Chief Executive Officer

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) is seeking their next Chief Executive Officer. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will oversee all aspects of the organization and will be responsible for the implementation of CanWaCH’s vision, mission and mandate in accordance with organizational policies and the highest standards of not-for-profit operations.

Working closely with the senior management team, the CEO will serve as the key liaison between CanWaCH’s Board, staff, key strategic partners and funders, and member organizations. The CEO will have overall accountability for organizational revenue and risk management, as well as effective implementation of the strategic plan, including development and execution of programming and stakeholder engagement. Key priorities in 2025/2026 will be leading the development and execution of a new five-year strategic plan, renewing some major funder agreements, and strengthening the team’s program management capacity.

This is a particularly dynamic and challenging moment for the international development sector at large, with far-reaching implications for the health of women and children around the world. CanWaCH recognizes that the path forward will not be business as usual. As the geopolitical landscape continues to shift, CanWaCH has a vital role to play in supporting its members, domestic and international partners, the Canadian government and other global health funders in navigating these changes and challenges. CanWaCH’s new CEO, staff and volunteer leaders have the opportunity to drive meaningful, lasting progress for the women and children worldwide.

ABOUT CanWaCH

With an annual budget of approximately $4 million, the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) is a proud coalition of more than 100 members, including non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, health professional associations and private companies committed to advancing the health and rights of women, children and adolescents globally. Together, CanWaCH represents Canada in championing the health rights and needs of the world’s most marginalized people.

With projects in communities around the world, CanWaCH members form a cohesive network that works together to enhance the sector’s ability to coordinate efforts, innovate approaches, and amplify diverse perspectives through thought leadership and evidence-to-action initiatives. CanWaCH is all about the power of partnership – our members and partners united together and working alongside women and children around the globe. CanWaCH leverages this collective power by connecting experts and providing access to knowledge and resources to strengthen impact.

MISSION:

CanWaCH unites the expertise and commitment of Canadian organizations and individuals to advance the health and rights of women, children and adolescents globally.

VISION:

A world where women, children and adolescents, in all their diversity, realize their right to thrive in full health.

VALUES

• Human Rights – CanWaCH is committed to a human rights-based approach that upholds the inherent right to the highest attainable standard of health through participatory, inclusive, transparent, and responsive processes. CanWaCH is dedicated to understanding how overlapping root causes of inequality, discrimination, and marginalization continue to threaten the health and rights of women, children and adolescents.
• Partnership – CanWaCH is committed to placing inclusive partnerships at the heart of our work and to harnessing the collective ability to achieve stronger results together than any individual or organization can achieve alone. The organization is dedicated to pursuing best practices in forming partnerships and demonstrating these practices in the day-to-day.
•  Accountability – CanWaCH is committed to openness and transparency and to linking resources to results, outcomes, and impacts. The organization is dedicated to standing behind the experience and leadership of partners from the Global South in the development of transformative approaches to health.
• Gender Equality – CanWaCH is committed to respecting and prioritizing the agency, voices and individuality of people of all genders, particularly those facing discrimination because of their gender. The organization is dedicated to gender-transformative and responsive approaches to health by recognizing the underlying inequalities and power dynamics that hinder access to healthcare and progress on good health overall.

With a current team of 18 people, CanWaCH is a virtual organization, with employees working from home offices in different locations across Canada. This creative working environment gives the team the flexibility that they need to do their jobs effectively. It also allows CanWaCH to find talented people from across the country to work towards the shared vision of a world where every woman and child thrives. The team uses multiple cloud-based technology solutions to find efficiency, effectiveness and collaboration in their work and in day-to-day interactions. The full CanWaCH team typically gathers in person 3-4 times per year, ensuring opportunities for planning, reflection and connection.

CanWaCH WORKING GROUPS

CanWaCH focuses on three core pillars to work towards a vision of a world where every woman, every newborn and every child survives and thrives. These are knowledge exchange, measuring results and stakeholder engagement. Peer-nominated Working Groups of Canadian experts take these core pillars from theory to action.

• Gender Equality Working Group – provides advice and support to CanWaCH staff, as well as leadership within the broader CanWaCH partnership.
• Metrics Working Group – Pursuant to the vision, mission and strategic plan for CanWaCH, this group advises the CanWaCH Secretariat, Board of Directors, Research Nodes, Global Affairs Canada, and other key stakeholders.
• Public Engagement Working Group – provides input, expertise and advice towards CanWaCH’s public engagement coordination and outreach.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Working Group – supports CanWaCH efforts to inform and advise various Canadian stakeholders about women and children’s health globally. This includes advice on reporting, strategic priorities and resource allocation.
• Youth Working Group – provides input, expertise and advice towards CanWaCH’s youth engagement coordination and outreach.
• Public Opinion Research Working Group for Canada’s International Development Sector – this ad-hoc group supports collaboration among Canadian organizations that regularly or occasionally commission public opinion research on Canadians’ views, perspectives, beliefs and associated trends around international development broadly.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Board Support

• Work with and support the Board in the development and monitoring of a strategic plan.
• Provide the Board with regular, reliable and comparable reports on the organization’s progress to illustrate accurate and timely information related to CanWaCH’s operations, resources, risks, issues and impact.
• Ensure that the risk register is regularly updated to assess risks, threats and opportunities, and identify emerging issues or opportunities with the Board.
• Work with and support the Board Chair and Committee Chairs to ensure that the Secretariat is providing sufficient and timely support to leadership volunteers.
• Support the Board in recruiting, onboarding and engaging Board members.
• Acts as key liaison between the Board and the staff.
• Ensure that Board Policies and procedure statements are developed, updated and implemented.

Member & Public Engagement

• Oversee the development and implementation of a communication plan that informs the community of the activities and direction of the organization.
• Actively serve as the primary spokesperson for CanWaCH, seeking out public speaking opportunities to promote awareness of CanWaCH’s mission and aims.
• Participate in networking and community relations on behalf of CanWaCH.
• Work with key external stakeholder groups, building strong relationships with others, both inside and outside the organization, to enlist their support for accomplishing tasks.

Team & Volunteer Leadership

• Provide leadership and management to ensure that staff and volunteers feel proud of and engaged in their work, and are aligned with organizational values and mission.
• Along with the senior leadership team, provide effective management in a virtual environment, and ensure that all staff and contractors have clear expectations and are working productively, efficiently, and at the level and quality expected of each.
• Lead by example in supporting a collaborative and high-performing organizational culture where each person feels safe and encouraged to bring their whole self to work or volunteering.
• Ensure that staff and volunteer policies are consistently implemented, and that any issues are promptly and equitably addressed.
• Work with the senior leadership team to mentor, coach, train, assess, and support staff in reaching expectations and their full potential.

Financial & Operational Management

• Work with the senior leadership team to establish an annual operational plan with specific organizational goals and outcomes, aligned to the strategic plan, and ensure that the day-to-day operations of CanWaCH are effectively administered.
• Direct the staff’s implementation of policy, and ensure that these policies are reviewed regularly and updated as needed.
• Working with the Director of Finance, ensure compliance and the highest standards of accountability in all matters related to organizational financial resources.
• Effectively oversee the administration the CanWaCH’s funds, according to the budget approved by the Board.
• Evaluate, in broad-based terms, the potential assets and liabilities of a project, proposal, proposal or strategy.
• Ensure that financial and operational policies and protocols are consistently implemented, and that regular reporting is received and reviewed by the senior leadership team and the Board.

Program Management

• Work closely with the senior leadership team to ensure that all program areas and activities meet the Board’s policy guidelines, reflect the Board’s priorities and align with the organizational strategic plan.
• Along with the senior leadership team, ensure that programs and activities are implemented to a high level of quality and within expected budgets and timelines.
• Provide oversight to ensure that communication with and reporting back to stakeholders and funders is timely, consistent and aligned with any grant and contribution agreements
• Ensure that program review and impact assessment are undertaken and reviewed, and that appropriate adjustments are made to maximize impact and return on investment.

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• Minimum of 10 years’ progressive experience in non-profit management, coalition management and/or grant management.
• Experience in the field of international development with a strong knowledge of global health, including both the Canadian and global contexts.
• Ability to formulate and communicate a clear strategic vision for the organization that remains responsive to changing global contexts.
• Previous involvement in the development and implementation of strategic plans, and the ability to maintain strategic oversight over diverse issues important to the organization.
• Experience overseeing and implementing organizational effectiveness, innovation, operations management and organizational best practices.
• Demonstrated leadership ability and previous experience managing staff and supporting volunteer boards and/or committees, ideally in a coalition environment.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and a collaborative management style.
• Strong ability to build and sustain relationships with stakeholders, funders and partners.
• Political acuity, diplomatic style, and experience with government relations and policy shaping.
• Proven experience in seeking and developing new funding agreements with a range of diverse partners, including governments, foundations and organizations.
• Strong business acumen and financial literacy.
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, and a confident public speaker.
  • While CanWaCH staff and Board work predominantly in English, the organization includes Francophone members, funders and partners. For this reason, functional bilingualism in English and French (BBB level) is strongly preferred. Candidates lacking bilingualism will be considered so long as they commit to ongoing intensive language skill development.
• Strong commitment to human rights, social justice, equity and inclusion.
• Demonstrated commitment to high professional and ethical standards in a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• Post-secondary education in global health, international affairs, policy development, human rights, gender or other relevant areas of study, or relevant equivalent experience and education is required.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of the Canadian Partnership for Women & Children’s Health (CanWaCH). For more information about this exciting coalition leadership opportunity, please contact Tara George, Executive Consultant, at [email protected].

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence. Candidates interested in being considered for the role should please send a resume and cover letter of interest to the email address above. Please note the deadline for submission is July 24, 2025.

CanWaCH operates as a virtual organization based in Canada. However, some positions, such as the CEO role, require the employee to live within the Toronto to Quebec City corridor. This ensures easier travel to in-person meetings in Ottawa by car, train, or commuter flight.

The salary range for this role is $149,437 – $182,628 plus a comprehensive benefits package including employer RRSP contribution.

As an organization that serves to advance the health and rights of women and children around the world, CanWaCH is equally committed to creating a workplace that uplifts and upholds kindness, equity, collaboration and excellence. View full HR Policy.

CanWaCH strives to ensure that its content and services are accessible to people with disabilities. With a strong belief that every person has the right to live and access information with dignity, equality, comfort and independence, the organization is continuously investing in new ways to create a more accessible user experience on the CanWaCH website and beyond. View full Accessibility Statement.

The CanWaCH team lives, works and plays across Turtle Island. With staff spanning from Lekwungen territory in the West to Algonquin territory in the East, we pay respect to the traditional guardians of the land upon which we live and work. View full Territory Acknowledgment.