this portfolio (legal, consultants, facilitation, event planning, storytelling, etc.).
• Support other work of the philanthropy team - operationally and relationally.
• Work with grant partners in ways that support Sitka’s core values: efficient and transparent grantmaking, caring, collaborative and transparent, with deep listening skills.
• Research creative opportunities in the charitable sector that align with Sitka’s goals.
• Monitor grants to ensure compliance with CRA’s charitable rules and regulations.

• Design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive evaluation plan and MEL framework for the Foundation's current strategy.
• Share the story of learning (e.g. via accessible reports and impact narratives for internal stakeholders, the board, and grant partners) and represent the Foundation at external events.

• Support the philanthropic team with administrative or operational elements during internal, board, and external meetings and events.
• Synthesize evaluation and portfolio granting lessons for strong reflection and storytelling.
• Apply an integrated approach when using capital-based tools to achieve the mission of the organization with other members of the Foundation (e.g. grants, investments, etc).
• Lead ad hoc, strategic and learning projects generally aligned with the grants portfolio.
• Positively contribute to the Foundation’s curious and hard-working team.

• Demonstrated experience in grants program management (5-7 years as a program/grants manager with preference in the philanthropic sector).
• A degree in a field related to biodiversity, supported by a deep understanding of solutions to the biodiversity and nature crisis, particularly in Western Canada, is a strong asset. An advanced degree is an additional asset.
• Experience with monitoring, measurement, evaluation and learning.
• Good relationship management and networking skills. Facilitation skills are an asset.
• Skilled in gathering input from grant partners and the application/synthesis of learning.
• Strong understanding of the environmental funding landscape in BC and how it is impacted by government, industry, and philanthropy.
• Exceptional communication, organization, and interpersonal skills.
• Superb listening, writing, and research skills with self-initiative and creativity.
• Comfort working in small teams with high independence and a demonstrated ability to manage multiple demands, external…