Job Posting: Program Specialist (Grants & Special Projects), Watershed Security Fund

0.8 FTE (Mon-Thurs)

Salary Range: $70,000 to $85,000 (30 hours / 4 days per week) 
Location:  Vancouver or with flexibility to work remotely within BC  
Application Deadline: April 14^th, 2025, or until the position is filled 

About Us

The Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) is a philanthropic organization that works to advance sustainable, equitable, and socially-just land use and real estate practices across what’s known as BC. We do this by funding projects, connecting people, and sharing knowledge.  

The Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) and the First Nations Water Caucus (Water Caucus) – with the First Nations Fisheries Council (FNFC) – are working together to provide interim stewardship for the Watershed Security Fund, and to support co-development of a permanent, co-governed entity to oversee and manage the Fund over the long term.  

The Watershed Security Fund (WSF) supports initiatives that prioritize the health of our waterways, centre First Nations rights and knowledge, and reinforce lasting partnerships and relationships. By investing in projects that prioritize reconciliation, collaboration, and ecosystem health, the Fund aims to ensure vibrant watersheds and healthy communities for future generations.  To learn more about the WSF, and the partnership between REFBC, FNFC and the First Nations Water Caucus, please have a look at our website www.watershedsecurityfund.ca.   

The Foundation believes that a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve strengthens our ability to achieve our mission.  

To learn more about REFBC, please check out www.refbc.ca

About You

You’re an experienced collaborator who brings extensive knowledge and understanding of watershed security work in BC. You have a demonstrated ability to co-design and deliver grant related programs and initiatives for communities and organizations supporting watershed health and sustainability.  You have deep appreciation for the knowledge, leadership and rights of First Nations working to protect and enhance watershed health in territories across BC, and the value of First Nations and non-First Nations working together towards shared goals for watershed security.  

You are excited and motivated by WSF and REFBC commitments to UNDRIP, co-development, and ensuring that reconciliation, mutual respect, inclusivity, and reciprocity are embedded in all practices, partnerships and collaborative relationships. 

You bring a high degree of tact, diplomacy, and initiative to your work and relationships.  You have strong interpersonal skills, a high degree of emotional intelligence, an ability to consider and balance diverse viewpoints, and engage in shared decision making in a constructive, flexible, and positive manner.   

You’re interested in the roles that watershed planning, stewardship and governance play in creating thriving, resilient, livable communities. 

You’re keen to help build a strong, mutually caring, supportive, flexible and creative culture within your team and organization. 

You are a motivated and well-organized self-starter with excellent written and verbal communications skills, who is eager to respond to team, partner and client needs. You’re an excellent time manager who can develop tools and systems to plan, manage and contribute to shared work. Coordination and community relations skills are valued. 

You have experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint), Zoom, Adobe Creative Suite, calendar management, process documentation, scheduling, and file management.  You have experience in, or are interested in learning, customer relationship management software such as Salesforce, or other grants management systems. 

About the Job 

The Program Specialist (Grants and Special Projects) works collaboratively as a team member in the relationship and partnership building, planning, design, development, and delivery of the Watershed Security Fund interim grants program and related areas of work.

Key Duties

• Working with a staff team and grants working group, on the co-development and implementation of the WSF grants program.  
• Delivering innovative grantmaking and program practices that value First Nations ways of knowing and being and promote trust-based granting relationships. 
• Engaging with grantees (potential/current) to explore funding opportunities.  
• Assessing and reviewing grant applications.  
• Providing written application & project reviews, summaries, reports and updates to support shortlisting, recommendations, decision making processes, and evaluation and learning.   
• Planning, developing, designing and delivering grants program supports, resources, evaluation & shared learning, outreach, engagement activities and some events.  
• Working with communications staff, project teams and partners to support storytelling and communications for funded projects and associated shared learnings, insights and outcomes.  
• Working with the team, leadership and partners on other areas of work that support the longer-term co-development, growth and/or co-governance of the Fund or other organizational goals. 
• Working with the team on research and analysis related to evaluation and learning, and the funding landscape.   
• Participating in strategic planning, operational planning, learning and evaluation processes, team/organization meetings and retreats.
• Participate in training as necessary to improve cultural safety, decolonize grantmaking or other processes, build relationships with traditionally under-served communities, improve service to partners, grantees and applicants, etc.  
• Committing to individual and collective team care and the cultivation of a supportive team environment.    

Knowledge, Skills & Experience 

• Experience working with BC First Nations 
• Understanding of UNDRIP and understanding of FN context in BC, and approach to working with First Nations 
• Ability to demonstrate emotional intelligence 
• Strong Communication skills 
• Ability to build trust  
• Adaptability 
• Understanding of watershed security & safety 
• Education and/ or relevant experience in environmental studies, specifically with watershed management is an asset  

Time, Support and Benefits  

4 days per week (30 hours/week, ideally Monday – Thursday) 

Salary Range: $70,000-$85,000 (for 30 hours / 4 days per week)   

We offer a comprehensive benefits program, which includes: 

• Generous extended health and dental coverage for employees, their spouses and dependents (after 3 months) 

• 4 weeks annual vacation, and a year end late December office closure 

• Family-friendly workplace policies, life insurance plan, and a workplace culture with an overarching emphasis on wellness and work-life balance 

• RRSP contribution of 10% of salary without matching requirement (after 6 months) 

• Health and wellness spending account for each employee 

• Flexible work arrangements 

How to Apply

Send us a resume and cover email and/or video clip of you, telling us: 

• A bit about who you are. 

• Why the position is of interest to you. 

• What skills, attitude and heart you bring to this work, and where you have learned these? 

Please include “Program Specialist” in the subject line and send your resume and a cover letter by email to careers@refbc.ca  

We strongly encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We encourage, though don’t require those who identify as First Nations and folks from other equity-deserving groups to indicate so in their cover letter.