The Program Director, Climate & Nature is a senior member of the Foundation team, working closely with the Executive Director. The Program Director holds primary responsibility for the strategy, grantmaking, and relationships of the Foundation’s environmental portfolio — setting direction, making catalytic and often first-in grants, deepening partnerships with grantees and movement leaders, and convening partners and peer funders around shared goals. The Program Director reports to the Executive Director.

The Houssian Foundation leverages philanthropic giving, impact investing, and movement-building to promote environmental protection, gender justice, and resilient communities.

Our vision is threefold:

·      A thriving environment in British Columbia that will sustain healthy ecosystems for future generations, and the collaborative approaches needed to get there

·      Powerful, interconnected feminist movements in Canada and globally advancing gender justice through social, educational, health, and economic progress

·      Strong community-based organizations providing essential services in Vancouver, the North Shore, and the Sea-to-Sky corridor.

·      Owns the vision, direction, and ongoing refinement of THF’s Climate & Nature strategy — deepening the Foundation’s knowledge of environmental issues, climate solutions, and conservation in BC, and identifying gaps, opportunities, and emerging trends.

·      Reads a fast-changing landscape, supports a range of routes to provincial-scale impact, and identifies where a larger, more focused commitment could change a trajectory — shaping catalytic investments accordingly.

·      Contributes to Foundation-wide strategic planning alongside the Executive Director and program and operational colleagues, building on learnings from existing and legacy investments.

·      Holds the Climate & Nature portfolio of grants end to end: sourcing opportunities aligned with THF’s goals, leading grant recommendations, reports, and presentations, and maintaining strong grantee relationships.

·      Brings a catalytic, first-funder orientation — backing people and ideas early, helping grant seekers assess fit, and stewarding relationships so THF’s initial support helps unlock later, larger funding from others.

·      Practices trust-based philanthropy — clear, light-touch expectation-setting that respects partners’ autonomy and adapts as relationships grow.

·      Creates and delivers clear written and verbal presentations to the Board on portfolio strategy, grant recommendations, and impact.

·      Works with the Executive Director to inform and execute the Foundation’s external communications, including amplification of partner work and the Foundation’s public presence.

·      Partners with the Executive Director and team to strengthen project management, planning, and communication tools.

·      Designs and leads convening as a core function of the portfolio — bringing grantees, peer funders, and partners together in ways that build relationships, surface shared priorities, and create value beyond the grant dollars.

·      Represents the Foundation with external audiences, prospective grant applicants, and at events hosted by grantees, funders, and partners.

·      Participates on relevant committees and collaboratives with other funders, grantees, and decision-makers to pursue collective impact and shared learning.

·      Builds learning and sharing into their work — capturing what the portfolio is learning and circulating it among grantees, peer funders, and the field, as well as internally.

·      Works with the Executive Director to lead a process of learning from grants, including impact reporting to the Board that frames the portfolio’s role as contribution to shared progress.

The Program Director will possess an understanding of and enthusiasm for the Foundation’s mission, philosophy, values, and grantmaking. Intellectually curious and practically oriented, the ideal candidate will bring a passion for climate action and nature — and the initiative, relationships, and judgment to lead a portfolio with significant autonomy.

·      Significant experience in environmental, climate, or conservation fields, with demonstrated leadership: setting strategic direction, convening and building coalitions, and stewarding relationships across sectors. A leadership role is an asset, as is experience in grant administration or philanthropic processes, but neither is required.

·      A connector and convener at heart, with deep knowledge of the networks and dynamics of BC’s environmental and climate sector and the policy context in which it operates.

·      A self-starter with strong work ethic, integrity, and follow-through — able to set priorities and manage their own workplans, build meaningful relationships and thrive in a small, collaborative team with evolving priorities.

Located in downtown Vancouver, BC, our office sits on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. This position follows a hybrid work model, combining work-from-home flexibility with regular in-office collaboration.

Office 365, MailChimp, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Zoom

This is a permanent, four-day-per-week (0.8 FTE) position, plus benefits.

Salary range is $92,000 - $116,000. 

Application deadline September 11, 2026. Only applicants that are asked for interviews will be contacted.