Executive Director

Roundtable Education Society; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Roundtable Educational Society (RES) in Vancouver, BC seeks an Executive Director to guide the leadership during a governance transition and into its next chapter. You will lead programs, operations, and funder relations, reporting to a transitioning board and collaborating with a distributed team.

You will build systems, hire staff, manage budgets, and advance community-led grantmaking aligned with RES’s mission and CRA obligations.

Qualifications

• Experience leading or coordinating in non-profit/charitable sector.
• Strong governance and board relations capabilities.
• Proven ability to manage programs, funding, and staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations and strategic direction with the board.
• Oversee program launches and staff hiring for 2026 initiatives.
• Develop funding relationships and manage grant writing and reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Governance

Strategic planning

Staff management

Grant writing

Fundraising

Budgeting

Partnership development

Community engagement

Job description

Executive Director

Vancouver, BC (remote-friendly) ● Full-time ● Desired start date: Late Aug/early Sep

Organization

Roundtable Educational Society (RES)

Location

Vancouver, BC — work from home in Lower Mainland with in-person community presence expected

Commitment

Full-time (as Contractor, then Staff)

Reports To

Board of Directors

Compensation

$75,000 - 95,000 CAD

Deadline

Applications reviewed as received until August 14th

About Roundtable Educational Society

Roundtable Educational Society (RES) is a registered charity based in Vancouver, BC, working on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵʷx̱ ʷú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

RES exists to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent grassroots, BIPOC-led organizations from self determination through inaccessible funding and resources. We support and amplify the work of equity-seeking community organizations by building equitable funding relationships, reducing gatekeeping in the philanthropic sector, and co-creating accessible, community-led systems.

We are a small, values-driven organization at an exciting and pivotal moment. Alongside existing funding commitments, we are launching three programs in 2026: a Community Mobilization Micro-Grant open to organizations with and without charitable status; a 3-year community-based research program studying the compounding effects of structural exclusion on BIPOC-led organizations in BC; and an inverted grantmaking model that navigates the funding system on behalf of grassroots organizations rather than the other way around.

We are transitioning from a working board model to a governance board, and we are looking for our first Executive Director to lead the organization through that transition and into its next chapter.

The Opportunity

You will be our first Executive Director, leading us through a critical period of bringing our work to life and building the organization that will support it. You will be coming into a small, mission-driven organization with a clear direction, a newly launched set of programs, and a supportive board that is transitioning out of operations into a governance board. This is a chance to build something — not to maintain something.

You will lead RES’s programs and operations, hold relationships with funders and community partners. You will report to and work closely with the Board of Directors as they transition from a volunteer, working board to a governance board.

What you’ll do

Leadership & Organizational Direction

• Lead RES’s day-to-day operations and strategic direction in alignment with the board’s strategic plan
• Support the transition from a working board to a governance board — building the structures and documentation that make this possible
• Hire and manage staff members, fostering a culture consistent with RES’s values

Community & Relationships

• Grow RES’s network with intentionality, prioritizing Black-led, Indigenous-led, and equity-seeking organizations; maintaining trust-based, non-transactional relationships with our partners
• Ensure RES’s work is accountable to the communities, not just to funders
• Represent RES at sector events, convenings, and community gatherings

Funding & Sustainability

• Manage existing funder relationships, including Law Foundation of BC and Vancouver Foundation
• Identify and pursue new funding opportunities aligned with community-defined needs and consistent with the inverted grantmaking model
• Lead grant writing and reporting
• Ensure charitable purpose alignment and compliance with support from legal counsel (Miller Thomson)

Programs

• Oversee the launch and implementation of RES’s three 2026 programs: the Community Mobilization Micro-Grant, the research program, and the inverted grantmaking model
• Hire program staff to carry out key program implementation
• Hold relationships with program partners, research cohort organizations, and community stakeholders
• Ensure program activities align with RES’s charitable purposes and CRA obligations

Operations

• Oversee and lead as required the development of the systems, structures, and resources that will enable RES to mature beyond our start-up phase
• Develop RES’ annual budget and oversee all financial management
• Lead the transition of RES’ people strategy from independent contractors to employees, including putting in place relevant employment policies, benefits, etc
• Oversee general operations, including risk and insurance needs

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for someone who shares our belief that the charitable sector, as it exists, is inequitable — and who is excited to build RES. You might come from the non-profit sector, from community organizing, from philanthropy, or from somewhere else entirely. We value your perspectives on JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), your relationship to the community, and your ability to learn as well as lead. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and racialized people; people with disabilities; LGBTQIA2S+ people; and others with lived/living experience of marginalization.

If you meet most of our core requirements and have alignment with RES’s values of building trust-based relationships, committing to anti-oppression, and challenging the status quo of traditional philanthropy, please apply.

Core Skills

• Comfort navigating ambiguity and building systems where few exist
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively alongside a small, distributed team
• Strong relationship-building skills and experience working with or within BIPOC-led, grassroots, or equity-seeking organizations in BC
• Experience in a leadership or coordination role in the non-profit, charitable, or community sector
• Strong judgment in establishing priorities
• Experience with grant writing, funder reporting, and/or program development
• Strong judgment and 3+ years’ experience in managing people, money, and risk (both paid and volunteer experience considered)

Assets (Preferred, but not required)

• Familiarity with CRA rules for registered charities and the Canadian philanthropic sector
• Knowledge of trust-based philanthropy, participatory grantmaking, or community-based research
• Experience with and/or knowledge of non-profit governance
• Lived/living experience of the barriers that RES exists to dismantle

The Process

The hiring team may adapt the recruitment process as needed in order to understand candidates’ potential to succeed in this role. Currently, we anticipate that this selection process will move quite quickly, including:

1. A short (~30 mins) phone screening call
2. An interview via video call with questions provided
3. A practical round (modest honorarium offered)

We are committed to an accessible hiring process. If you need any accommodations to apply or participate in the selection process, please let us know.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis up to a deadline of August 14th. We hope to have someone in place by late August or early September. We will be in touch with all applicants.