Vancouver Foundation – Director, Communications

Environment Funders; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 117,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Professional development funds

Hybrid work arrangement

Inclusive workplace

Job summary

Vancouver Foundation seeks a strategic, collaborative Director of Communications to lead communications, marketing, digital engagement, and storytelling. This 14-month full-time contract role requires guiding organizational narratives during change, coordinating donor-facing materials, annual reporting, and external communications.

You will manage a team across content, digital strategy, and marketing, ensuring equity and inclusion in all outputs.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in communications leadership.
• Ability to translate strategy into clear messaging.
• Experience advancing equity, inclusion, and community storytelling.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of organization-wide communications strategy.
• Oversee marketing, digital engagement, donor materials, and annual reports.
• Guide internal communications to support staff engagement and culture.
• Manage communications budget and allocate resources to priorities.
• Collaborate with leaders to translate strategic planning into clear communication.
• Represent the Foundation in public and media settings as needed.
• Foster relationships with community and sector partners to elevate impact.

Skills

Strategic communications

Team leadership

Budget management

Media relations

Change management

Internal communications

Public speaking

Job description

Director, Communications

Full-Time Temporary 14-Month Contract

Onsite or Hybrid Work Option: Candidates must reside in Metro Vancouver

Expected Start Date:

January 11, 2027 (some flexibility available).

Accountability:

Reporting to Vice President, Engagement.

Direct Reports:

Senior Manager, Strategic Communications; Manager, Content; Manager, Digital Communications Strategy; Manager, Marketing; Coordinator, Communications

Salary:

$130,500 annually, plus pension and a generous, comprehensive benefits package that includes dedicated funds for professional development.

Hours of Work:

35-hour work week, Monday – Friday. For most of us, most weeks we work a 32-hour week Monday – Thursday.

Deadline to Apply:

Wednesday, November 18, 2026 by 8:00am PCT.

Vancouver Foundation acknowledges that we carry out our work on the lands of Indigenous nations throughout colonial British Columbia. Our office is located on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

Accessibility

Vancouver Foundation supports hybrid work arrangements, with flexibility to work from home and some in-office presence as required. Our office is located on the fifth floor of a building with elevator access, and includes a single-stall, universal washroom.

We are committed to the principles and practices of an inclusive and equitable employment process. Our goal is to be representative of the communities we work with, and we encourage applicants from communities which are structurally marginalized based on refugee claimant status, race, colour, religion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. We consider qualified candidates regardless of criminal convictions and those who have employment gaps or employment in historically stigmatized industries. We welcome applicants from all communities.

About Us

Vancouver Foundation is a community foundation that serves Vancouver and all of BC. We bring together the generosity of donors with the ideas and energy of people and communities across the province. Every year we fund a diverse mix of grants, both large and small, that help to build healthy, vibrant, equitable, and inclusive communities. Considered a leader in responsive grantmaking and systems change, Vancouver Foundation is the most significant funder of charities in BC outside of government.

As a community foundation, we’re committed to ensuring everyone has a place in our mission. We are on a journey to actively align all aspects of our work — both internally and externally — to our commitment to equity, inclusion, and a more just society.

For a view into our world, please visit: www.vancouverfoundation.ca.

About the Position

The Director, Communications provides strategic leadership for communications, marketing, digital engagement, and storytelling, ensuring communications efforts support the Foundation’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.

During this contract period, the Director will play a key role in supporting organizational change, helping translate emerging strategic priorities into clear organizational narratives, guiding communications through periods of transition, and strengthening the Foundation's internal communications capacity to support staff engagement and organizational culture.

Reporting to the Vice President, Engagement, the Director leads a team responsible for strategic communications, content, digital strategy, and marketing. The role oversees the development and implementation of communications strategies, campaigns, and products, including donor-facing materials, annual reporting, and external communications.

The Director works closely with teams across the Foundation to align communications, amplify learning and insights, strengthen relationships with community and sector partners, and identify opportunities to elevate the Foundation's profile through storytelling, public engagement, and digital channels.

The Director is responsible for managing the communications budget, aligning resources to priorities, and ensuring high-quality, consistent delivery across all outputs. Across all responsibilities, the role supports Vancouver Foundation’s commitments to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring communications practices are accessible, authentic, and reflective of community-informed work.

About You

You are a strategic and collaborative communications leader who thrives in complex environments and is comfortable navigating ambiguity and change. You bring a systems-thinking approach, understanding how communications, culture, and strategy intersect to influence organizational effectiveness. You build trusted relationships across functions and levels, create alignment among diverse stakeholders, and help organizations make sense of change through clear, thoughtful communication.

You bring strong judgment and the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling messages that resonate with diverse audiences. You are skilled at leading teams, managing competing priorities, and providing strategic communications counsel. You communicate with clarity and influence, are comfortable representing the organization in public and media settings, and are committed to advancing equity, inclusion, and community-informed storytelling through your work.

You’re ready to join us as we explore and shape how Vancouver Foundation might do even more to align justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion with our culture and our mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the strategies that guide the Foundation’s overall communications with a focus on building cohesive messaging and brand presence that resonates across audiences.
• Identify opportunities to generate awareness of Vancouver Foundation, its values and mission, and to lead on those issues through speaking opportunities, earned media, and digital channels.
• Oversee marketing initiatives, including donor-focused materials and campaigns, advertising, annual reports, and other strategic communications products.
• Work closely with the Director, Community Learning & Engagement and Director, Evaluation, to share learning and mobilize knowledge and strengthen relationships with equity‑seeking communities and the social purpose sector.
• Develop and oversee communications budget, monitoring expenses and reporting variances.
• Lead and strengthen the Foundation's internal communications function, developing approaches, tools, and practices that support organizational change, staff engagement, leadership communications, and a strong culture of transparency and connection.
• Partner with organizational leaders to translate strategic planning work into clear communication approaches, helping staff understand emerging priorities, organizational changes, and their implications for day‑to‑day work.
• Other Duties as Assigned.

Requirements

Education/Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in