THE OPPORTUNITY

The Bruyère Health Foundation is seeking an accomplished leader to serve as its next President. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President will advance the Foundation’s mission through leadership in fundraising, communications, and community engagement.   This is an exciting and pivotal moment to join the Foundation and the Bruyère Health community as it prepares for a major infrastructure redevelopment plan in the coming years.  The successful candidate will bring a genuine passion for Bruyère Health’s mission to care for and improve the quality of life of some of the most frail and vulnerable people in the community.

Working closely with the Board and Foundation team, the President will shape and implement the Foundation’s next strategic plan, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and strong governance practices.  The new incumbent will be a member of Bruyère Health’s Senior Strategy Team and will closely collaborate with Bruyère Health’s senior leadership to align philanthropic and institutional goals.

The ideal candidate is a proven builder - an entrepreneurial, intentional, and highly empathetic leader with a demonstrated track record of success in scaling development programs and fundraising for large-scale initiatives.  Leading with boldness and clarity, the new President will possess a strong strategic mindset, with the ability to envision, develop, and execute a consistent and sustainable fundraising strategy that will support the Foundation’s long-term growth and success. 

The President will operate with influence and inspiration, and have demonstrated expertise in growing high-performing teams, leading and mentoring staff, as well as working with, and supporting leadership volunteers in order to successfully deliver on fundraising targets.

An exceptional relationship builder and connector, with deep major and transformational giving experience, the new incumbent will have the proven capability to proactively engage philanthropists, top executives, and community partners to support Bruyère Health.  The President will serve as a passionate and proud ambassador in the community, elevating visibility, and awareness of the Foundation, and of the impact of investing. In parallel, the successful candidate will continue to foster a strong culture of philanthropy across the Bruyère Health internal community.

A highly articulate communicator, the President will be skilled at telling a compelling story that inspires engagement and investment. Experience in marketing, branding, or public positioning initiatives will further strengthen the successful candidate’s profile.  Bilingualism in English and French is an asset, enhancing the President’s ability to engage effectively across the community.

The President, together with the Foundation Board, will have financial oversight of the Foundation and will work to strengthen the Foundation’s operational capacity to support its growth trajectory, leveraging a shared services model with the hospital’s human resources, finance, and communications teams.

After decades in its current facilities, Bruyère Health is entering a new era of infrastructure redevelopment. The Foundation, and its next President, will play an integral role in shaping and executing a creative and ambitious fundraising strategy to support this vision.  By building deep partnerships across the philanthropic sector and broader community, the successful candidate will help bring this transformative initiative to life and ensure lasting impact on patient care and community well-being.

The Bruyère Health Foundation currently operates in a hybrid work environment with a minimum of three days per week in the office located on the main floor of the Bruyère Health Élisabeth-Bruyère Hospital at 43 Bruyère St., Ottawa.

ABOUT BRUYERE HEALTH

Bruyère Health is Eastern Ontario’s leading health organization specializing in aging, rehabilitation, and care for those with multiple complex medical conditions. We bring together compassionate, person-centered care with world-class research to maximize quality of life for those we care for and their loved ones.

Bruyère Health has a proven history of addressing gaps in our health system with compassion, innovation, and courage. Today, as an academic health sciences center, we are training the next generation of health professionals to see—and take action on creating—a better health system for all.

Those referred to Bruyère Health are managing a loss of their independence and function, often as a result of a significant medical event or illness.  While acute care hospitals save lives, our specialized hospitals restore independence and function, providing patients with a bridge back to home.  When this is not possible, we work to accommodate the loss of independence through long-term care and specialized complex medical care.

Bruyère Health is essentially the only organization in Eastern Ontario providing comprehensive:

Stroke and rehabilitation care that helps patients return home.

Dementia and memory care that preserves dignity.

Palliative and end-of-life care giving comfort.

Complex care that bridges the gap between hospital and home.

Bruyère Health Sites and Units

•         The Bruyère Health Orléans site includes independent and assisted living as well as affordable housing through Bruyère Health Besserer Place Senior Living and Bruyère Health The Villas Senior Living. It also includes Bruyère Health Saint-Louis Long-Term Care, a 198-bed long-term care home on the same integrated site.

•         Bruyère Health’s Market Site includes Élisabeth-Bruyère Hospital that offers stroke and geriatric rehabilitation services and transitional care, and Élisabeth-Bruyère Long-Term Care, a home to 69 residents. Primary care is also provided through Bruyère Health Academic Family Medicine on the same site.

•         Bruyère Health’s Saint-Vincent Hospital in Centretown is Ottawa’s only complex care hospital. The hospital has 335 beds where care teams maintain and improve function for patients with complex needs. Primary care is also provided through the Bruyère Health Academic Family Medicine.

•         Bruyère Health Greystone Transitional Care is a 120-bed facility located in the heart of Old Ottawa East.

Education at Bruyère Health

As an academic health care organization, Bruyère Health offers diverse training, clinical placements, and research opportunities for medical, nursing, and allied health learners.  It specializes in care for the elderly, rehabilitation, and palliative care through partnerships with local universities, colleges, and a specialized "Living Classroom" in long-term care. 

We are proud to train the next generation of health care professionals, with over 900 students learning from our programs and more than 9300 medical trainee days each year.

Bruyère Health Research Institute

Bruyère Health is recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals.  In 2025, the Bruyère Health Research Institute, the research arm of Bruyère Health, ranked first for research spending growth in its tier for the second consecutive year, representing a continued dedication to investing in generating new knowledge, practicing evidence-based care, and supporting the next generation of health care and research professionals.

Our research supports evidence-based care with a focus on memory, aging in place and long-term care, palliative care, rehabilitation and recovery, and social accountability.

•         We are addressing some of the most pressing concerns for older adults, including the rising prevalence of dementia, strategies for aging in place, and the future of long-term care and assisted living:

•         In the face of life-limiting illness, our research seeks to understand, address, and treat symptoms, suffering, and grief and to design and implement strategies for palliative care delivery in hospital and home.

•         At a moment when patients seek stability, our research has paved a foundation for recovery and clinical assessments in stroke, geriatric, and neurological rehabilitation and in complex continuing care.

•         Our research aims to ensure that patients are achieving better health outcomes at the right time, place, and level of care. We take lessons learned from local and global health initiatives while pursuing equity, effectiveness, and accessibility of interventions to ensure nobody is left behind.

Bruyère Health and its Research Institute are fully affiliated with the University of Ottawa, and have other regional academic, government, NGO, and industry partners engaged in collaborative research and innovation initiatives.

Looking Ahead – A Transformational Redevelopment Project

As we look ahead, we are proud to celebrate 180 years of care —a milestone that honours our founding by the Venerable Élisabeth Bruyère and affirms our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our community, now and into the future. 

We continue to advance plans for our future infrastructure redevelopment project, taking steps toward building inclusive, accessible, and state-of-the-art care environments that reflect the future of health care delivery.

ABOUT BRUYERE HEALTH FOUNDATION

The Bruyère Health Foundation provides vital funding to support the best possible patient care at Bruyère Health.  Gifts from our generous donors are used to fund patient care, medical equipment and patient amenities, innovative research initiatives, essential redevelopment of clinical care spaces, and the education and training of health care providers.

•         The Foundation has disbursed $8.5 million over the last 5 years to Bruyère Health and the Bruyère Health Research Institute for priority needs.

• For the 2025-26 fiscal year, together with our many volunteers, we raised $4.8M with the support and generosity of our donors and volunteers. 

The Foundation currently has a team of seven staff, led by the President.  Relationships are key to all that we do and we have built strong, positive relationships with our colleagues at Bruyère Health, with volunteers and donors, and with people in the communities served.  We are proud to live out the Bruyère Health and our Foundation values each and every day:    Respect, Compassion, Collaboration, Accountability, Learning.

The Foundation successfully carries out a range of fundraising initiatives each year in order to fund Bruyère Health’s most critical needs. Currently, the Living Well, Aging Boldly campaign is newly underway to raise $25 million, over the next five years, to transform care for those living with dementia, rehabilitation, or complex medical needs.  The campaign will also support research, education and digital innovation to drive evidence-based care and future-ready systems to enable Bruyere Health to deliver faster, safer, and more personalized care than ever before.

In addition, plans are in development and we have begun preparing for a transformational comprehensive fundraising campaign for the new Bruyère Health campus in the coming years.  The Foundation President will have the opportunity to lead the Foundation as it embarks on the largest campaign in its history in support of this exciting new expansion project that will give our healthcare leaders the space and tools required, and empower them to provide the best patient outcomes for many years to come.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

•         About Bruyère Health

•         Programs & Services

•         2024-2025 Annual Report

•         2025 Financial Statements

•         2025-2026 Quality Improvement Plan

•         Ways to Give

•         Corporate Partnership Program

•         Inspirational Stories

•         Bruyère Research Institute

•         Foundation Events

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Governance, and Operations

•         Work collaboratively with the Foundation Board, Foundation senior team, and Bruyère Health partners to drive the overall Foundation strategy and planning in support of a culture of growth and success.

•         Support the Board of Directors to successfully carry out their strategic leadership, stewardship, monitoring, and decision-making accountabilities.

•         Lead the development of the Foundation’s new strategic plan, ensuring alignment with the strategic priorities of Bruyère Health.

•         Oversee the development and proposal of policies that ensures accountability and appropriate risk management.

•         Direct the development of the annual budget for the Foundation; measure progress and evaluate the plans, report risks and performance outcomes to the Board and Bruyère Health senior leadership.

•         Participate as a member of the Senior Strategy Team of Bruyère Health.  Demonstrate positive and proactive engagement with the hospital leadership team, physicians, and staff to align philanthropic activity with the financial priorities of Bruyère Health, furthering its mission and vision.

•         With the Foundation leadership team and staff, develop and implement operational plans to achieve the goals and objectives of the strategic plan.

•         Build the capacity of the Foundation by assessing existing structures, programs, and staff; build on existing strengths and new opportunities to improve performance, managing resources for maximum efficiency and results.

•         Ensure that all Foundation plans and activities align with the Bruyère Health brand, strategy, and values.

•         Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and maintain the Foundation’s role as trustee of donors’ funds.

•         Work in conjunction with the Vice-President Finance to regularly review and optimize the financial health of the Foundation.

•         Ensure oversight of all donor funds (agreements, fund stewardship and disbursements).

•         Strengthen the Foundation’s operational capacity to support its growth trajectory, leveraging a shared services model with Bruyère Health’s human resources, finance, and communications teams.

Fundraising, Donor Engagement, and Campaign Leadership

•         In collaboration with the Foundation Board, Foundation team and Bruyère Health leadership, expand the capacity of the Foundation by identifying priority needs, financial requirements, and potential funding sources.

•         Working closely with the Foundation Board, Bruyère Health leadership, the Foundation team and additional senior volunteers, lead the strategy, planning and implementation of a major capital campaign supporting the new Bruyère Health redevelopment project.

•         Partner with the Foundation Board, senior volunteers, Bruyère Health leadership, and Foundation staff to identify, cultivate and solicit key prospects for philanthropic gifts.

•         Directly manage a personal portfolio of top-tier prospects and donors leading and actively engaging in relationships with new and existing donors through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of their philanthropic support.

•         Work with Bruyère Health staff to build awareness of philanthropic opportunities at the Foundation.

•         In conjunction with the Foundation senior team, work to develop and execute diversified fundraising strategies and plans, including annual initiatives and multi-year campaigns, to meet revenue goals identified in the strategic plan and budget.

•         Ensure that the Foundation team has action-oriented plans, robust tools, and rigorous processes to track donor activities and drive pipeline development and momentum.

•         Ensure the planning and implementation of exemplary donor stewardship programs and timely donor communications.

Staff and Volunteer Leadership

•         Accountable for the effective recruitment, development, and support of the human resource needs of the Foundation including staff and volunteers.

•         Ensure that the Foundation is effectively and appropriately staffed and supported in accordance with strategic objectives and goals.  Scale the team to meet the requirements of the major capital campaign in support of Bruyère Health’s upcoming redevelopment project.

•         Provide inspirational leadership, coaching and mentoring and ongoing empowerment to a dedicated team of professionals to achieve the Foundation’s Vision.

•         Foster team collaboration and support the professional growth of employees.

•         Provide guidance and support to Board members and key volunteers in their work to further the strategic priorities of Bruyère Health and the Foundation.

•         Lead by example to promote a positive and respectful culture aligned with the Foundation’s values.

Communications and Community Engagement

•         Ensure effective communication of Bruyère Health’s top funding priorities into compelling donor opportunities.

•         Play an active lead role in community engagement and external relations; represent the Foundation within the community, developing strong community links with relevant businesses and corporations, community groups, media, and the public.

•         Continue to build on the positive momentum of the existing communications plan for the Foundation, utilizing diverse communication vehicles to articulate and highlight donor impact.

•         Support the team with media-related initiatives that heighten awareness of the Foundation in the community.

•         Collaborate closely with Bruyère Health in communications and community relations to maximize community reach and ensure alignment on all key messages.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

The role of the President requires an exceptional combination of leadership ability, a demonstrated record of accomplishment on a substantial scale in fundraising and a variety of personal and professional attributes equal to the demands of this role:

•         Progressive experience at a leadership level, preferably in a large, complex, multi-stakeholder organization.

•         Previous experience leading organizational revenue generation, including diverse and integrated revenue streams.

•         Experience reporting to and engaging Boards of Directors and volunteer committees in support of fundraising and effective governance. 

•         A successful track record closing major and transformational gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and community organizations.

•         Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and maintain effective, authentic relationships with donors, volunteers, internal and external partners, and community.

•         Business development skills and entrepreneurial approach in order to drive new connections and partnerships with community stakeholders.

•         Experience in major philanthropic campaign planning and execution.

•         Demonstrated success in effectively developing and managing high performing teams.

•         Demonstrated aptitude in big picture and strategic thinking with the ability to innovate, conceptualize and execute plans that achieve strategic objectives.

•         Business and financial acumen and experience, including strategic, financial, analytical, and operational skills.

•         Knowledgeable about the financial, legal, and regulatory requirements of a non-profit organization.

•         Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, including highly developed public speaking skills.  Bilingualism (French) will be considered an asset.

•         Knowledge and experience in marketing and communications in order to support best practice fundraising communications, brand and awareness building.

•         A University Degree or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this search on behalf of Bruyère Health Foundation. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Sylvie Battisti, Senior Vice President, KCI Search + Talent by email at BHF@KCITalent.com.

All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence. Interested candidates should send resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by May 29, 2026.

Bruyère Health Foundation offers a competitive compensation package including base salary, incentive pay, health benefits, and participation in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). The hiring range for this role is $204,000 to $245,000 plus up to 4% incentive compensation annually.

To view the full executive brief, visit: www.kcitalent.com

All Bruyère Health employees are required to provide proof of full vaccination for all identified communicable diseases as per our Communicable Diseases: Health Surveillance and Management policy.

Bruyère Health promotes the principles of diversity and inclusion and adheres to the Employment Equity Act and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Bruyère Health is committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. Should any candidate require accommodation in any phase of the recruitment process, please contact Sylvie Battisti, Senior Vice President, KCI Search + Talent at BHF@KCITalent.com for assistance