JOB OPPORTUNITY

Position Title: Program Manager (Research Lead)
Position Type: Full time contract (37.5 hours per week)
Organization: Shift: Action for Pension Wealth & Planet Health (a project of Makeway)
Location: Remote in Canada. (Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal preferred)

Start date: As soon as possible.
Compensation: CAD $70,000 - $85,000 based on experience, including a comprehensive health benefits package and four weeks of paid vacation.
Application deadline: Sunday, May 12, 2024. Position will remain open until filled.

Join Shift’s growing team, working to transform Canada’s finance sector to address the climate crisis.

About the Role

Shift is seeking a researcher, analyst and writer to join our growing team. Our work to educate and empower Canadian pension members to constructively engage their fund managers on the climate crisis requires expertise in climate policy, energy systems, sustainable finance, corporate climate plans, and federal and provincial policy, as well as an up-to-date understanding of how and where pension funds are investing and managing assets. The Program Manager (Research Lead) will work with our team to track the climate solutions and fossil fuel related investments from Canada’s largest pension funds, analyze the internal policies and practices of funds for managing climate risk, and contribute to Shift’s thought leadership for aligning the financial sector with climate goals through reports, briefings, blogs and presentations.

About Shift

Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health (Shift) works to protect pensions and the climate by bringing together pension fund members (beneficiaries) and pension funds to tackle the climate crisis. We help Canadians understand where their retirement wealth is invested and how to engage with the people managing it to address the climate crisis. Now is the time to shift our pension wealth to ensure a climate-safe future.

Shift is a project on MakeWay’s shared platform, which provides operational support, governance, and charitable expertise for changemakers. The shared platform enables more time and money to go towards achieving greater impact. MakeWay is a national charity that builds partnerships and solutions to help nature and communities thrive together.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Extend and evolve Shift’s knowledge base on the climate plans and investments of pension funds and asset managers in Canada and internationally.
• Recognize, analyze, compare and document climate progress across Canada’s financial institutions, including climate policies, fossil fuel and climate solution investments, and international best practices.
• Lead the creation of our flagship annual Canadian Pension Climate Report Card.
• Draft Shift’s newsletter, Climate Pension Quarterly, for supporters and stakeholders.
• Create new and accessible resources and tools to inform, educate and mobilize pension beneficiaries and stakeholders.
• Turn research into reports and investor briefs, and assist with related communications products for earned and social media.
• Provide research, writing and communications support to Shift’s climate-aligned pension campaigns and ongoing advocacy for sustainable finance laws, policies and regulations.

Desired Qualifications:

• Excellent research, analysis, writing, and communications skills.
• 5+ years of experience with research/writing projects. Experience in finance sector analysis is an asset, but not required if you are willing and able to learn quickly.
• Experience with communication for a public audience, including the ability to synthesize information into useful products for beneficiary education and public communication (e.g. briefing notes, presentation decks, op-eds, reports).
• Capable of holding high-level conversations regarding climate, energy and sustainable finance.
• Knowledge of corporate and governmental climate plans and policies, traditional and emerging energy technologies, and credible pathways for achieving corporate and governmental climate targets.
• Project management skills, with the ability to plan and deliver high-quality work within tight timeframes. Proven ability to work well both individually and as part of a team.
• Organizational skills, such as for maintaining Shift’s knowledge base of pension fund tracking and analysis.

Personal Qualifications:

• A deep personal commitment to address the climate crisis and build a just, inclusive future.
• Ability to think critically and make well-informed, timely decisions.
• Willingness to be nimble, flexible, and to work closely with a team.
• Background in climate policy issues is an asset.
• Must embrace and apply principles of justice, diversity, and inclusion in their work.
• Able to interact with staff and external stakeholders from all walks of life with respect and professionalism.
• Able to effectively create and deliver concise and informative communications.
• Organized, able to create work plans and anticipate deadlines, and comfortable juggling multiple priorities with competing deadlines.
• Ability to work independently. While the Shift team is collaborative and connected, each team member is autonomous in organizing their workday and meeting milestones to achieve our shared goals.

Work Environment:
This position is full time ‘work from home’, with the expectation of local travel to participate in workshops, meetings, and events on an occasional basis. Lieu time is granted for work on evenings and weekends. This role will also involve occasional domestic and/or international travel (1-3 times per year). Shift offers a flexible and friendly work environment. Shift typically closes its office over the Xmas holidays and on Friday afternoons in the summer.

How to Apply:
Together with your resume, please forward a cover letter (max one page) which includes your responses to the following questions:

• What interests you most about this position?
• Briefly tell us how your skills and experiences are a good fit for this position.
• Briefly tell us about your current/most recent job. Why are you looking for a change?
• Why do you want to join the Shift team?
• What unique perspective(s) do you think you can bring to this role and the Shift team?

Please send your resume and cover letter with your responses to the above questions to HR@shiftaction.ca with subject line “Application: Program Manager (Research Lead)” by end of day May 12th, 2024. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until then. Thank you.

For More Information:
For more information about Shift and MakeWay, please visit shiftaction.ca and http://makeway.org/approach/shared-platform/.

Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWork.ca.

As Shift is on MakeWay’s Shared Platform, the selected candidate will be an employee of MakeWay. Shift and MakeWay are strongly committed to creating a diverse workplace environment and we welcome and encourage applications from the communities we serve. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

MakeWay will provide accommodation during all steps of the hiring process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities. Please advise us if you need any accommodation.

Our sincere appreciation to all those expressing interest in the position, however, only those applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest! We will accept applications until the position is filled. No phone calls or recruiters please.