Type: Temporary fixed-term contract

Expected Start Date: Week of October 6, 2025 (or earlier if available)

Expected Duration: One-year maternity leave coverage, with potential extension up to 18 months

Reports to: Senior Director of Communications and Development

Vacation Entitlement: 4% in accordance with statutory requirements

Summary 

Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to ban plastic pollution, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. 

Canada has the longest coastline in the world, with an ocean surface area of 7.1 million square kilometres, or 70 per cent of its landmass. Oceana Canada believes that Canada has a national and global obligation to manage our natural resources responsibly and help ensure a sustainable source of protein for the world’s growing population.

Oceana Canada works with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future.

Oceana Canada is seeking a collaborative, detail-oriented and mission-driven fundraising professional to join our team as Manager of Development & Partnerships (maternity leave coverage). This role will support the execution of our 2025-2026 major gifts and donor communications strategy by managing and helping grow a focused portfolio of donors and prospects, leading proposal development and reporting, and working across teams to advance Oceana’s fundraising and engagement goals.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Communications & Development, the successful candidate will work closely with Oceana Canada’s Executive Director, senior staff, and global fundraising teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a focused portfolio of major gift prospects and donors to support personalized cultivation, solicitation and stewardship efforts.
• Conduct prospect research to identify, qualify and prioritize new major gift leads, ensuring a healthy pipeline of donor and partner opportunities.
• Draft, edit, and support the development of donor proposals, stewardship materials, and impact updates in collaboration with the communications and campaign teams, tailoring materials to donor interests based on Oceana’s campaigns: stopping plastic pollution, protecting marine habitat, rebuilding wild fish populations, and saving North Atlantic right whales from extinction. 
• Work with the senior director and executive director to meet quarterly goals, including identifying new prospects, submitting personalized proposals, and ensuring timely donor touchpoints.
• Participate in donor meetings with the Executive Director and senior staff and help prepare materials and follow-up.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records using Salesforce, including contact reports, proposal tracking and stewardship calendars.
• Support planning and execution of donor events and virtual briefings, when needed.
• Collaborate with colleagues across teams, including communications, digital and global fundraising, to align messaging, timelines and donor engagement opportunities.
• Work closely with international colleagues to implement and follow systems for pipeline tracking, stewardship calendars, donor reporting, and cultivation activity planning.
• Stay informed about Oceana Canada’s campaigns and priorities to ensure donor materials reflect current strategy and impact.

Requirements

• 4-5 years’ experience in major gifts or campaign-based fundraising.
• Strong writing and communication skills, with a keen eye for detail and the ability to tailor messaging to diverse donor audiences.
• Experience supporting or coordinating the development of donor proposals, stewardship materials and reports.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and steward donor relationships, with familiarity in moves management or donor pipelines.
• Knowledge of CRA guidelines and charitable donations and sponsorships.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; experience using Salesforce or a similar CRM platform.
• Passionate about ocean conservation, Indigenous reconciliation, and evidence-based policy change.
• Experience in the environmental or policy advocacy sector is an asset.
• French bilingualism is also a plus.
• A collaborative team player who is proactive, detail-oriented and comfortable managing multiple priorities.

Temporary fixed-term contract with an expected start date of October 6, 2025 (or earlier if available). The expected duration for this maternity leave coverage is 1-Year, with a potential extension up to 18 months. During the first 12 months there is an additional statutory vacation entitlement of 4%.  This is a hybrid remote role, with 3 in-office days- Tues, Wed and Thursday.

Oceana Canada is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, support will be provided in the recruitment process and accommodations for disabilities will be provided on request wherever appropriate.  All offers of employment are conditional upon the successful completion of reference checks and a criminal background check.

While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.