Communities affected by mining

Title: FAIME Operational Manager
Organization: Find an Independent Mining Expert (FAIME)
Location: Remote with occasional travel. Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

Position Overview

• 4 days/week remote position with occasional travel, flexible hours
• Compensation at CAD 42.37/hr, eligible for annual cost-of-living adjustment raises
• 4 weeks paid vacation and generous health and employment benefits
• 12-month contract with possibility of extension, subject to funding availability
• Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada
• Apply by May 28th

About FAIME

Find an Independent Mining Expert (FAIME) is an online database of global experts, including scientists, engineers, economists, social scientists, and others, available to provide services to communities affected by mining and the organizations that support them.

Specifically, the FAIME database:

• Provides a secure, centralized platform that connects communities worldwide with credible, independent experts to assist with new and existing mining projects and related policies affecting their territories and well-being. This includes support for communities navigating decision-making processes such as giving or withholding consent, and engagement with experts who work respectfully with Indigenous and local knowledge.
• Offers a tool that connects scientists and technical experts with non-industry clients seeking expertise, including associations, NGOs, and Indigenous organizations. Experts engage as independent entities, while the platform supports collaboration, shared learning, and the development of meaningful work opportunities across regions.

The FAIME project is supported by a staff team of three (one operational manager and two regional coordinators), as well as management and advisory committees. These bodies include representatives from seven public-interest partner organizations working with dozens of mining-affected communities worldwide. Their role is to advise and support MiningWatch Canada, which hosts, directs, and administers the project.

MiningWatch Canada is an equal opportunity employer committed to building an inclusive and diverse team.

About the Role

We are looking for a highly capable Operational Manager to oversee the management, maintenance, and expansion of the FAIME database. The successful candidate will take over from the previous Operational Manager, who has held the role during the first three years of the project’s development and growth. The Operational Manager will guide the continued expansion of the database and help ensure the long-term sustainability of the FAIME initiative by supervising, supporting, and collaborating with our regional coordinators in working with partners, mining experts, community clients, and other interest and rights holders; overseeing database maintenance and development; supporting strategic planning; networking; fundraising; and participating in outreach and promotional activities.

In the coming years, creating new relationships with funders and maintaining existing ones will be key to FAIME’s long-term viability. A successful Operational Manager will enjoy networking with funders and making the case for partnership with the initiative.

The FAIME Operational Manager is supported by multiple technical consultants and by the FAIME Management Committee. The position reports to FAIME’s host organization, MiningWatch Canada, and also serves as a member of the FAIME Management Committee, planning and leading meetings every six weeks.

Core Responsibilities

• Operational Oversight:

  • Ensure the smooth functioning of all FAIME operations, including administrative processes, workflows, and program implementation.

  • Maintain a well-organized operational environment that supports staff, contractors, and partners.

  • Use strategic analysis and foresight to support governance and decision-making, helping to ensure that FAIME fulfills its mission and vision.

  • Provide oversight and leadership in strategic planning processes, as appropriate.

• Budget Management & Financial Stewardship:

  • Develop, monitor, and adjust the project budget.

  • Ensure financial practices follow MiningWatch Canada’s standards and expectations.

  • Track expenditures and allocate resources effectively to meet strategic goals.

• Grant Applications & Funder Relations:

  • Act as the main point of contact for funders.

  • Lead the preparation, submission, and reporting of all grants supporting FAIME.

  • Create and/or maintain strong relationships with philanthropic and other funding partners.

• Technical Oversight & Database Management:

  • Oversee all technical aspects of FAIME’s database and digital infrastructure.

  • Ensure data reliability, privacy, and security.

  • Engage and supervise external technical contractors when specialized work is required.

• Partner and Interest and Rights Holder Engagement:

  • Cultivate and maintain relationships with project partners, community allies, networks of mining experts, and collaborating organizations.

  • Represent FAIME in meetings, conferences, and public-facing settings.

• Governance & Committee Support:

  • Ensure that FAIME’s governance structures function effectively.

  • Coordinate meetings and communications among oversight committees and subcommittees, ensuring timely follow-up on action items.

  • Provide administrative and strategic support to governance bodies.

• Team Coordination:

  • Serve as the primary point person for regional coordinators, interns, and any additional staff or volunteers.

  • Support role clarity, performance, and communication across the team.

• Document & Data Stewardship:

  • Ensure proper and secure storage of documents, folders, records, and sensitive data.

  • Maintain systems that support transparency, reliability, and accountability.

Qualifications

Professional Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant management-level experience required; preference for experience in a national/international management role for a minimum of 2 years
• Higher education and/or equivalent background and work experience

Skills & Competencies:

• Fluent in English, both oral and written, with any of: Spanish, French, or Portuguese fluency as a strong asset
• Superior interpersonal, relationship, and conflict resolution skills, along with sound problem-solving, judgment, and decision-making
• Superior in-person and virtual communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex information to interest and right holders with varying levels of familiarity with the subject matter
• Some experience or familiarity with scientific and technical domains relevant to mining, including engineering and natural sciences
• A high-level understanding of mining project cycles, or a willingness to learn about them
• Strategically-minded, with strong management capability and sensitivity to organizational dynamics
• Proven experience collaborating with diverse groups, from scientists and technical experts to Indigenous peoples and communities
• Proven experience managing a staff team with a collaborative approach
• Possesses a high level of integrity, values, and ethics, as well as the ability to adapt to complex and changing environments
• Highly motivated, independent, dedicated, and organized, with experience working independently in a demanding role with significant responsibilities and accountabilities

• Experience in building and managing key relationships with external and internal interest and rights holders across a multitude of organizational levels
• Knowledge of various communications (e.g. newsletter) and social media applications

• Proven ability to work efficiently with data collection and management software (e.g. Airtable, Notion, Fillout, Softr, Zapier), and complex interconnected data sets

• Knowledge of website development platforms
• Awareness of applicable privacy and data security laws
• Strong track record securing and maintaining funding in the nonprofit space

Preferred Qualifications, Skills, and Competencies:

• A background in one of the following broad areas, specializing in a discipline that relates to mining and/or to supporting mining-affected communities: science/engineering, social sciences, economics, policy/regulation, community development
• Connections to funders in the American, Canadian and/or Latin American environmental and social justice funding space
• Connections to an established and trusted network of scientists and/or technical professionals
• Some knowledge of basic coding or non-code software development

Application Process:

Please email your cover letter and resume to info@faime.org with the exact subject:
2026 FAIME Operational Manager Application

Please mention you saw this at rcen.ca or goodwork.ca.

Equal Opportunity:

We encourage qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds, including those who may need accommodation or have lived experience relevant to FAIME’s mission, to apply to join our team. Please advise if you require accommodation during the application process. We are happy to provide an honorarium of CAD 100 for every applicant who is selected for an interview.

Candidate Notification Policy:

Interviews will be held virtually for qualified candidates. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.