Vancouver, BC (remote-friendly) ● Full-time ● Desired start date: Late Aug/early Sep

Location
Vancouver, BC — work from home in Lower Mainland with in-person community presence expected
Commitment
Full-time (as Contractor, then Staff)
Reports To
Board of Directors
Compensation
$75,000 – 95,000 CAD
Deadline
Applications reviewed as received until August 14th
Apply To hiring@roundtablesociety.ca

The Opportunity

As our volunteer, working board transitions to a governance board, and we are looking for our first Executive Director to lead the organization through the changes and into its next chapter.

This will be our first Executive Director, leading us through a critical period of bringing our work to life and building the organization that will support it. They will be coming into a small, mission-driven organization with a clear direction, a newly launched set of programs, and a supportive board that is transitioning out of operations into a governance board.

This is a chance to build something — not to maintain something.
They will lead RES’s programs and operations, hold relationships with funders and community partners. They will report to and work closely with the Board of Directors as they transition from a volunteer, working board to a governance board.

The Role

Leadership & Organizational Direction

• Lead RES’s day-to-day operations and strategic direction in alignment with the board’s strategic plan
• Support the transition from a working board to a governance board — building the structures and documentation that make this possible
• Hire and manage staff members, fostering a culture consistent with RES’s values
• Community & Relationships
• Grow RES’s network with intentionality, prioritizing Black-led, Indigenous-led, and equity-seeking organizations; maintaining trust-based, non-transactional relationships with our partners
• Ensure RES’s work is accountable to the communities, not just to funders
• Represent RES at sector events, convenings, and community gatherings
• Funding & Sustainability
• Manage existing funder relationships, including Law Foundation of BC and Vancouver Foundation
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities aligned with community-defined needs and consistent with the inverted grantmaking model
• Lead grant writing and reporting
• Ensure charitable purpose alignment and compliance with support from legal counsel (Miller Thomson)

Leadership & Organizational Direction

• Leadership & Organizational Direction
• Oversee the launch and implementation of RES’s three 2026 programs: the Community Mobilization Micro-Grant, the research program, and the inverted grantmaking model
• Hire program staff to carry out key program implementation
• Hold relationships with program partners, research cohort organizations, and community stakeholders
• Ensure program activities align with RES’s charitable purposes and CRA obligations

Operations

• Oversee and lead as required the development of the systems, structures, and resources that will enable RES to mature beyond our start-up phase
• Develop RES’ annual budget and oversee all financial management
• Lead the transition of RES’ people strategy from independent contractors to employees, including putting in place relevant employment policies, benefits, etc
• Oversee general operations, including risk and insurance needs
• Who we’re looking for
• We are looking for someone who shares our belief that the charitable sector, as it exists, is inequitable — and who is excited to build RES. You might come from the non-profit sector, from community organizing, from philanthropy, or from somewhere else entirely. We value your perspectives on JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), your relationship to the community, and your ability to learn as well as lead. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and racialized people; people with disabilities; LGBTQIA2S+ people; and others with lived/living experience of marginalization.
• If you meet most of our core requirements and have alignment with RES’s values of building trust-based relationships, committing to anti-oppression, and challenging the status quo of traditional philanthropy, please apply.
• Core Skills
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and building systems where few exist
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively alongside a small, distributed team
• Strong relationship-building skills and experience working with or within BIPOC-led, grassroots, or equity-seeking organizations in BC
• Experience in a leadership or coordination role in the non-profit, charitable, or community sector
• Strong judgment in establishing priorities
• Experience with grant writing, funder reporting, and/or program development
• Strong judgment and 3+ years’ experience in managing people, money, and risk (both paid and volunteer experience considered)

Assets (Preferred, but not required)

• Familiarity with CRA rules for registered charities and the Canadian philanthropic sector
• Knowledge of trust-based philanthropy, participatory grantmaking, or community-based research
• Experience with and/or knowledge of non-profit governance
• Lived/living experience of the barriers that RES exists to dismantle

How to apply

Send an email to hiring@roundtablesociety.ca with the subject line “Executive Director — [Your Name].”

Please include:

• A cover letter* (or equivalent) telling us why you’re drawn to this role, what you’d bring to RES, and when you would be available to start
• A resume or equivalent summary of relevant experience
• Optional: Three references (name and contact info) who can speak to your experience and potential for this role. This can be provided later in the hiring process.
• Optional: Any questions you have for us

If ‘traditional’ cover letters are inaccessible to you, you are also welcomed to send in a video (3 mins max), slideshow, or something else that can be reviewed by the hiring committee. We’re less concerned about format or grammar, and more interested in getting to know you and why you’re applying.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis up to a deadline of August 14th. We hope to have someone in place by late August or early September. We will be in touch with all applicants.

The Hiring Process

The hiring team may adapt the recruitment process as needed in order to understand candidates’ potential to succeed in this role. Currently, we anticipate that this selection process will move quite quickly, including:

1. A short (~30 mins) phone screening call
2. An interview via video call with questions provided
3. A practical round (modest honorarium offered)

We are committed to an accessible hiring process. If you need any accommodations to apply or participate in the selection process, please let us know.