Learn more about this exciting opportunity
Inaugural Position
Stepping into an inaugural position within the senior leadership team brings the natural challenge of orienting yourself within a rapidly scaling organization.
High-visibility Role
You will hold a high-visibility position, actively engaging with key donor networks and representing the organization’s global footprint.
Leadership Opportunity
An essential part of your role involves evaluating potential new project opportunities alongside internal leadership.
Senior Program Director @ TFO Canada
Company: TFO Canada
Position: Senior Program Director
TFO Canada is an Ottawa-based non-profit organization founded in 1980 with a mandate to confront global poverty through economic development. Unlike agencies focused on expanding domestic exports, TFO Canada drives international growth by acting as a bridge that helps small and medium-sized enterprises in developing nations access international marketplaces, particularly Canada. By providing trade information, advice, and commercial contacts, the organization elevates smaller exporters while enabling Canadian consumers to benefit from a diversified marketplace.
The core of TFO Canada’s operation is its international team, which represents at least 15 countries and speaks over eight languages. This workplace brings together new immigrants and professionals in an open environment to deliver global programming. Operating under the principle of creating development impact through trade, TFO Canada aligns its activities with global priorities, including commitments to gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. The organization has built a track record working across South and Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.
As global markets face volatility, TFO Canada’s role in promoting trade diversification is increasingly relevant. By helping Canadian buyers and importers discover alternative supply sources in emerging economies, the organization plays a role in mitigating supply chain risks. This positioning ensures that international aid is delivered as a sustainable commercial solution that lifts communities out of poverty while enriching the resilience of the Canadian market.
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Compensation: $145,000 – $160,000 + eligibility for management incentive.
We use AI-powered tools (such as Fathom, Gemini, and Monica) to support certain administrative aspects of our recruitment process, such as interview note-taking, transcription, and summarization. These tools are used to improve efficiency and consistency. All AI-generated outputs are reviewed by a qualified recruiting professional, and all hiring decisions are made by humans. We do not use AI for selection purposes but do utilize AI powered search functions (Microsoft/Google) to help identify candidates on behalf of our clients.
Skills & Experience
15 Years of Experience
You bring an extensive track record in international development program delivery, with at least fifteen years of progressive leadership experience directing complex, large-scale programs within the non-profit, NGO, civil society organization or government sectors.
Bilingual
Given the organization's footprint, full professional fluency in written and verbal communication in both English and French is mandatory, while proficiency in Spanish is considered a strong asset.
Solutions-Driven
You are a solutions-driven professional who handles uncertainty well, bringing the energy necessary to outline a path forward while managing multiple priorities at once.
Leadership
As an experienced leader, you excel at orchestrating resources and planning for future capacity.
Patient & Adaptive
Interpersonally, you bring a patient and adaptive communication style, allowing you to work comfortably across diverse cultural backgrounds, demonstrate active listening and show an appreciation for diverse workplace practices.
Communication
Your communication style remains collaborative, allowing you to establish immediate credibility across your programming team, internal stakeholders, and external partners alike.
Summary of the Role
The Senior Program Director is a newly established leadership position within TFO Canada’s Senior Management Team, reporting directly to the Executive Director. This role acts as the operational head of the department, holding accountability for the team’s capacity, global resource allocation and program execution. Alongside day-to-day operations, you will serve as a key external face for the organization, managing communication with donors, such as Global Affairs Canada, and representing TFO Canada’s programming footprint across international development networks, forums and stakeholder events. You will serve as the departmental representative at the board committee level, liaising with the Board’s Operations Committee and translating project milestones and resource utilization metrics into clear updates for board members.
As TFO Canada scales up its international commitments, this role provides the comprehensive perspective needed to anchor a growing department. In this role, you will directly manage, mentor and support an established team of experienced Program Directors, helping them balance their respective portfolios effectively. Rather than managing isolated divisions, you will lead this group within an integrated structure, replacing separate tracking methods with centralized project management tools. You will establish standard workflows to monitor project milestones, evaluate performance indicators and maintain compliance with donor Results-Based Management frameworks.
An essential part of your role involves evaluating potential new project opportunities alongside internal leadership. You will assess upcoming proposals against your team’s current bandwidth and technical constraints to make sure the department has the necessary resources that ensure it can deliver on every commitment.
Apply for this opportunity
Thank you for your application for this opportunity. Due to the high number of applications we receive, we will only be contacting those that are under consideration for the role.