Job Posting

Chief Executive Officer

Position Title:                    Chief Executive Officer

Reports to:                         Board of Directors

Location:                              This is a fully remote position, and the incumbent may be based in Ottawa or able to travel frequently to Ottawa on short  notice. Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada.

Start Date:                          September 2026

Position Type:                   Full-time, 37.5 hours per week.

Application Deadline:    Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Who We Are

Humane Canada is the national federation of SPCAs and humane societies, dedicated to advancing animal welfare through advocacy, leadership, and sector‑wide collaboration. We support and connect animal welfare organizations across Canada to build capacity, resilience, and collective impact. Our mission is to advance animal welfare across Canada by strengthening the capacity, collaboration, and national impact of the animal welfare sector.

Humane Canada has grown significantly in recent years. Coming years will see a strategic focus on advocating for its One Health/One Welfare vision and strengthening the animal welfare sector through intensified collaboration and capacity building

Humane Canada is seeking a Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) to lead the strategic direction of the federation, ensuring financial sustainability and growth, and strengthening its mission and position as the trusted, unifying voice for animal welfare in Canada

 About the Role

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the values-anchored CEO leads a small, complex national office delivering value through advocacy, education and training, standards, convening, coordination, and member support. This position provides visionary leadership and strategic direction throughout the organization and externally, ensuring sustainability, growth and impact in the pursuit of its mission.

This leadership opportunity is ideal for a CEO or experienced senior leader who has helped an organization move from strong foundations to greater durability, coherence, and national influence while keeping people and culture at the center. For the right leader, this is a chance to steward what works, strengthen how it works, and help Humane Canada realize its full potential as Canada’s national animal welfare leader. This role is available due to a planned leadership transition.

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategy & Vision

• Leads through a federation model, aligning diverse member priorities through trust, partnership, and influence.
• Prepares the organization for a more complex, higher visibility‑ next phase
• Accelerates and diversifies revenue generation calibrated to strategic growth
• Drives clarity and alignment on shared national priorities.
• Ensures Humane Canada delivers a compelling member value proposition (e.g., coordination, standards, learning, tools, convening, national voice).
• Increases Humane Canada’s national impact and credibility by translating key priorities into measurable outcomes and consistent delivery.

Internal & External Relations

• Advocates with a strong, credible and principled voice, serving as the primary external spokesperson with government, stakeholders and media.
• Secures and maintains new partnerships to strengthen its mission and engagements to ensure revenue generation for future sustainability.

Business Development and Fundraising

• Aligns fundraising strategy with organizational goals and long-term sustainability.
• Responsible for the development of fundraising initiatives and programs that align with strategy.
• Builds and sustains strong trusted-based relationships with donors, funders, partners.

Organizational Culture, Management & Leadership

• Leads a team of employees and volunteers, as a trusted, people‑centered manager.
• Ensures clear objectives and performance measures for team priorities and accountability.

Board Liaison, Governance and Administration

• Responsible for effective governance, operations and compliance.
• Liaises with Board of Directors on all governance and operational issues.

Financial Accountability and Stewardship

• Responsible for the development and management of the annual operational plan.
• Stewards the current strategic direction while significantly strengthening execution, accountability, and organizational capacity.
• Ensures sound financial planning, budgeting and reporting practices and regulatory compliance.

Experience and Background

As a leader you will bring:

• 5+ years’ experience as a Senior Leader; and/or prior CEO experience in a nonprofit or mission driven organization preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
• Deep expertise in association management, sector partnership-building, and strategic execution.
• Leadership of complex, multi‑stakeholder environments (e.g., federations, networks, coalitions).
•  Significant experience in fundraising and donor engagement, with a track record of driving revenue growth and stewarding key relationships.
• Strong leadership capabilities, including accountability for results, transparent decision-making, and effective oversight of resources and performance while leading a diverse team in a remote and virtual environment.
• Proven strategic leadership in business development, including the ability to identify and advance growth opportunities aligned with organizational goals.
• Advocacy or public facing‑ leadership experience – national preferred. 
• Experience working with governance boards.
• Leading growth, visibility, or systems building phases.
• Demonstrated experience as a media savvy spokesperson, with strong media relations skills and the ability to represent‑ the organization publicly with credibility and confidence.
• Ability to travel frequently with short notice.

Leadership characteristics considered an asset

• Animal welfare experience and/ or animal sheltering experience.
• Deep respect for Humane Canada’s mission, people, member organizations and animals.
• Philosophical harmony with Humane Canada’s vision, mission and values.
• Leads with transparency, integrity, and fairness.
• Bilingual – English and French – is an asset.
• Balances empathy with clear expectations and follow-through.
• Builds confidence, capability, and shared ownership.
• Genuine concern for animals of all species and their welfare.
• Aligns strongly with equity‑centered values, while also demonstrating practical knowledge of implementation and change management.

Remote Nature of the Position:

• Role is fully remote and successful candidate would be required to perform responsibilities reliably and effectively through technology.
• Working hours are flexible but availability will be generally required between 9 am and 5 pm ET (Eastern Time Zone).

Should you be interested in learning more about this impactful opportunity with Humane Canada, please apply today with your resume, letter of introduction, and salary expectations to .

Humane Canada is committed to having accessible and equitable employment practices. Because we value a diverse workplace, we prioritize an inclusive culture absent of discrimination during the application process and after joining the team. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply, especially those from under-represented backgrounds. We believe that work on behalf of animals benefits greatly from collaborating with people from all backgrounds.

Humane Canada is dedicated to meeting the accessibility needs of all applicants during the recruiting and selection process. Please let us know if you require accommodation or support. 

We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

ABOUT HUMANE CANADA:

Founded in 1957, Humane Canada represents SPCAs and Humane Societies from coast to coast to coast as well as an increasing number of municipalities, animal welfare groups and rescue organizations that make up the sector. We have a simple vision – a humane Canada. This vision was so important to us that in 2018 we publicly changed our name to Humane Canada. To achieve that vision we drive positive, progressive change to end animal cruelty, improve animal protection and promote the humane treatment of all animals.

As the convener of the largest animal welfare community in Canada, we advance the welfare of animals, with a strong national voice promoting the interests and concerns of animal welfare to government, policy makers, industry, and the public. We believe that each animal possesses intrinsic value, remarkable complexity, and inherent dignity, and as such is deserving of respect and moral concern. We elevate animal welfare through our values of collaboration and evidence-based thought leadership while building integrated, strategic professional teams that utilize systems thinking to create an effective and lasting change.