Manager, Projects & Operations

United Way British Columbia; Kelowna; Hybrid; CAD 83,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

United Way BC is seeking a Manager, Projects & Operations to oversee administrative and project delivery within the Community Impact & Investment department. The role leads a team, coordinates cross‑functional work, and ensures efficient program delivery within a dynamic nonprofit setting.

The role reports to the Director, Community Impact & Investment, and collaborates with internal teams to align with organizational priorities, budgets, and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Community Development, Business Administration, Communications, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or related discipline.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible program operations, project management, or departmental administration within nonprofit/public/social services.
• Strong leadership, project/operations management, and stakeholder engagement abilities.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management to administrative and project staff.
• Leads recruitment, onboarding, and training of team members and supports workflow planning.
• Develops, implements, and improves departmental procedures, tools, templates, and service standards.
• Promotes knowledge sharing through training supports and communities of practice.
• Builds team capacity to deliver high‑quality work and adapt to evolving priorities.
• Plans, coordinates, executes, and evaluates projects aligned with priorities.
• Manages operational workplans, timelines, and resources to meet deliverables.
• Oversees processes supporting program delivery, documentation, reporting, and coordination.
• Maintains relationships with community stakeholders, partners, funders, and internal teams.
• Ensures timely responses to inquiries and escalations with sound judgment.
• Supports effective use of data management and reporting platforms.

Skills

People leadership

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Community Development

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration

Project Management certification (asset)

Tools

Jira

SharePoint

Sage

Salesforce

Power BI

Microsoft 365

Job description

UNITED WAY BC IS PROUD TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF CANADA'S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS FOR 2026!

ABOUT US – WHY WE’RE HERE:

Across British Columbia, communities are facing urgent and complex social challenges. United Way BC is committed to delivering lasting, community‑driven impact in partnership with diverse populations across the province including Indigenous communities whose territories we live and work on. From Vancouver Island to the Lower Mainland, and across the Thompson Nicola Cariboo, Southern Interior, Trail and District, and East Kootenay regions, we walk alongside communities to create meaningful and equitable change.

Our mission

is to strengthen vital connections that support people in need in our communities.

Our vision

is to create a healthy, caring and inclusive community.

How do we deliver on our mission and vision – by delivering resources and support for those who need it most, and by living our values of being collaborative, compassionate, strategic, responsive, accountable, and inspiring.

For a more in-depth to look into our work and programs, please visit: www.uwbc.ca.

ABOUT YOU:

You are a collaborative and solutions-focused people leader with strong experience in project delivery, operations management, and team development. You bring the ability to translate strategic priorities into practical workplans, effective systems, and coordinated departmental processes that support strong service delivery and organizational impact. You are skilled at supervising and developing administrative and project support staff, leading cross-functional initiatives, improving workflows, and building consistency through training, documentation, and process development.

You are confident managing multiple priorities in a dynamic environment and bring sound judgment, strong communication skills, and a high degree of accountability. You are comfortable working with data, reporting tools, and operational platforms to support planning, tracking, and decision-making, and you build strong relationships across teams and with external partners to advance shared goals. You bring progressive experience in operations, project management, and people leadership, ideally within the nonprofit, community impact, or social services sector.

JOB PURPOSE:

Reporting to the Director, Community Impact & Investment, the Manager, Projects & Operations supports the effective administration, coordination, and delivery of operational and project activities within the Community Impact & Investment (CII) department. This role is responsible for overseeing administrative functions, managing project workflows, and ensuring systems, processes, and supports are in place to enable efficient and consistent program delivery.

The Manager leads a team of administrative and project support staff and works primarily within the CII department, while collaborating with other internal teams and departments as needed to support departmental priorities and organizational initiatives.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Team Leadership, Learning & Process Development

• Provides leadership, supervision, coaching, and performance management to administrative and project support staff, including assigning and delegating work on a daily and project basis, and fostering a collaborative and accountable team environment.
• Leads recruitment, onboarding, and training of team members, and supports effective workflow planning.
• Develops, implements, and continuously improves departmental procedures, tools, templates, and service standards to strengthen consistency and effectiveness.
• Promotes knowledge‑sharing and continuous learning through training supports, communities of practice, and practical guidance.
• Builds team capacity to deliver high-quality work and adapt to evolving priorities.

Operations, Project Delivery & Stakeholder Coordination

• Leads the planning, coordination, execution, and evaluation of projects and operational initiatives aligned with departmental and organizational priorities.
• Develops and manages operational workplans, timelines, and team priorities, adjusting resources as needed to meet deliverables.
• Oversees administrative and operational processes that support program delivery, documentation, reporting, and internal coordination.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with community stakeholders, service partners, contractors, funders, and internal teams.
• Ensures timely and effective responses to inquiries, issues, and escalations, applying sound judgment and organizational policies.
• Performs other related duties consistent with the scope and level of the role that may include administrative functions

Data, Reporting & Platform Stewardship

• Provides oversight to departmental communications and knowledge-sharing activities, including the development or review of presentations, briefing materials, reports, and other program resources.
• Monitors departmental and project budgets, reviews reconciliations, identifies financial pressures or operational risks, and recommends mitigation strategies to the Director, Community Impact & Investment.
• Analyzes operational issues, feedback, and emerging needs to identify opportunities for service improvement, increased efficiency, and stronger program outcomes.
• Prepares and contributes to reports, updates, and presentations for leadership, partners, and other audiences regarding project status, program operations, outcomes, and recommendations.
• Oversees the effective use and continuous improvement of departmental data management practices, reporting tools, and operational platforms that support planning, service delivery, tracking, and accountability.
• Supports the effective use and continuous improvement of departmental systems and platforms, including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Jira, Sage, Salesforce, Power BI, and other organizational technologies that enable planning, service delivery, tracking, reporting, and accountability.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Community Development, Business Administration, Communications, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Equivalent combination of education, lived experience, and relevant leadership experience may be considered.
• Project Management certification or formal training in project or operations management is an asset.
• Leadership development, people management, or supervisory training is an asset.

Experience:

• Five (5) of progressively experience in program operations, project management, community-based initiatives, or departmental administration within the nonprofit, public, or social services sector.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex projects or multiple concurrent initiatives from planning through implementation and evaluation.

Skills:

• Strong people leadership skills, including the ability to supervise, coach, motivate, and develop staff while supporting accountability and engagement.
• Excellent project and operations management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, assign work, and deliver results in a dynamic environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear reports, correspondence, presentations, and briefing notes.
• Strong relationship‑building, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Sound judgment, professionalism, and the ability to exercise tact, diplomacy, and discretion in sensitive situations.
• Ability to think strategically while also attending to operational detail and follow‑through.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem‑solving abilities, including identifying risks, developing mitigation strategies, and recommending improvements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to use organizational systems and databases effectively.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to establish priorities and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Knowledge of the nonprofit sector and the dynamics of working in partnership with communities, volunteers, and cross‑sector stakeholders.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Some outside of regular business hours to attend meetings and events
• Requires some travel and access to a reliable vehicle

CHARACTERISTICS:

For success at UWBC and in this role, certain demonstrable characteristics will be required:

• A commitment to building healthy, caring and inclusive communities, internally and externally
• Embodying the organization’s core values to be collaborative, compassionate, strategic, responsive, accountable and inspiring
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and comfortably operate in it
• Drive to succeed as an individual and as a team member

At UWBC, we don’t just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, programs, donors, and the communities we live and work in. At UWBC, we encourage all applicants regardless of age, sex, gender identity, colour, religion, sexual orientation, or any other basis to apply.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, people of colour and indigenous people are less likely to apply to roles unless they meet every qualification. At UWBC, we are dedicated to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, so if you are excited about this role, but your experience and qualifications are not perfectly aligned, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this, or other roles.

This is an exempt role. This position is paid $91,970 annually.

Candidates must live within 80 KMs (commuting distance) from any of our offices as this position is currently a hybrid role and office attendance is required.

Interested candidates are invited to apply by submitting a cover letter and resume to job competition E-2025-6.

We kindly ask for no phone calls, please. Due to the high number of applications UWBC receive, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. We thank all applicants for their interest in UWBC.