Executive Director

tap Strategy & HR Consulting; Southwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Table Community Food Centre in Perth and Smiths Falls, Ontario is seeking an Executive Director to provide organizational leadership during a pivotal development phase. The role is hands-on, balancing big-picture strategy with day-to-day operations, staff support, and community engagement.

The Executive Director will steward a mission-driven organization, lead fundraising, manage resources, and strengthen partnerships with volunteers, funders, and government bodies, reporting to the Board.

Qualifications

• Progressive leadership experience with responsibility for people, budgets, operations and performance.
• Experience coaching staff and managing performance with compassionate approach.
• Strong financial literacy and comfort with forecasts and budgets.
• Fundraising, grant development, donor or funder relationships, revenue generation.
• Experience supporting a Board of Directors or governance body.
• Ability to set direction and keep team focused over two to three years.
• Commitment to dignity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
• Post-secondary education valued; leadership experience may substitute formal education.

Responsibilities

• Translate strategic plan into annual priorities, operational plans, measures and accountabilities.
• Provide direction, coaching and support to staff; foster collaboration across locations and functions.
• Oversee budgets, forecasting, financial performance, and organizational policies.
• Advance fundraising and donor relations; diversify revenue streams.
• Ensure programs respond to community needs and demonstrate impact.
• Represent The Table to participants, volunteers, donors and partners.
• Partner with the Board to ensure governance and operations are well balanced.

Skills

Leadership experience

Budgeting & financial management

Staff development & coaching

Fundraising & donor relations

Board governance support

Strategic planning & execution

Communication & relationship-building

Equity & inclusion mindset

Education

University degree or college diploma

Job description

Executive Director

The Table Community Food Centre Perth and Smiths Falls, Ontario

The Opportunity

The Table Community Food Centre (The Table) is seeking an Executive Director to provide organizational leadership at an important point in its development.

With a new Strategic Plan recently completed, the organization is entering its next phase with clear priorities and a strong foundation of programs, staff and volunteers. The next Executive Director will work with the Board and the team to translate that direction into action by focusing on priorities, aligning people and resources, strengthening organizational systems, and ensuring that The Table continues to deliver meaningful impact in the communities it serves.

This is a hands-on executive leadership role in a small organization. The Executive Director must be comfortable moving between the big picture and the practical realities of running an organization: supporting people, managing resources, fostering community relationships, advancing fundraising and stepping directly into important work when needed.

The Executive Director will steward an organization built around dignity, community and the belief that access to good food matters.

About The Table

The Table has served Perth and surrounding communities for many years, evolving from the Perth and District Food Bank into one of Canada’s earliest Community Food Centres.

Today, The Table brings people together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. Its work includes the Good Food Bank, community meals, food-skills and gardening programs, youth programming, community navigation, and social justice and advocacy initiatives. The organization also operates programming in Smiths Falls through the Falls Food Hub.

As a Community Food Centre partnered with Right to Food, The Table is part of a broader movement that goes beyond emergency food support. The Community Food Centre model emphasizes nourishing food, dignity, belonging, community participation and action on the underlying causes of food insecurity.

Volunteers are central to how The Table works, supporting programs, meals, food access, gardens, fundraising and other community activities.

Working and Living in Perth and Smiths Falls

Both communities offer the opportunity to build meaningful relationships and see the impact of community leadership first‑hand. Perth combines a historic downtown and the Tay River with easy access to the lakes, trails and outdoor spaces of Lanark County. Smiths Falls offers a waterfront setting along the Rideau Canal, with beautiful local shops, parks and community amenities.

Your Leadership Mandate

Reporting to the Board of Directors through the Chair, the Executive Director is The Table’s senior staff leader and is accountable for the overall leadership, performance and sustainability of the organization.

• Turning strategy into resultsby translating the recently completed Strategic Plan into clear annual priorities, operational plans, measures and accountabilities, while helping the organization stay responsive to changing community needs.
• Leading people and cultureby providing clear direction, coaching and support to staff; building strong communication and collaboration across locations and functions; addressing performance or workplace issues appropriately; and creating a healthy, respectful and inclusive environment for staff and volunteers.
• Providing financial and operational stewardshipby overseeing budgets, forecasting, financial performance, organizational systems, risk, policies and compliance, and ensuring that resources are aligned with The Table’s priorities.
• Advancing fundraising and resource developmentby being accountable for the organization’s overall fundraising results, working closely with the Development Coordinator and Board to strengthen donor and funder relationships, diversify revenue and secure the resources required to deliver The Table’s mission.
• Supporting effective programs and impactby ensuring programs and services respond to community needs, reflect The Table’s values and commitments, and use participant feedback, outcomes and evidence to support continuous improvement.
• Building relationships and representing The Tablewith participants, volunteers, donors, funders, municipal and community partners, government and the broader community, while strengthening partnerships that advance shared priorities.
• Partnering effectively with the Boardby providing timely, thoughtful information and advice, supporting sound governance and organizational oversight, identifying emerging opportunities and risks, and maintaining an appropriate distinction between governance and operations.

Advocacy is also an important part of The Table’s work. The Executive Director will help advance conversations about food insecurity, poverty reduction and the right to food in a manner consistent with the organization’s mission and Board-approved direction.

Position Details

Location:Primarily based in Perth, with regular in‑person work at the Falls Food Hub in Smiths Falls.

Hours:Full‑time salaried position, 40 hours per week, with occasional evening and weekend work.

Salary:$85,000–$105,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Vacation and benefits:Four weeks of vacation, paid office closure over the December holiday period, and a cost‑shared extended health benefit plan.

Anticipated start:18 January 2027

Position Status:Replacement of a regular position

What You Bring

We are looking for a thoughtful, practical and community‑minded leader who can earn trust, bring people together and turn priorities into action. You will bring many of the following:

• Progressive leadership experience with meaningful responsibility for people, budgets, operations, programs and organizational performance.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing staff, including managing performance and navigating challenging conversations, balancing accountability with kindness and compassion.
• Strong financial literacy and comfort working with budgets, financial statements, forecasts and organizational resources.
• Experience in fundraising, grant development, donor or funder relationships, resource development, or other forms of revenue generation.
• Experience working with, reporting to, or supporting a Board of Directors or similar governance body.
• Strong judgement and the ability to prioritize, make decisions and follow through in an environment where resources and capacity must be used thoughtfully.
• Excellent relationship‑building and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with all.
• The ability to look beyond day‑to‑day demands, set direction for where the organization needs to be in two to three years, and keep the team focused on getting there.
• A demonstrated commitment to dignity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in how people are treated and how services are delivered.

Your experience may come from the nonprofit, charitable, community, health, public or private sector. Nonprofit or mission‑driven experience is an asset, but we are equally interested in leaders who bring transferable strengths in finance, people leadership and putting strategy into practice.

Post‑secondary education, such as a university degree or college diploma, is valued. Substantial leadership experience and demonstrated capability may be considered in place of formal education, and we encourage experienced leaders without a degree or diploma to apply.

Additional Assets

Experience across multiple locations or in a volunteer‑intensive organization, and knowledge of food insecurity, poverty reduction or community food programming would be helpful. Understanding gained through lived, professional or volunteer experience is valued. Relevant training or credentials in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, human resources, or project management are also an asset.

Strong candidates do not always arrive through one career path. If your combination of leadership experience, skills and community perspective would enable you to succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply.

The Table is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences, including people with lived experience of food insecurity. Accommodation is available throughout the selection process upon request. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

The Table encourages applications from candidates who are First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous; members of Black and racialized groups; 2SLGBTQIA+ communities; trans and nonbinary individuals; and people living with disabilities.

AI may be used as a support tool during the recruitment process. All applications are reviewed by a TAP team member, and all interviews and communications are conducted by an actual person

We thank all applicants; however, we will contact only candidates selected for an interview.

Learn more: thetablecfc.org| righttofood.ca