Oxfam Canada: Call for applications

Canadian Partnership for Women and Children; Canada; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking passionate individuals to join its Board of Directors for a transformative three-year term. This role involves strategic oversight and governance, ensuring the organization meets its mission and legal obligations. Directors will engage with diverse stakeholders, provide guidance to the Executive Director, and contribute to the organization's commitment to gender justice and anti-racism. Ideal candidates will possess strong leadership qualities, financial literacy, and a dedication to fostering inclusive practices. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in the community and support essential social change.

Qualifications

• Deep commitment to gender justice and women’s rights.
• Experience in audit, accounting, and financial management.

Responsibilities

• Stewardship of Oxfam Canada’s governance.
• Oversight of financial health and management.
• Leadership in support of women’s rights and gender justice.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Effective Communication

Financial Literacy

Conflict Management

Education

Experience on a Not-for-Profit Board

Fiduciary Duties Understanding

Job description

Oxfam Canada is currently recruiting dynamic individuals with diverse personal, professional and lived experience and expertise as candidates for a three-year term on its Board of Directors.

Oxfam Canada recognizes that its approach to governance must be consistent with its commitment to grow as a feminist, anti-racist and inclusive organization; to build more and deeper relationships with Indigenous and Black women’s organizations; and to take steps forwardinreconciliation with Indigenous Peoples living in Canada. The composition of the Board of Directors is informed by these commitments and an intersectional approach.

Oxfam Canada is committed to ensuring that the Board is comprised of no fewer than 50% of members who identify as women,trans ornon-binary; 50% of members who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour; and two members under the age of 34.

Scope of position

Directors act as trustees on behalf of all Oxfam Canada’s stakeholders, including supporters, donors, partners, funders and allies – in Canada and internationally. The Board has overall responsibility for ensuring the organization’s mission is fulfilled and legal obligations are met, holding the Executive Director and senior leadership team to account for performance against targets.

Directors provide strategic leadership and direction, confirm Oxfam Canada’s mission, approve strategic plans, oversee and evaluate success, assure financial health, enhance Oxfam’s public image, and select the Executive Director, providing them with ongoing guidance and support and reviewing their performance.

Canadian law imposes on Directors specific fiduciary duties of care, loyalty, and obedience to the law. Directors are responsible for ensuring financial solvency through oversight of finances and budget and assuring appropriate management of risk. Directors serve as ambassadors for Oxfam Canada, creating opportunities and nurturing relations in support of its strategic objectives.

All candidates must agree to sign Oxfam Canada’sCode of Conductandundergo all screening procedures outlined in Oxfam Canada’sMisconduct Disclosure Policy.

Commitment

Directors are elected to a three-year term on the Board.Working with the Executive Director and the senior leadership team, Directorsare expected to attend, at minimum, four Board meetings a year. Two of these are shorter virtual meetings (1.5 hour). The other two meetings take place over two-days (Friday and Saturday), once in October and once in March, either in Ottawa or virtually.

Directors are encouraged to participate in Board committees, such as the Finance & Audit Committee, the Policy Committee, and the Governance, Anti-racism and Reconciliation Committee. Committees usually meet between two and four times a year, for one-hour meetings.

Oxfam Canada recognizes that Board members carry multiple responsibilities and commitments in their personal, professional and activist lives. The Board of Directors endeavors to accommodate these responsibilities and commitments to allow all Board members to contribute to the Board and to Oxfam Canada according to their best ability.

Responsibilities

The major responsibilities of all Board members are as follows:

• Stewardship of Oxfam Canada’s governance
• Approval and oversight of the Strategic Plan
• Approval of annual Operational Plans and Operating Budgets
• Oversight of financial health and management
• Oversight of fundraising strategies from public and institutional sources
• Oversight of program integrity, quality and accountability
• Oversight of risk management in areas of governance, finance, operations and reputation
• Leadership in support of Oxfam Canada’s commitment to women’s rights and gender justice
• Leadership in support of increased income from public and institutional fundraising
• Strengthening accountability to partners, funders, donors and the public
• Assuring Oxfam Canada is meeting its commitments to the global Oxfam confederation
• Oversight of the relationship and collaboration with Oxfam Quebec
• Assuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, adherence to policies and standards, and promotion of good practice
• Regular review and renewal of Board-approved policies and strategies
• Hiring the Executive Director, approving the ED salary scale and the ED’s total compensation package, approving the ED’s performance objectives, ensuring oversight and appraisal of the ED’s performance, and overseeing succession planning
• Strategic advice and support to the senior leadership team

Desired experience, skills and attributes

All candidates should demonstrate a deep personal commitment to gender justice and women’s rights;a strong belief in the vision, mission and values of Oxfam Canadaas outlined in the2021-2025 Oxfam Canada Strategic Framework ;and a very high standard of personal ethics.

Candidates should demonstrate the following behavioural qualities:

• Understand a director’s role and fiduciary duties, and ideally have prior experience on a not-for-profit Board
• Think strategically
• Communicate effectively and be able to work within a diverse team
• Have, or commit to acquire, financial literacy appropriate to their role on the Board
• Be willing to devote the time and effort required to be an effective Board member, including attendance at Board orientation, Board meetings, committee meetings, and public events
• Be free of conflicts that would impede their ability to fulfill their fiduciary duties, and demonstrate ability to recognize and manage specific conflicts of interest that arise from time to time

For the 2025 nominations process, candidates with experience in the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply:

• Audit, accounting and financial management
• Governance and risk management
• Labour movement

The Nominating Committee seeks to recruit Board members from across Canada, and is particularly seeking applicants from outside Ontario and British Columbia.

How to Apply:

All candidates must submit a cover letter and a resume. In their cover letter, candidates should describe what contribution they would bring to Oxfam Canada’s Board of Directors; how their values align with Oxfam Canada’s mission, vision, feminist principles and commitment to anti-racism; and what specific areas of lived experience and professional expertise they would bring to the Board among those being sought out by Oxfam Canada at this time.

Candidates must provide the names of three references, including their current or most recent employer.

Candidates must submit their application by email to [e-mail] with “Application to Oxfam Canada Board of Directors” in the email subject line.

The deadline to apply is May 11, 2025.

In accordance with Oxfam Canada’s By-laws, the Board of Directors has established a Nominating Committee whose responsibility it is to identify and recommend individuals to become Board members.

The Nominating Committee will review all applications and will call shortlisted candidates for an interview over the month of June. Shortlisted candidates will be required to undergo all screening procedures outlined in Oxfam Canada’s Misconduct Disclosure Policy .

Following the interviews and screening procedure, the Board Nominations Committee will confirm a final slate of candidates in August. The Nominating Committee will present this slate of candidates to the voting members for election at Oxfam Canada’s Annual General Assembly on September 18, 2025.