Job Title:  Vice President, Mission and Innovation

Organization: Pancreatic Cancer Canada

Location: Hybrid – Toronto/Remote

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Status: Permanent, Full-Time

Direct Reports: Director, Programs and Services

Background

Pancreatic Cancer Canada (PCC) is a vibrant, progressive organization taking on the world’s toughest cancer. We are committed to raising the survival rate through investments in research and increased awareness of the disease while ensuring patients and their families have access to the specialized care and support they need at every stage. With devastating statistics and a lack of meaningful progress, we know how aggressive we must be in taking on this challenge. That is why our approach to fundraising,
awareness, innovation, and our mission is bold and unapologetic.

Our expansion under Pancreatic Cancer North America will allow for tremendous growth and deepened impact in the years to come. Led by a visionary Chief Executive Officer, governed by an influential Board of Directors, and driven by a growing staff team with passion and expertise, we are taking on pancreatic cancer with the ultimate goal of saving more lives.

The Opportunity

The Vice President, Mission and Innovation is a newly created position and will play a vital role in driving a comprehensive and integrated strategy to advance research, improve care, increase understanding and awareness, advocate for patients and families, and ensure we achieve relevant, measurable, and lasting impact.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Vice President serves on the senior management team and is responsible for a North American mission strategy. Your strategic vision, thought leadership and ability to foster meaningful relationships are essential to shaping the organization’s strategies and investments to reduce the burden of pancreatic cancer and improve outcomes. This is an outstanding opportunity to create and lead a dynamic team, help further shape our mission and innovation strategy, and make a real difference in the lives of those affected by this horrific disease.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• In partnership with the CEO, COO, and senior leadership colleagues, advance the mission, vision, and values of PCC and PCNA.
• Contribute to the organization-wide strategic planning process, ensuring the mission and innovation strategy are effectively integrated, including identifying key interdependencies and leveraging opportunities.
• Provide overall strategic and operational leadership to the mission and innovation strategy, developing and articulating a clear and unified vision for all programs and initiatives to support the achievement of the strategic plan. This includes performance targets and indicators for regular progress tracking that effectively articulate impact and are meaningful to donors and partners.
• Establish and provide leadership to a Scientific/Medical Advisory Committee to fulfill a mandate to provide pancreatic cancer subject matter expertise and leadership to research programs.
• In collaboration with senior management and teams, optimize processes and structure to increase efficiency and accountability while enhancing overall performance and delivery of mission and innovation programs and initiatives.
• Embrace, contribute to and actively promote a positive values-based organizational culture
• Promote and advance a culture of philanthropy by leveraging mission strategy and outcomes for the greatest impact through collaboration with fundraising and marketing and communication teams.
• Provide subject matter expertise and act as a PCC spokesperson with donors, partners, and media as required.

 Research Programs and Partnerships

• Work with the CEO, COO, Board and the Scientific/Medical Advisory Committee members to develop a research program strategy guiding novel research investments and grants to achieve high-impact outcomes to benefit patients and families and reduce disease burden.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership to PCC research programs and partnerships following best practices in all aspects of research grant-making, monitoring and evaluation
• Ensure appropriate standards, policies, processes, and procedures are in place to achieve effective and efficient research investments and stewardship of donor dollars.
• Develop relationships and liaise with the research community and program stakeholders to advance program goals.
• Keep abreast of relevant research trends, emerging knowledge, and patient needs to inform research strategy and operations, ensuring focus on potential areas for innovative partnerships.
• Ensure information about research program investments, outcomes, and impact are effectively leveraged by fundraising and marketing and communication staff with compelling content.
• Ensure knowledge translation of research investment outcomes inform, and are leveraged through PCC patient support, education, and advocacy initiatives as relevant and leading-edge.

Advocacy and Government Relations

• Work with appropriate staff and stakeholders to develop and lead the timely execution of a PCC government and stakeholder relations plan that includes defining PCC’s role and voice in the sector and key partnerships to advance its mission and vision.
• Assess and identify possible industry partners and determine effective ways to develop and leverage partnerships to achieve shared goals.
• Ensure the research, maintenance and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge in pancreatic cancer-related policy areas, responding proactively to anticipated changes to support PCC mission.
• Working with relevant staff, ensure the development of public policy positions as required.
• Build relationships with key decision-makers within the sector and government to positively influence policy and system change and identify potential partnership opportunities.
• Prepare briefs and participate in consultations, presentations, one-to-one political contact, group action on issues, and membership in coalitions as required.
• Regularly update CEO, COO and senior staff regarding the status of key pancreatic cancer advocacy and government relations activities in Canada, the US and globally.
• Ensure the development of evidence-based positions to support PCC public policy positions and advocacy and stakeholder relations efforts.

Patient Support and Education

• Implement an overarching strategy for support and education programs across North America, ensuring that programs and initiatives for all key target audiences, e.g., patients, families, and healthcare professionals, are effectively planned, implemented, and evaluated.
• Cultivate strategically aligned partnerships and program opportunities with established and new stakeholders to further PCC’s support and education goals, expanding and leveraging expertise and resources.
• Work collaboratively with health care professionals to increase understanding of patient and family needs and experiences for improved care and reduced disease burden.
• Implement targeted evidence-based knowledge translation initiatives in key areas of need working with appropriate subject matter experts and advisors.
• Foster a best practice culture in program design, implementation and evaluation, including related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, ensuring that initiatives effectively meet the needs of target audiences.
• Cultivate relationships with peer organizations globally, tracking new knowledge, approaches and programs and identifying opportunities for synergies and partnerships.
• Support effective leveraging of all support and education information, messages and strategies through communication and marketing strategies.
• Collaborate with the Vice President, Philanthropy and Business Development to develop funding strategies to support and education programs and initiatives.
• Provide strategic leadership to identify, assess and secure relevant funding partners and ensure all sponsorship terms are effectively met.
• Develop and implement a plan to secure funds from government sources nationally and provincially, cultivating relationships with funders and remaining apprised of funding opportunities.

Team Leadership

• Develop, lead and inspire a diverse, talented, and high-performing team to ensure that the mission and core values are implemented by ensuring the team’s accountability to supporting the mission and innovation goals.
• Commitment to both personal, individual, and team professional development and encourage growth and development in all team members.
• Support the mission and innovation teams’ efforts to achieve annual program goals and key performance indicators by providing strategic support, problem-solving, and the resources needed to succeed.
• Provide support and direction in the development, alignment and accomplishment of goals through ongoing performance feedback, recognition and coaching.
• Foster a working environment that highlights the talents, strengths and contributions of team members.
• Foster relationships and collaboration between mission and innovation team members and fundraising and marketing and communications team members cultivating a creative, collaborative work culture with shared goals and success.
• Actively contribute to a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging by ensuring that all staff feel represented and heard.

Qualifications

•  Progressively senior mission strategy and delivery experience, with 8+ years in a senior leadership role in in not-for-profit, public, charitable, Foundation or health charity/health-focused industry sectors.
• University degree and relevant subject matter expertise or equivalent in related experience.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, proven ability to advance mission strategy and impact in a dynamic and growing organization.
• Ability to understand the pancreatic cancer environment, nationally and internationally, and our role in it.
• A proven track record of developing and implementing comprehensive and integrated mission strategies to achieve organizational goals and impact.
• Demonstrated thought leadership expertise with a track record of advancing organization opportunities and influence in the sector.
• Experience leading stakeholder and community relations to strengthen stakeholder engagement in the organization’s mission, vision and values.
• Experience working from an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion framework, including to inform strategy development and implementation to advance EDI within an organization’s culture and mission.
• Proven ability to effectively evaluate, analyze, and interpret data and information to advance mission strategy and thought leadership.
• An analytical and critical thinker who can set plans and priorities that achieve the broader strategic goals – while also focusing on the details that drive these outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience building, managing, and retaining successful teams in fast-moving, growing and changing organizations.
• High degree of personal integrity and sound judgement and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong skills in volunteer management, including coaching and supporting the Board and other senior fundraising volunteers and leveraging volunteer engagement into revenue-generating initiatives.
• Superior verbal, written, and presentation skills, both confident and persuasive.
• Strong project planner and implementer who is both highly strategic and detail-oriented.
• Comfort with technology and related software.
• Ability to travel within Canada and the USA

What You Will Enjoy

• A comprehensive benefits package including a defined-benefit pension plan (HOOPP), outstanding health and dental benefits that includes a generous health spending account
• A competitive salary and vacation allowance.
• We work in a hybrid model of remote (Monday and Friday) and office (Tuesday through Thursday).
• A highly collaborative, passionate and entrepreneurial team environment where new and innovative ideas/approaches are encouraged.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please forward your resume and cover letter, including salary expectations, by Friday April 19, 2024 to:

Ashley Renaud
Executive Assistant
arenaud@pancreaticcancercanada.ca

Pancreatic Cancer Canada (PCC) is committed to building and preserving an open, inclusive, and healthy work environment. We welcome all applicants to apply to join our team. We accommodate people with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process and applicants are encouraged to advise PCC if an accommodation is required. We thank you for your interest in working at PCC and we will contact those qualified to continue in the recruitment process.