- 29 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G4
- 604.736.5262
- info@womenshealthcollective.ca
Job Category: Senior Management / Executive Leadership
Reports To: Board of Directors
Location: 29 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
Work Arrangement: This role requires full-time (40 hours weekly), on-site presence at the VWHC’s resource centre in the Downtown Eastside to engage directly with staff, peers, volunteers, and community members
Compensation: $90,000/year (1.0 FTE)
Job Type: This is a fixed-term contract position for 12 months
Posting End Date: Open until filled
Vacation: 4 weeks paid vacation, pro-rated for the contract term
Benefits: Extended health and benefits coverage included, following a three-month eligibility period
Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m., inclusive of two 30-minute breaks (one paid, one unpaid), negotiable and with some flexibility, as operationally appropriate
ABOUT THE VANCOUVER WOMEN’S HEALTH COLLECTIVE (VWHC)
The VWHC is a grassroots non-profit that has proudly served our community since 1971. Our mission is to support all who self-identify as women and gender-diverse in fostering health, wellness, and equity through intersectional feminist approaches to advocacy, shared knowledge, and minimal-barrier programs and services. We operate a drop-in resource centre in the Downtown Eastside, offering essential resources, community care, and accessible education. In partnership with practitioners and community allies, we provide Indigenous cultural support, trauma-informed yoga, naturopathic care, and a range of holistic programs designed to meet the diverse needs of the people we serve.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The VWHC is seeking a passionate, equity-driven, and visionary Executive Director (ED) with proven leadership experience, preferably in an ED or equivalent non-profit role, to guide the collective through a pivotal period of transition toward stability and sustainability. The successful candidate will bring principled leadership and strategic foresight to navigate complexity, rebuild foundational systems, and strengthen organizational resilience while upholding intersectional feminist, decolonial, and trauma-informed values.
The VWHC is in a period of intentional renewal. Over the past six months, a volunteer Board of Directors has stewarded key leadership functions to ensure continuity and prepare the organization for its next phase. The ED will join a passionate, values-aligned team of four staff, alongside numerous peers and volunteers who bring heart and lived and living expertise to the shared work. This is an opportunity to shape the future of a unique intersectional feminist collective that advocates for health justice on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəyəm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaʔɬ / Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The ED role requires full-time, on-site presence within a highly relational, community-rooted environment where staff, peers, volunteers, and community members rely on steady, accountable, and accessible leadership. This position requires balancing immediate operational needs with forward-looking planning that is grounded in community priorities, organizational realities, and intersectional feminist, decolonial, and trauma-informed principles.
The ED’s practice will involve stabilizing existing systems as well as supporting a community-led strategic planning and implementation process. This includes leading assessment of structural needs and offering recommendations that reflect both community input and operational feasibility, to support informed organizational decision-making.
This position is funded for the next year through local capacity-building support and is offered as a one-year contract with a three-month probationary period. This is a fixed-term position. The contract may be renewed, subject to a performance review and a reassessment of organizational direction and operational needs by the Board of Directors, to be conducted no later than three months prior to the contract’s end.
The ED will steward the organization with the support and oversight of a volunteer Board of Directors. Onboarding will include orientation to governance and operations, with training provided by relevant Board officers within their respective scopes. Given the Board’s volunteer structure, sustained full-time shadowing is not possible, and the role is best suited to an experienced leader who can work with initiative and agency while engaging collaboratively with the Board.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Frontline interactions are a requisite to remain attuned to the lived and living realities of community members, and thereby foster trust, relational accountability, and effective support. Working in the Downtown Eastside requires being deeply comfortable within a vibrant neighbourhood where complex trauma, substance use, acute and chronic mental and physical health challenges, mental and physical violence, poverty, and systemic oppression intersect alongside profound resilience, cultural strength, and community care. With respect to the unique scope of practice of the ED, strong cultural humility; capacity for trauma and violence-informed, strengths-based engagement; skilled de-escalation and crisis intervention abilities; and comfort navigating dysregulation, conflict, and both mental and physical medical emergencies are necessities. Alongside fellow staff, the ED must uphold both safety and compassion, offering steady leadership while demonstrating genuine respect for the lived and living realities, unique expertise, and agency of community members.
Strategic Leadership
Work alongside advisors, board members, staff, peers, and volunteers in both rebuilding internal systems and strategic planning, fostering stability and sustainability.
Ensure that community needs and operational realities inform future directions by refining strategic priorities and translating them into actionable workplans.
Conduct an organizational assessment to identify and recommend sustainable long-term structural options that reflect community needs, operational realities, and equity-based practices, including the exploration of a collective leadership model.
Maintain accountability to community members, advisors, board members, staff, peers, volunteers, partners, and funders by nurturing a collective, inclusive organizational culture grounded in respectful power-sharing and role clarity.
Participate actively in regular Board and committee meetings as well as the organization’s Annual General Meeting.
Organizational Oversight
Oversee daily operations across physical and virtual spaces.
Supervise the delivery of all programs, services, and committee activities, ensuring alignment with both community and organizational needs.
Ensure staff, peers, and volunteers can carry out their responsibilities effectively, by strengthening role clarity, operational workflows, and coordination across teams.
Steward the revision of organizational policies and procedures to ensure alignment with strategic planning and evolving organizational priorities.
Financial Management
Provide executive oversight of organizational finances to ensure transparent, ethical, and sustainable financial practices.
Strengthen financial systems to support accurate reporting and compliance.
Develop and manage annual budgets, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and capacity.
Ensure timely and accurate execution of payroll and bookkeeping.
Steward and approve financial reports, funder expenditure tracking, and budget-to-actual analyses as well as annual financial reporting to ensure accuracy and alignment with funder and regulatory requirements.
Ensure compliance with CRA charitable reporting, grant requirements, and all other financial regulations.
Collaborate with the Resource Development Manager and Board on high-level financial planning related to revenue diversification and fundraising strategy.
Community Partnerships & External Relations
Represent the VWHC in coalitions, advocacy tables, and community initiatives that advance the organization’s mission, vision, and values, and contribute to health equity and systemic change.
Build and maintain reciprocal, values-aligned relationships with funders, allies, media, service providers, and community organizations to strengthen service delivery, visibility, and collective impact.
Human Resources & Collective Culture
Strengthen and steward HR policies, onboarding/offboarding processes, supervision practices, performance evaluations and management, and conflict-resolution pathways.
Serve as the primary HR administrator by maintaining personnel files, overseeing benefits administration, managing leaves and accommodations, upholding appropriate documentation, and ensuring WorkSafeBC and Employment Standards Act compliance.
Provide coaching-oriented supervision that fosters role clarity, equitable workloads, and sustainable practices that prevent burnout.
Ensure a safe, supportive, and anti-oppressive work environment by proactively addressing workplace issues, strengthening communication systems, and ensuring consistent implementation of policies.
Model and nurture a collective, relational, and power-conscious organizational culture rooted in justice, transparency, accountability, and shared care, while creating supported pathways for meaningful involvement of those with lived and living expertise.
Stay current with trends in non-profit development, and engage in professional development opportunities to strengthen the VWHC’s impact.
Risk Management & Compliance
Develop and maintain clear, transparent policies and procedures that reduce operational, safety, and organizational risk and strengthen accountability.
Identify, assess, and mitigate risks related to staff and community safety, funding stability, organizational reputation, and legal or regulatory compliance, ensuring proactive and timely responses to emerging issues.
Support the Board in maintaining the VWHC’s good standing with the BC Societies Act, CRA charitable regulations, WorkSafeBC requirements, the Employment Standards Act, and other relevant standards by upholding accurate documentation, preparing required filings, and implementing effective compliance systems.
Hold overall organizational responsibility and serve as the point of escalation for emergencies involving safety, legal, or reputational risk, recognizing that this does not constitute continuous on-call duty and that after-hours involvement is expected to be infrequent.
ABOUT YOU
You are a values-driven, steady, and relational leader who brings both vision and care to complex organizational environments. You:
Lead with systems-thinking, translating values into sustainable structures while supporting meaningful community involvement.
Approach organizational transition with clarity and purpose, strengthening capacity and fostering long-term resilience.
Embody an intersectional feminist, decolonial, and trauma-informed approach across all aspects of leadership and decision-making.
Bring both lived and living experience, alongside professional expertise, in navigating structural oppression and inequities within health care and social services.
Balance strong non-profit leadership with emotional and relational intelligence, demonstrating a deep commitment to collective care, accountability, and ethical practice.
Regulate yourself effectively in complex and high-stakes environments, navigating conflict, feedback, and boundaries with composure and discernment.
Engage challenges with steadiness and a solution-oriented mindset, offering stability, clarity, and trust during periods of change.
Required Qualifications
A minimum of 5 years of senior leadership experience within the non-profit sector, preferably as an ED or in an equivalent role, with demonstrated responsibility for organizational management and community-based service delivery.
Proven financial management and fundraising experience, including oversight of complex budgets and successful grant development, implementation, and reporting.
Demonstrated experience stewarding human resources, including staff supervision, performance management, and the application of trauma-informed workplace practices.
Strong strategic and operational problem-solving abilities, with demonstrated capacity to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and lead effectively in high-pressure environments.
Experience applying equity-based frameworks to policy, procedure, and systems development, with the ability to co-create and sustain internal structures.
Ability to cultivate and maintain values-aligned relationships within the organization and with external partners, grounded in integrity, respect, and mutual accountability.
In-depth knowledge of intersectional feminism, health equity, and decolonial practices, alongside familiarity with relevant community resources and networks.
Meaningful connection to the Downtown Eastside community.
Capacity to provide trauma-informed, accessible support to individuals experiencing acute and chronic mental health challenges, substance use, and neurodivergence; including skills in de-escalation as well as crisis and emergency response.
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. A vulnerable sector check will be required for the successful candidate.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and a role-specific cover letter to vwhcboard@womenshealthcollective.ca.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. In alignment with our mission and commitment to providing safer spaces for women and gender diverse community members, this position is restricted to individuals who self-identify as women or gender-diverse. This hiring requirement is a bona fide occupational requirement as permitted under the BC Human Rights Code. The VWHC values diversity and encourages all qualified applicants within these identities to apply.
We sincerely appreciate the time and effort of everyone who applies. While we are only able to contact those selected for an interview, we are grateful for your interest in supporting this important work.
The VWHC is committed to accessibility and inclusion. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us so we can support your needs.
Job Title: Resource Development Manager
Job Category: Resource Development / Fundraising / Grant Management
Reports To: Executive Director
Location: 29 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
Work Arrangement: This role requires part-time (32 hours weekly), on-site presence at the VWHC’s resource centre in the Downtown Eastside to engage directly with staff, peers, volunteers, and community members
Compensation: $65,000/year (0.8 FTE)
Job Type: This is a fixed-term contract position for 12 months
Posting End Date: Open until filled
Vacation: 4 weeks paid vacation, pro-rated for the contract term
Benefits: Extended health and benefits coverage included, following a three-month eligibility period
Hours: Monday–Thursday, 10:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m., inclusive of two 30-minute breaks (one paid, one unpaid), negotiable and with some flexibility, as operationally appropriate
ABOUT THE VANCOUVER WOMEN’S HEALTH COLLECTIVE (VWHC)
The VWHC is a grassroots non-profit that has proudly served our community since 1971. Our mission is to support all who self-identify as women and gender-diverse in fostering health, wellness, and equity through intersectional feminist approaches to advocacy, shared knowledge, and minimal-barrier programs and services. We operate a drop-in resource centre in the Downtown Eastside, offering essential resources, community care, and accessible education. In partnership with practitioners and community allies, we provide Indigenous cultural support, trauma-informed yoga, naturopathic care, and a range of holistic programs designed to meet the diverse needs of the people we serve.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The VWHC is seeking a Resource Development Manager (RDM) with proven experience in donor, funder, and resource management. The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening the VWHC’s long-term sustainability by developing diversified revenue streams, stewarding relationships with donors and funders, supporting grant development and reporting, and advancing the organization’s fundraising priorities. The RDM will act as a strategic driver, supporting transparency, accountability, and strong management across all fundraising activities while championing the VWHC’s mission and vision, in alignment with intersectional feminist, decolonial, and trauma-informed values.
The VWHC is in a period of intentional renewal marked by system strengthening, strategic restructuring, and the restoration of sustainable leadership. Over the past six months, a volunteer Board of Directors has been actively stewarding core leadership and operational functions to ensure continuity and organizational stability. The collective is now entering its next phase, including the onboarding of a new Executive Director. The RDM will join a passionate and values-aligned team of four staff, along with numerous peers and volunteers who bring heart, integrity, and both lived and living expertise to the shared work. This is an opportunity to shape the future of a unique intersectional feminist collective that advocates for health justice on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəyəm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaʔɬ / Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The RDM requires a part-time, on-site presence at our Downtown Eastside resource centre. Every donation and partnership secured by the RDM enables programs that transform lives, dismantle systemic barriers, and foster a more equitable community.
This position is funded for the next year through local capacity-building support and is offered as a one-year contract with a three-month probationary period. This is a fixed-term position. The contract may be renewed, subject to a performance review and a reassessment of organizational direction and operational needs by the Board of Directors, to be conducted no later than three months prior to the contract’s end.
Onboarding will include orientation to governance and operations, with training provided by relevant Board officers within their respective scopes. Given the Board’s volunteer structure and the RDM being a newly established position within the VWHC, sustained full-time shadowing is not possible, and the role is best suited to an experienced professional who can work with initiative and agency while engaging collaboratively with the Executive Director and Board. The VWHC offers a flexible and supportive work environment grounded in collective care, collaboration, and shared values.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Frontline interaction is part of working within the VWHC’s community-rooted environment and supports attunement to the lived and living realities of community members. Working in the Downtown Eastside requires being comfortable within a vibrant neighbourhood where complex trauma, substance use, acute and chronic mental and physical health challenges, mental and physical violence, poverty, and systemic oppression intersect alongside profound resilience, cultural strength, and community care. Within the RDM’s scope of practice and alongside fellow staff, the role requires upholding both safety and compassion, while demonstrating genuine respect for the unique expertise, agency, and lived and living realities of community members.
Fund Development & Donor Relations
Manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation supporters, cultivating long-term relationships that advance organizational goals.
Oversee all grant management activities, including proposal development, compliance, and reporting, as well as presenting strategic funding plans to leadership.
Implement and lead the use of donor management and grant tracking systems (Customer Relationship Management — CRM), ensuring data integrity, analytics-driven decision-making, and alignment with governance practices.
Leverage donor management systems, CRM tools, and other digital platforms to track contributions, generate reports, and optimize engagement strategies.
Establish and track key performance indicators for fundraising, donor engagement, in-kind contributions, and volunteer/peer program outcomes to ensure strategic goals are met.
Strategic Leadership
Co-Chair the VWHC’s Fundraising Committee, inclusive of upholding the committee’s terms of reference, hosting committee meetings, and engaging volunteers, peers, and staff. Collaborate closely with the Media & Communications Committee, regarding initiatives related to the RDM scope.
Lead the development and execution of the VWHC’s fundraising and resource development strategy in alignment with organizational priorities.
Ensure accountability through transparent reporting on fundraising performance, donor engagement, and grant outcomes to the Executive Director.
Advise on philanthropic opportunities and long-term development planning to support the VWHC’s mission and sustainability.
Advise on and support budgeting and resource allocation related to fundraising activities, in-kind donations, and volunteer/peer programs.
Collaborate closely with the Executive Director, Fundraising Committee, and Board of Directors to develop strategic fundraising initiatives.
Community Partnerships & In-Kind Resource Development
In collaboration with the Resource Centre Manager and Program Manager, provide strategic oversight in navigating community partnerships, in-kind resources (e.g., food, clothing, hygiene supplies, program materials), and volunteer and peer programs, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
Advise on program improvements and engagement strategies for volunteers and peers to maximize impact while maintaining sustainable workloads.
Alongside other staff, cultivate relationships with local partners and service providers to strengthen the VWHC’s programs and community impact.
Team Engagement & Collaboration
Support the mentorship of volunteers and peers to ensure effective and sustainable operations, as related to the RDM’s scope.
Collaborate with volunteers, peers, and staff to ensure fundraising initiatives are integrated with organizational programs and community priorities.
Contribute to an inclusive, equitable, and participatory work culture that reflects the VWHC’s values and intersectional feminist approach.
Champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in all aspects of resource development.
Stay current with trends in philanthropy, fundraising, grant management, and non-profit resource development, and engage in professional development opportunities to strengthen the VWHC’s impact.
External Engagement & Representation
Serve as a visible ambassador for the VWHC to donors, partners, and the broader philanthropic community.
Represent the VWHC at fundraising and networking events, strengthening partnerships and advancing organizational visibility.
Develop and maintain strategic relationships with corporate and foundation partners to support both financial and in-kind contributions.
ABOUT YOU
Required Qualifications
Minimum of three years’ experience in resource development inclusive of philanthropy, fundraising, and grant management, with a proven track record in major gift solicitation.
Knowledge of Canadian charitable funding regulations, including CRA compliance.
Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage diverse community members, collaborators, and partners.
Demonstrated experience managing volunteers/peers and providing mentorship within a resource development context.
Robust project management competencies.
Demonstrated problem-solving abilities with attention to detail and awareness of broader organizational systems and context.
Ability to thrive in an environment of community-led strategic planning and associated organizational restructuring.
Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as the mission, vision, and values of the VWHC.
Capacity to work in a trauma-informed environment that supports individuals experiencing acute and chronic mental health challenges, substance use, and neurodivergence.
Formal credentials in fundraising, non-profit management, business administration, communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with donor management and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Blackbaud, Fluxx, or similar) and the ability to lead their strategic implementation.
Experience working in health-focused non-profit organizations serving women and gender diverse folks.
In-depth knowledge of intersectional feminism, health equity, and decolonial practices, alongside familiarity with relevant community resources and networks.
Meaningful connection to the Downtown Eastside community.
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. A vulnerable sector check will be required for the successful candidate.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and a role-specific cover letter to vwhcboard@womenshealthcollective.ca.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. In alignment with our mission and commitment to providing safer spaces for women and gender diverse community members, this position is restricted to individuals who self-identify as women or gender-diverse. This hiring requirement is a bona fide occupational requirement as permitted under the BC Human Rights Code. The VWHC values diversity and encourages all qualified applicants within these identities to apply.
We sincerely appreciate the time and effort of everyone who applies. While we are only able to contact those selected for an interview, we are grateful for your interest in supporting this important work.
The VWHC is committed to accessibility and inclusion. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us so we can support your needs.
We at the Vancouver Women’s Health Collective are a non-profit organization helping all who self-identify as women, non-binary, and gender diverse persons foster health, wellness, and equity through feminist approaches to advocacy, shared knowledge, and low-barrier programs and services.
© 2024. Copyrights Womens Health Collective, Canada. Charity Registration Number: 11928 2382 RR 0001
