The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of municipal governments, representing the interests of cities and communities with the federal government.

With over 2,100 members including Canada's largest cities, small urban and rural communities, and 20 provincial and territorial municipal associations, FCM represents over 92% of Canada’s population. As the national voice of Canadian municipalities, FCM is an organization that strives to make the communities Canadians live in more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable.

FCM aspires to be an organization that is deeply respectful, collaborative, empowering and transparent in our work. As the national voice for Canada’s local governments, FCM is committed to strengthening Canada by achieving results for Canadian communities and cities, and by sharing knowledge and experience on the world’s stage, so that others may improve the quality of life in their communities. All leaders in the organization are expected to lead in a manner that embraces these values, the corporate culture and the passion for FCM’s mission.

Lead the strategic and sustainable development of FCM’s international program to create spaces of collaboration and enable the co-creation of solutions between Canadian municipalities and their associations, with counterparts from the Global South and the Global North. FCM believes in the value of municipalities around the world collaborating to find solutions to shared challenges and sharing their knowledge, innovations and best practices in mutually beneficial ways. This includes addressing human rights and social justice issues, public governance and accountability, climate change and resilience, trade and economic development, immigration, security, transportation, humanitarian crises, sustainable development, etc. This role provides strategic leadership and implementation oversight to FCM’s international projects

The work at FCM includes FCM becoming an even more member-driven organization that balances the realization of its goals with a people-centered approach. The incumbent embodies FCM’s commitment to being a healthy, diverse, inclusive and anti-racist organization. The Director, will maintain the highest level of confidentiality, professionalism and exercise good judgment including the ability to escalate to management when help is required and being able to meet deadlines as set out by their direct manager within a fast-paced corporate environment.

• Collaborates with the unit management team to establishes and implements common principles and strategies for the development, launch, growth, integration, coherence, and management of existing, renewed, and new projects, ensuring alignment to FCM’s strategic direction, FCM policy, and member interests and in consideration of changing international trends. 

• Leads efforts to renew existing international projects and introduction of relevant new projects and funding through identifying trends and opportunities, developing long-term business plans, promoting projects, government relations and establishing and maintaining other key relationships. 

• Leads corporate integration and coordination of international program, in terms of membership/governance and public affairs/government relations. 

• Identifies opportunities for strategic collaboration and knowledge-transfer activities inside FCM with respect to capacity development methodologies, delivering funding, M&E, policy development, advocacy, inter-governmental relations and leveraging expertise in various areas of programming in the development of new international projects. 

• Develops and oversees the FCM international budget and leverages funding in a way that demonstrates results in relation to department and program objectives. 

• Plays a central role in developing the key messages and narrative around FCM’s International Program, with respect to member relations, partnership, and business development. 

• Responsible for staffing decisions for the international team, including in Canada and in overseas offices. 

• Leads the FCM international team, including overseas offices, for objective setting, performance assessments, coaching, development, issue clearing and ensuring resources, processes, and tools support effective and accountable teams. 

• Prioritization and selection of international opportunities to pursue and key activities and outcomes being proposed to funders. 

• Ensures alignment of the international program and specific projects with FCM’s prioritization and implementation of anti-racism, equity, inclusion (AREI) and Reconciliation, and leads contributions to this work rooted in our international experiences and expertise. 

• Assess the current international development and solidarity landscape via direct conversations, online reading, and participation in conference and meetings etc. in relation to FCM strategies, relationships, budgets, member interests, and business development objectives. 

• Use meetings, monitoring of funder priorities and strategic approaches and insight from existing projects and other sources to develop and make recommendations for the pursuit of new projects, partnerships, memberships etc. 

• Works with the FCM Board of Directors to maintain appropriate governance oversight and engagement, including (in consultation with other lead staff) development and execution of Executive Committee meetings and priorities.  

• Representation with Global Affairs Canada, at DG level and with non-political staff in Foreign Embassies. 

• Engagement with or formal partnerships with international networks, for the purposes of business development and program effectiveness. 

• Non-political representation of international program, in Canada and globally.

• A Masters’ degree or equivalent advanced education in a field relevant to municipal and international affairs.  

• A minimum of 10 years proven experience in the program management sector. 

• Extensive knowledge and experience, and a demonstrated track record with designing international and project proposals with Canadian federal funders, including preparing & writing proposals, budgets and agreements.  

• Knowledge and experience of Canadian municipal structures and functions.   

• Established contacts with key stakeholders in the federal government, including various line departments with which FCM is involved with and Global Affairs Canada (or current similar Ministry), and with international organizations.   

• Ability to navigate complex relationships and ambiguous situations.  

• Proven strategic thinking skills, including a proactive ability to identify broader implications of initiatives, analyze data and information, and develop solutions and recommendations for consideration.  

• Excellent written communication skills to prepare succinct and effective briefing notes, presentation, and other documents.  

• Demonstrated ability to work with tact, diplomacy, confidentiality, and discretion.  

• Demonstrated ability to develop consistent and holistic strategies and deliver key strategic messages to both internal and external stakeholders. 

• Strong people management skills (leading, delegating, directing, coaching).  

• Exceptional verbal and written communication, interpersonal, negotiation, presentation and influencing skills to deal effectively with internal and external stakeholders.  

• Superior ability to multitask and organize time, work, and resources to accomplish objectives in the most effective and efficient way.  

• Strong business acumen, problem-solving and results-based management skills, including planning, budgeting, reporting and evaluation processes.  

• Ability to lead highly collaborative, dynamic teams in an outcomes-focused, real-time, client service environment.  

• Capacity to communicate effectively in French and English. Spanish and other languages an asset.