Executive Opportunity: Chief Operating Officer

Canada’s premiere Jewish advocacy organization is seeking an experienced Operating Officer to oversee its finance, human resources, and governance.  You are a generalist with diverse and significant experience in a range of operations-related disciplines. As the leader of CIJA’s operations portfolio, your role will be to facilitate and optimize CIJA’s activities and support the accomplishment of its key objectives.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is the advocacy agent of Jewish Federations across Canada. CIJA represents the diverse perspectives and concerns of more than 150,000 Jewish Canadians affiliated with their local Jewish Federation.

Working in partnership with Jewish Federations and non-federated Jewish communities, CIJA identifies issues important to Canada’s Jewish community. CIJA then designs and implements strategies to ensure that leaders in government, media, civil society, business, and academia understand the Jewish perspective and that it is considered in Canada’s public policy discussion.

CIJA’s mission is to protect the quality of Jewish life in Canada through advocacy.

This position is for you if you:

• Have 15+ years in an operations or finance role, including at least 5 years in a managerial position.
• Possess EITHER an accounting designation or appropriate educational training and proven experience managing an annual budget of at least $3M
• Have good familiarity with human resources best practices, ideally in more than one Canadian jurisdiction
• Understand and are able to supervise payroll, benefits, and other compensation related operations
• Experience with optimization of processes and implementation of systems changes
• Understand that maturity, judgement, discretion, emotional intelligence, and strong interpersonal skills are as important as technical expertise
• Good knowledge of basic governance functions and ability to work with engaged lay leaders
• Understand and support the organization’s core mission and show familiarity with the community we serve.
• Welcome a primarily office-based but flexible work environment (currently in office three days/week)
• Ability to travel as needed

Position currently based in Montreal, with possible future location in Ottawa or Toronto according to preference of the successful candidate. 

Detailed responsibilities

1. Budget and Finance
   • Preparation of annual budget, including securing approvals via Budget and Finance Committee and Board
   • Approval of expenses
   • Supervision of Accounts payable process, bookkeeping, expense reimbursements, including supervision of AP staff
   • Oversight of cash flows
   • Review of monthly variance reporting
   • Lead relationship with UIA for provision of financial back-office
   • Lead interface with external auditors and production of materials for annual report
   • Government filings (Tax, Industry Canada/Quebec, Ontario Financial Institutions)
   • Grant applications and reporting
   • Contracts oversight
2. Liability, Business, and Directors and Officers insurance
   • Review and updating of appropriate organizational insurance policies
3. Physical Plant
   • Oversee all leases (O/T/V) and housing agreements (I/M)
   • Manage budgets for office equipment
4. Human Resources
   • Management of all recruitment, hiring, employment contracts, onboarding, and offboarding processes
   • Compliance with HR regulations in Quebec, Ontario, and BC
   • Interface with UIA for payment of Israel based missions staff
   • Annual Review process coordination and salary adjustment
   • Discipline and termination
   • Organizational policies (Employee Handbook) and training
   • Pension and benefits oversight
   • Supervision of payroll staff
5. IT/Phone
   • Oversight of all computer and IT systems, including computer purchasing and supervision of external managed service provider (MSP)
   • Oversight of voice and data plans
   • Research and implement new software platforms that support organizational efficiency (ie Teams, CONCUR)
6. Governance
   • Primary staff for Board Meetings (notice of meeting, documentation, minutes)
   • Lead staff for Budget and Finance and Audit committees; secondary staff for Security and LPC tables
   • Oversight of bylaw changes when needed (with General Counsel and outside legal counsel)
   • Preparation of Annual Report and periodic interim reporting for board and funders
   • UIA liaison for CRA compliance (Agency agreement, etc.)

For further information, kindly submit a letter of interest together with a resumé to the attention of Mona Poggione at [email protected] .  Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.  Competition open from March 29^th, 2023 until position filled.