Advisor, Initiatives

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Société canadienne d'hypothèques et de logement(SCHL); Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 129,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

Vacation accrual

Training & mentorship

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is seeking an experienced risk leader to oversee enterprise risk, develop the Internal Control Framework, and advise senior management on risks and controls. The role emphasizes governance, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement.

The position is temporary full-time with a hybrid work arrangement across CMHC offices in Ottawa and other locations, requiring strong leadership and strategic risk expertise.

Qualifications

• Minimum ten years in enterprise risk management, risk oversight, internal controls and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience supporting large-scale transformation or change initiatives is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of risk management frameworks and regulatory environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of CMHC's Internal Control Framework (ICF).
• Provide strategic risk oversight and senior-management advisory on material risks and controls.
• Coordinate risk assessments, control design, testing, and remediation tracking.
• Develop governance, standards, roles and accountability for risk across the organization.
• Foster stakeholder relationships and drive cross-functional governance discussions.

Skills

Enterprise risk management

Risk oversight

Internal controls

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Communication skills

Education

Undergraduate degree in business/finance/risk management

Job description

Position Status: Temporary Full Time

Position Type: Hybrid

Office Location: Ottawa (ON); Calgary (AB); Halifax (NS); Montreal (QC); Toronto (ON); Vancouver (BC)

Travel Requirement: Limited

Language Designation: English Essential

Language Skill Levels (Read/Write/Speak): ZZZ

Security Requirement: Secret

Salary: Our salaries generally range from $ 129175.28 to $ 161469.09 and are based on qualifications and experience.

About CMHC

The work you do and the work we do together matters. We come to work every day with a common purpose: to contribute to a well-functioning housing system.

At CMHC, we hold ourselves accountable for our results and support our colleagues in their achievements. We thrive on collaboration, connecting across CMHC and involving the right people to get our work done. Our leadership style is guided by trust, where our leaders favour an adaptive approach based on the needs of their teams.

Join us and be part of a team that's committed to making a real difference and be part of something meaningful.

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

We're committed to advancing employment equity and fostering an inclusive workplace. To reflect the diversity of Canada’s population, we encourage applications from women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, veterans, and racialized peoples. We also welcome applications from all individuals eligible to work in Canada.

We are also committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and supporting the meaningful inclusion of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis voices and priorities. While this position is hybrid requiring some in-office presence, a work from home arrangement may be considered for First Nations candidates on reserve or Indigenous candidates that reside further than 125KM from a CMHC office.

About

Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion

What’s in it for you

Benefits

We’ve got the purpose, the people and the perks you need for a fulfilling career. Here’s the comprehensive and generous benefits you get when you’re a contract employee:

• Accrued vacation.
• Annual individual performance bonus.
• Support towards your personal and professional growth with training, mentorship and more.
• While positions at CMHC require some in-office presence, alternative work arrangements may be considered for Indigenous candidates.

About The Role

Join the Enterprise Risk and Organizational Resiliency team in the Advisor, Initiatives position. In this role, you will lead enterprise risk oversight and stakeholder engagement by providing strategic advice to senior management on emerging risks, control effectiveness and the impact of internal and external forces on CMHC’s objectives. You will lead the development and execution of the Internal Control Framework (ICF), including governance, risk and control assessment, monitoring, reporting and continuous improvement.

This is a temporary position ending in December 2027.

What You'll Do

• Provide independent risk oversight, effective challenge and strategic advice to senior management on material risks, control effectiveness, and alignment with CMHC’s risk appetite and strategic objectives.
• Assess internal and external developments to identify emerging risks, interdependencies and potential impacts, and translate findings into clear, timely risk insights, recommendations and briefing materials for senior management, governance committees and government stakeholders.
• Lead the development, implementation and ongoing execution of the Internal Control Framework (ICF), establishing clear governance, standards, roles and accountabilities across the organization.
• Coordinate risk and control assessments, control design and documentation, testing, issue management, remediation tracking and management reporting, ensuring controls are proportionate to risk, consistently applied and operating effectively.
• Drive continuous improvement of the ICF (Internal control framework) by incorporating lessons learned, regulatory expectations, emerging risks and stakeholder feedback, while maintaining an enterprise-wide view of risks, controls and dependencies.
• Lead risk oversight for major initiatives, policies, programs and significant change by identifying, assessing, monitoring and escalating risks, control gaps, issues and interdependencies.
• Establish clear action plans, ownership and timelines for risk treatment and remediation, and monitor progress through to sustainable closure.
• Develop and manage key stakeholder relationships, leading discussions and negotiations to align priorities, clarify accountabilities, resolve roadblocks and secure commitment to material risk and control priorities.
• Facilitate cross-functional forums and governance discussions, translating complex risk information into clear decisions and actions, and establish performance indicators and feedback mechanisms to assess outcomes and effectiveness.
• Demonstrate strong human relations and leadership skills to motivate, influence and develop others, fostering collaboration and accountability while serving as a trusted advisor who advances CMHC’s risk management maturity.

What You Should Have

• An undergraduate degree in business administration, public administration, finance, risk management or a related field.
• A minimum of ten years of relevant experience in enterprise risk management, risk oversight, internal controls and/or stakeholder engagement, including demonstrated experience supporting transformation or significant change initiatives. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• An in-depth knowledge of enterprise risk management, internal control frameworks, and the financial, legislative and regulatory environments relevant to CMHC’s mandate.
• A demonstrated experience in building strategic partnerships.
• Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills; ability to persuade, influence and debate with senior level management; and tact, diplomacy and judgment.
• Strong time management skills and ability to analyze and understand large volumes of data.

It Would Be Great If You Also Had

• A professional designation or certification in risk management, internal controls, audit, finance or a related discipline.
• An experience working within a regulated financial institution, Crown corporation, government organization or similarly complex environment.

Posting closing date: Note, the competition will remain active until filled.

What happens after you apply

We know that applying for a new job can be both exciting and daunting, and we appreciate your effort. Learn more about our hiring process. If you are selected for an interview or testing, please advise us if you require an accommodation.

If you applied before and you were not successful don’t worry – we're always posting new positions, so don’t hesitate to give it another shot. We’re excited to see what you bring to the table this time around!