Chief of Staff

Socket.dev; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

35-hour work week

4 weeks paid vacation per year

Extensive health, dental and wellness 

Pension plan Contributions

Job summary

Oxfam Canada seeks a Chief of Staff to partner with the Executive Director and Senior Leadership Team in guiding the organization’s strategy, planning, and culture. The role leads strategic initiatives, supports Board governance, and oversees privacy and cross-functional programs to advance feminist, anti-racist, and inclusive outcomes.

The position requires a decade of senior leadership experience, strong governance experience, and a proven ability to coordinate across departments, with a

Qualifications

• University degree in a relevant field; a master's degree in international development/affairs, public policy, law, business, non-profit management, organizational leadership, or a related discipline is an asset.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively senior experience in organizational leadership and management, including at least five years in a senior management role with responsibility for strategy, planning, and teams.
• Experience with governance, boards, and cross-functional project delivery.
• Strong knowledge of anti-racism, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Ability to travel within Canada and internationally as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead organizational strategy, planning, and change management.
• Drive staff engagement and culture initiatives aligned with mission.
• Oversee cross-functional special projects and strategic initiatives.
• Support governance effectiveness and Board engagement.
• Advance the organization’s commitment to feminist principles, JEDI, and decolonization.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Execution discipline

Project management

Facilitation

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

University degree in a relevant field

Master’s degree in international development/affairs, public policy, law, business, nonprofit management, organizational leadership (asset)

Job description

Internal/External Posting Notice

Title: Chief of Staff

Department: Executive Director's Office

Status: Full-time, non-union

Immediate Supervisor: Executive Director

Salary: $110,000 - $130,000

Level: Deputy Director

Application Deadline: October 4, 2026or until a suitable candidate is found

Vacancy Type: Current Opening

Oxfam Canada is an affiliate of the international Oxfam Confederation networked in over 85 countries as part of a global movement for change. Our mission is to build lasting solutions to poverty and injustice with a focus on improving the lives and promoting the rights of women and girls. We work directly with communities, partners and women's rights organizations to challenge the systems that perpetuate inequality and keep people poor. Together we seek to influence those in power to ensure that women trapped in poverty have a say in the critical decisions that affect them, their families and entire communities. That’s why we believe that ending global poverty begins with women’s rights.

Oxfam Canada offers a generous compensation and benefits program, but more than that, we offer the opportunity to be a part of our global movement for change. If you advocate for gender equality, are passionate about women’s rights, and share our values of Equality, Empowerment, Solidarity, Inclusiveness, Accountability, and Courage – we want you on our team!

SCOPE OF POSITION

The Chief of Staff works in close partnership with Oxfam Canada’s Executive Director (ED) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and in support of the Board of Directors, to help the organization operate at its best. They translate priorities into action, keep critical initiatives moving, and make sure leadership attention and organizational energy are well directed. They play a central role in leading organizational strategy, driving strategic initiatives, nurturing a mission-driven organizational culture, and advancing Oxfam Canada’s commitment to growing as a feminist, anti-racist and inclusive organization. This is a role for someone who is equally comfortable with big-picture thinking and taking initiative to get things done.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

(This is not an exhaustive list of duties to be performed)

Lead organizational strategy, planning, and change management

• Own and drive the organization’s strategic planning and annual operational planning cycle, ensuring alignment between strategy and the global Oxfam confederation, annual plans, execution across departments, and reporting – ensuring quality, coherence, accountability, and learning. Establish and manage a clear cadence for planning, review, and performance tracking.
• Lead change management for significant organizational transitions, working with the ED and the SLT to develop structured approaches that include clear communication strategies, stakeholder engagement plans, and mechanisms to monitor staff experience and keep teams focused and accountable for mission delivery during transitions.
• Ensure effective flow of information, insights, and analysis to support leadership decision-making. Drive cross-organizational alignment by ensuring priorities are clearly defined, sequenced, and tracked to delivery.
• Lead and strengthen Oxfam Canada’s organizational risk management function and support the SLT and Board in discharging their risk oversight responsibilities by tracking key risks, surfacing emerging issues early, and providing analysis, scenario planning, and recommendations on significant organizational risks.

Lead strategy to build a mission-driven organizational culture

• Translate organizational cultural commitments into concrete initiatives and ensure strong coordination between culture priorities and HR strategy, systems, and delivery.
• Drive initiatives that strengthen staff engagement, team cohesion, and shared commitment to the causes and communities we serve.
• In close coordination with the HR team and the SLT, ensure HR strategy and systems reinforce staff engagement in service of the mission, and support the recruitment and retention of diverse talent.
• Lead on internal communications strategy to support organizational alignment and culture.

Lead special projects and strategic initiatives

• Lead the design, implementation, and reporting of cross-cutting special projects that advance Oxfam Canada’s organizational priorities, as assigned by the ED. Serve as the ED’s primary delegate for high-priority initiatives that require sustained senior leadership attention and cross-functional coordination. Establish clear project governance structures, timelines, accountabilities, and success metrics for all special projects.
• Design and facilitate high-impact SLT meetings, staff retreats, and other strategic planning sessions.
• Serve as the senior organizational lead for privacy, holding accountability for Oxfam Canada’s privacy framework, including the implementation and ongoing monitoring of privacy policy across all functions and departments. Ensure emerging privacy risks are identified and escalated appropriately and provide regular reporting to the ED and Board on privacy compliance and any significant privacy incidents or risks.

Support governance effectiveness and Board engagement

• Support the effectiveness of Oxfam Canada’s governance structures and Board of Directors, in close coordination with the Executive Director and Executive Coordinator. Support the planning, coordination, and quality assurance of Board and committee meetings – including agenda development, preparation of briefing materials, and follow‑up on Board decisions and action items.
• Partner with the ED to structure and deepen Board engagement, ensuring Board members are well‑informed, appropriately consulted, and able to fulfill their governance responsibilities. Identify opportunities to strengthen Board governance practices, committee structures, and Director recruitment, onboarding, and development.

Drive progress on Oxfam Canada’s commitment to grow as a feminist, anti-racist and inclusive organization

• Lead organization-wide anti‑racism, JEDI, and decolonization strategy and execution, ensuring integration and accountability across all departments and functions. Translate Oxfam Canada’s commitments into clear plans, metrics, and outcomes.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality reporting and engagement with the Board on anti‑racism, JEDI, and decolonization progress and priorities.

Additional responsibilities:

• Act as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the ED.
• On behalf of the ED, act as a central coordination point across SLT, removing bottlenecks, clarifying accountabilities, and accelerating delivery on strategic initiatives.
• Directly supervise the Executive Coordinator, providing day‑to‑day direction and performance management to ensure seamless operational support to the Executive Director’s Office.
• Represent the organization in external engagements, as required, to advance priorities and partnerships.

Other duties, as required.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & COMPETENCIES

Education and experience

• University degree in a relevant field; a master's degree in international development/affairs, public policy, law, business, non-profit management, organizational leadership, or a related discipline is an asset. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively senior experience in organizational leadership and management, including at least five years in a senior management role with responsibility for strategy, planning, and teams. Candidates from diverse professional backgrounds are welcomed, including the non-profit, public, and private sectors; experience in the international development, social justice, or human rights sector is a strong asset.
• Experience working within unionized environments, including familiarity with collective agreements and labour relations, is an asset.
• Strong experience in strategic and operational planning, performance management, and reporting. Demonstrated experience in organizational risk management, including risk reporting to senior leadership and Boards.
• Demonstrated success driving execution in complex, mission-driven organizations.
• Significant experience supporting or working with Boards of Directors and/or governance bodies, including preparation of Board materials and support for governance effectiveness.
• Strong knowledge of and experience with best practices in anti-racism, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Track record building purpose-driven organizational cultures.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional special projects and strategic initiatives from design through delivery. Proven ability to influence across functions and lead without direct authority.
• Proven track record in building and maintaining positive relationships within an organization and externally.

Skills and attributes

• Highly strategic with strong execution discipline; able to move from vision to delivery.
• Decisive, agile and action-oriented; agile. Able to read a situation quickly, make sound decisions with imperfect information, and bring clarity and momentum to complex situations without waiting to be asked.
• Meticulous attention to detail; produces work of consistently high quality and catches what others miss, without letting perfectionism slow delivery.
• Exceptional organizational, prioritization, and project management skills.
• Strong facilitation and alignment-building capability across diverse teams and functions.
• Clear, concise communicator with strong judgment and political acuity.
• Demonstrated personal commitment to social justice, human rights, feminist principles, and anti-racism, reflected in professional choices, lived experience, or community engagement.
• Ability to inspire and motivate teams, including by leading and working in a cross-organizational and cross-functional manner.
• Ability to inspire respect and trust, and balance confident leadership with a willingness to listen and learn.
• Ability to operate effectively in complexity and ambiguity.
• Strong English verbal and written communication skills; French or Spanish an asset.
• Ability to travel, in Canada and internationally, on occasion, as needed.
• High integrity, discretion, and accountability; willingness to sign and abide by Oxfam’s Code of Conduct.

In addition to competitive pay, Oxfam Canada Offers:

• 35-hour work week and the ability to work flexible hours.
• 4 weeks of paid vacation per year, prorated based on FTE equivalence, plus paid office closure from December 27 to 31.
• Extensive health, dental and wellness coverage for staff and their dependents.
• Paid sick days, and additional time off for personal and care responsibilities.
• Pension plan contributions.
• Caring, compassionate and supportive work environment that recognizes that work is one of the many responsibilities we have to prioritize in our lives.
• Regular opportunities for all staff across Canada to meet – in person and virtually – to learn, connect and grow as a team!

** MUST be eligible to work in Canada **

We recognize that structural barriers shape experiences and job qualifications.If you don’t see yourself reflected in every job requirement listed in the posting above, we still encourage you to apply!

As an organization and as individuals, we stand against all systems of oppression, violence, and hate. We stand for justice, equity, diversity, inclusion (JEDI) and decolonization within our organization and society at large, guided by our Anti‑Racism and Anti‑Oppression Principles (ARAO), our Feminist Principles, and our six core values:Equality, Empowerment, Solidarity, Inclusiveness, Accountability, and Courage. Our Strategic Framework 2021-2025 has a commitment to grow as a feminist, diverse and inclusive organization. To that end, we have created an Anti‑Racism, JEDI and Decolonization Strategy 2023-2025 with a vision to become a more just, inclusive and equitable organization, unbound by the oppressive systems of racism, white supremacy, patriarchy and the legacy of colonialism that have fueled global poverty and inequality.

We prioritize creating a compassionate, inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and connected. We are especially eager to hear fromwomen and gender non-conforming individuals, Indigenous peoples, Black and racialized communities, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, immigrants to Canada, and others from underrepresented groups.

If you require adaptive measures during any stage of the recruitment process, please notify us at [e-mail] or [phone]. We are committed to providing accommodations to meet your needs. Oxfam Canada has an accommodation policy for persons with disabilities. The job posting is available in alternate formats.

At Oxfam Canada, we are committed to fair, transparent, and human-centered recruitment and selection practices. We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) in any stage of our recruitment or selection processes currently. All decisions are made by trained human personnel.

Important Note:Offers of employment are conditional upon signing our code of conduct, satisfactory references, and any required screening checks. At Oxfam Canada, we place a high priority on ensuring that only individuals who share and demonstrate our values join our team.

For additional career opportunities, visit oxfam.ca/employment-opportunities. Please note that we do not offer internships or overseas volunteer placements.

We thank all those who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.