Lead, Executive Operations

Division overview

The Office of the CEO works closely with the Cancer Systems and Innovation, Finance and Corporate Services, and Strategic Partnerships divisions to champion organizational culture, governance, and Board management. The Office also collaborates across all divisions to engage partners and showcase the work of the Partnership in advancing shared priorities of the 2019-2029 Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control.

Overview of role

Reporting to the CEO, the Lead, Executive Operations, is a trusted advisor who ensures the effectiveness of the Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) office in advancing organizational priorities. This hybrid role blends high-level strategic advisory responsibilities with day-to-day executive administrative oversight, enabling the CEO to focus on the most critical issues while ensuring operational excellence in the management of the office.

The role provides strategic advice, monitors and tracks organizational priorities, and oversees and supports governance and executive-level meetings. At the same time, the incumbent manages the CEO’s calendar, communications, and external engagements, ensuring routine activities are completed and aligned with the organization’s mission and strategic objectives.

The role requires exceptional judgment, political acumen, organizational awareness, attention to detail, and the ability to represent the CEO’s office with authority and professionalism. The role is responsible for a broad range of often highly confidential duties.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Reconciliation are embedded into all of the work across the Partnership and a strong commitment to DEI and health equity is essential to be successful in the role.

Core responsibilities and activities

Advisor to the CEO

• Serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO on issues requiring executive judgment, providing recommendations and counsel.
• Monitors executive priorities in collaboration with VPs and Directors and identifies linkages across divisions, surfacing issues that require CEO or Executive Leadership Team’s (ELT) attention.
• Coordinates tracking and reporting of executive priorities and initiatives, including the CEO’s annual performance plan and key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring progress is monitored, reported, and aligned with strategic priorities.

Executive governance and meeting

• Leads the design and development of strategic agendas for Executive Leadership Team (ELT) meetings and retreats, ensuring meaningful discussion, alignment, and actionable outcomes.
• Oversees the preparation and quality of briefing materials, agendas, and presentations for CEO and ELT meetings and retreats.
• Attends ELT meetings and retreats to be aware of strategic priorities and ensures ELT meeting and retreat outcomes and decisions are tracked, with clear communication and follow-up to relevant individuals/teams within CPAC.

Coordinated communication

• Works collaboratively and proactively with Communications and Partner Engagement teams to triage communications and identify opportunities directed to the CEO, ensuring timely response and appropriate delegation.
• Drafts, reviews, coordinates and edits correspondence, speaking notes, and briefing materials on behalf of the CEO.
• Facilitates timely communication between the CEO and ELT, staff, the Board, and external partners (including the general public), through issues identification and/or escalation and supporting the dissemination of decisions, messaging and/or direction, as needed.

CEO office administration

• Manages the CEO’s calendar and priorities, balancing internal operations, external engagements, and strategic initiatives.
• Provides oversight of executive administrative processes, including approvals, expenses, and compliance with organizational policies.
• Provides advance guidance to leaders and teams in preparing materials for CEO approval to ensure clarity, accuracy and alignment with organizational policies and procedures.
• Ensures commitments and follow-up items are tracked and delivered on time.
• Manages travel, logistics, comprehensive itineraries and coordination of briefing materials for the CEO, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
• Oversees filing, record-keeping, and CRM management to ensure data accuracy and accessibility.
• Manages financial tracking and CEO expense reporting, ensuring compliance with policies.
• Active partner and member of the Partnership Support Team to ensure administrative processes across the organization are effective and efficient. Coaches and supports the broader Partnership Support Team to ensure high standards of consistency and service delivery.

Competencies

The Partnership’s core competencies are a key element to reviewing performance. While the duties and responsibilities of a position tell you the “what,” the competencies tell you the “how.” We have developed universal competencies which we expect to be exhibited by all employees regardless of level or position, as well as leadership competencies which we expect to be exhibited by staff in people management positions.

Universal competencies

• Inclusion – Contributes to a work environment where all people feel safe, have a sense of belonging, feel valued for their differences, and are empowered to participate and contribute freely.
• Collaboration and Teamwork – Works well with others both internally and externally to achieve individual goals, team goals, and/or organizational goals. Understands that a combined effort leads to greater results than those achieved by individuals.
• Organizational Awareness – Contributes by aligning actions with the organization’s goals, core functions, needs, and values. Understands how the organization functions internally and externally in the broader system.
• Design-Thinking – Designs solutions with the end user in mind. Clearly defines problems to address the real needs. Adopts an iterative approach to designing solutions, integrating ideas or feedback generated at various stages.

In addition to the Partnership’s core competencies (Inclusion, Collaboration and Teamwork, Organizational Awareness, Design-Thinking), this role requires:

• Executive judgment & political acumen – Navigates sensitive matters with tact and provides sound advice to the CEO. Represents the CEO’s office with diplomacy and professionalism, both internally and externally.
• Strategic agility – Anticipates emerging issues and aligns resources to organizational priorities.
• Leadership and oversight – Ensures the effective operation of the executive office and collaboration with Directors and Managers to align on strategic issues and communicate organizational decisions and direction.
• Results orientation – Efficient. Highly organized. Ensures executive priorities, KPIs, and commitments are tracked and achieved.
• Communication excellence – Prepares clear, concise, and strategic communications for diverse audiences.

Experience and Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience supporting senior executives, including both strategic advisory and administrative oversight functions.
• Demonstrated experience in tracking executive performance, managing strategic priorities, and leading or coordinating cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365; familiarity with CRM, records management, and workflow/project management tools.
• Experience working with or knowledge of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis contexts is an asset.
• Bilingualism in English and French is a significant asset.

Apply now

To apply, please forward your CV and cover letter combined in one file in Word or PDF format to:
peopleandculture@partnershipagainstcancer.ca.

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer thanks all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. If contacted for an interview, please inform us should accommodation be required.

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and Reconciliation. Qualified applicants from equity deserving groups are encouraged apply.