Senior Manager Drinking Water
Do work that matters. Grow with a positive, collaborative team. Water First is looking for creative, enthusiastic relationship-builders to support sustainable access to safe, clean water in partnership with Indigenous communities across Canada.
Water First is a registered charity grounded in trust-building, meaningful relationships, and lasting impact. Our engagement is guided by responsibility and accountability, with Indigenous voices, experiences, worldviews, and inherent rights centred across all our work.
To ensure Indigenous perspectives lead discussions about work with Indigenous communities, we integrate consultation with Indigenous staff, the Indigenous Advisory Council, community partners, and Indigenous members of our Board of Directors.
We respect and value Indigenous cultural traditions and practices in our workplaces, including the burning of medicines such as tobacco, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. All employees are expected to maintain strong Indigenous historical and cultural awareness and commit to ongoing learning to support respectful, informed approaches throughout the organization.
Under the direction of the Director of Programs, the Senior Manager of Drinking Water is responsible for leading the operational delivery of Water First’s Drinking Water Internship program across active project teams. This role supervises and supports Project Managers, ensures consistency and quality across project implementation, monitors delivery risks and timelines, and supports strong collaboration with Indigenous community partners, operators, internal departments, and program staff.
The Senior Manager plays a key role in translating departmental priorities into coordinated project delivery, while escalating strategic, partnership, budget, staffing, or program model decisions to the Director of Programs.
Start Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Work Location: Hybrid position with a combination of on-site at our 10 Francis Street location in Creemore, ON and remote work, along with regular travel to Indigenous communities and Water First meetings as required.
Job Type: Senior Manager
Salary range: $84,000 - $89,000
Water First supports progressive labour policies, including:
- Defined benefit pension plan
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Generous paid vacation
Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:
Delivery Planning and Program Improvement
- Support the Director of Programs in implementing departmental priorities, annual plans, and growth decisions.
- Translate approved program priorities into operational plans for active Drinking Water Internship projects.
- Identify delivery challenges, risks, and opportunities for improvement across project teams.
Project Delivery Oversight
- Supervise, coach, and support Drinking Water Project Managers.
- Provide regular check-ins, performance feedback, work planning support, and escalation support to Project Managers.
- Oversee project-level milestones, timelines, work plans, staffing needs, and training delivery schedules across active DW Internship projects.
Finance and Administration
- Support the Director of Programs with annual planning, delivery forecasting, and budget inputs related to active Drinking Water projects.
- Oversee project-level budget tracking in collaboration with Project Managers and Finance.
- Monitor project spending, delivery assumptions, and resource needs, and escalate budget risks to the Director of Programs.
Raise organizational awareness
- Model commitment to the ongoing learning of Indigenous histories and ways of being to support informed and respectful work approaches. (For Management / Director Role)
The ideal candidate for this position will possess the following:
Qualifications:
- A related college diploma, an undergraduate degree in an environmental field, or a graduate degree preferred, with extensive management experience in a related field
Please Note:
- Water First’s standard operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm Eastern Time, with reasonable accommodations for flex-time.
- All applicants must be legally authorized to work in Canada and possess a valid Social Security Number (SIN).
- Candidates will be required to undergo a Vulnerable Sector security check as a condition of employment.
Excited to learn more about this opportunity? We’d love to hear from you. Water First is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and strongly encourages Indigenous applicants. We are dedicated to a fair, equitable, and barrier-free hiring process in accordance with AODA and will provide accommodations upon request.
While we appreciate the interest of all candidates, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Interested candidates should please submit their cover letters and resumes to [email protected].
Pay: $84,000.00-$89,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Flexible schedule
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision care
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- What experience do you have with Water science?
- What experience do you have in environmental work ?
- What experience do you have in adult education programs?
Experience:
- Team management: 3 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- G class drivers license (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Creemore, ON
