Job posting: We’re hiring a Program Director for our Data Policy Coalition!
Join the team at Powered by Data as our new Program Director!
Download a PDF version of the job posting here.
Powered by Data is a project on Tides Canada’s shared platform. Our mission is to maximize the availability and impact of data for public good, to help build a more equitable world. We pursue this mission through convening, strategy development, education, and capacity-building.
We are committed to helping build a data-informed social sector. We envision a future where data plays a key role in enabling evidence-based decision making, increasing the quality of social service delivery, and supporting efforts to advocate for equitable systems change. Over the past two years, administrative data sharing has become one of our key focus areas. To learn more about why we think this could be a true game-changer for data-enabled social impact in Canada, read our issue brief here.
We are convening a civil society coalition to design a policy agenda around administrative data-sharing and re-use for social impact. While these practices are gaining momentum around the world, Canada lacks a coordinated policy agenda to maximize their benefits while minimizing risks. Recognizing that policy development often excludes communities at the margins, this coalition aims to centre groups that carry the greatest privacy and security risks related to data sharing.
The Role
We are looking for a skilled and enthusiastic leader to serve as Program Director for this emerging policy coalition. This exciting new role will be responsible for weaving 40+ service providers, advocacy groups, and foundations into a functional coalition, supporting them to identify and pursue policy priorities, and securing resources to ensure the initiative’s ongoing success beyond 2019.
Specifically, your responsibilities will consist of:
Facilitating 40+ service providers, advocacy groups, and foundations to develop a shared and winnable policy agenda, and set action priorities as a coalition
Leading any research and capacity-building efforts needed to support this coalition’s strategy development
Executing activities prioritized within the coalition’s strategy - such as advocacy, public engagement, and project development
Building and nurturing funder relationships to secure financial resources for the coalition’s ongoing activities
Leading government, public, and community outreach activities with (and for) coalition members - presenting at conferences, engaging with collaborators, and contributing to written communications materials
Leading overall administrative coordination of this initiative, including task management and budgeting
Our ideal candidate:
Has a solid track record as a collaborative leader, with experience launching new initiatives and/or organizations
Has experience working in the Canadian nonprofit sector and/or public policy (particularly related to policy development, research, and/or advocacy)
Is a strong strategic communicator, with experience translating complex issues across government, technical, and community stakeholders
Is an experienced fundraiser and grant writer
Has a demonstrated interest in applying data, digital strategies, and/or technology solutions for social good
Is committed to an anti-oppressive or equity-based approach. The role will involve sustaining inclusive, collaborative processes across differences in power and privilege in the coalition.
Bonus: has significant lived experience accessing social support services (of any kind)
Bonus: has direct experience with data-sharing practices or policies
We recognize that many excellent candidates may not “check all these boxes” - if you’re excited about this position and think you would do a great job, we encourage you to apply!
Contract details
Location: Montreal, Toronto, or Ottawa (with regular travel between all three cities)
Working hours: Full-time (possibility of exploring flexible working arrangements)
Compensation: $60,000 - 80,000 (target salary is between the minimum and midpoint of the range, depending on experience and qualifications)
Contract type: One year contract, renewable pending funding availability
How to Apply
Together with your resume, please forward a 1-page cover letter that includes your responses to the following questions:
How do you relate to Powered by Data’s vision and mission?
What interests you most about this data policy coalition initiative, and why would you be excited to help lead it?
How would your skills and experiences (personal and professional) translate into success in this role?
OPTIONAL: How did you find out about this position? (this will help us evaluate our outreach activities)
Please send your resume and cover letter to hr@poweredbydata.org by Monday, February 18th at 10am EST. If you have questions about the role, please feel free to reach out at the address provided above. All candidates will be contacted by February 21 with an update on the status of their application.
There will be several rounds of interviews for this position, taking place from February 25 through March 12. If you will not be available for some or all of that time period, please mention this in your cover letter.
Accommodation will be provided during all steps of the hiring process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities. Please advise us if you need any accommodation.
The ideal start date for this role is March 19, 2019.
Employment Equity
We believe in the need for experience, knowledge, and guidance from marginalized and oppressed peoples within any progressively oriented organization. People with disabilities, women, Indigenous peoples, members of racialized groups and members of other historically marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.
If you would like to be considered for employment equity please indicate this on your covering letter by including the statement “I would like to be considered for employment equity.” No further elaboration is necessary, but you are free to add more information if you would like. Where candidates don’t differ significantly in terms of other desired qualifications, priority will be given to those being considered for employment equity.
About Powered by Data
Powered by Data is a project on Tides Canada’s Shared Platform. As such, the selected candidate will be an employee of Tides Canada.
For more information about Powered by Data and Tides Canada, please visit: