Governance Manager

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Position: Governance Manager. Reports to: Director, Office of the President. Position Term: Full Time Permanent. Primary Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Workplace Type: Hybrid (GTA preferred).

Job Purpose

The Governance Manager provides strategic and operational support to ensure effective, consistent, and well-organized governance across World Vision Canada. Reporting to the Director, Office of the President, the role serves as a key governance partner to the President & CEO, Board of Directors, Committees, and organizational leaders, ensuring governance requirements, practices, and processes are consistently upheld. The Manager oversees the administration and coordination of Board and Committee governance, including meetings, decisions, records, reporting, policy reviews, and governance systems. The role maintains expertise in bylaws, mandates, policies, and World Vision Partnership requirements, while supporting Board effectiveness through orientation, evaluations, Field Exposure Visits, regional forums, and governance communications. Through sound judgement, integrity, service, and stewardship, the Governance Manager contributes to strong governance practices, informed decision-making, accountability, and organizational effectiveness.

Responsibilities

Governance Effectiveness

• Serve as a trusted governance adviser to the Director and Office of the President
• Provide informed advice on bylaws, mandates, policies, delegated authorities, statutory obligations, governance requirements and recognized practices for Canadian charities and not-for-profit corporations.
• Support the Director and President & CEO in their work with the Board Chair and Committee Chairs, including Board and Committee evaluations, workplan reviews, meeting feedback and improvement priorities.
• Monitor governance developments and recommend practical changes that strengthen accountability to donors, children, communities and the World Vision Partnership.

Compliance Leadership

• Lead the governance policy lifecycle, including the authoritative inventory, review calendar, interpretation, drafting, reconciliation, approval, communication and evidence of compliance.
• Identify policy gaps, conflicts, outdated requirements and governance, compliance or reputational risks and recommend timely action.
• Partner with Legal Services, policy owners and subject‑matter experts to ensure Board and Committee policies, mandates and authorities remain current and aligned.
• Coordinate governance-related inputs for external audit, internal audit, World Vision International requirements and periodic governance peer reviews, and track resulting recommendations to completion.
• Administer annual conflict-of-interest declarations and maintain related records and reporting.

Board & Committee Planning and Meetings

• Lead the annual governance calendar and forward workplans for the Board of Directors and its Audit, Executive and Governance Committees, aligned with bylaws, oversight responsibilities, policy cycles, strategic priorities and regulatory obligations.
• Partner with the Board Chair, Committee Chairs, Director, Office of the President and organizational leaders to develop purposeful agendas that distinguish decision, discussion and information items.
• Lead end-to-end delivery of virtual and in-person meetings, including formal notices, schedules, venues, technology, materials, hospitality, travel, accessibility, meeting protocols and follow-up.
• Set and uphold standards for Board and Committee papers, reviewing submissions for completeness, clarity, consistency and decision readiness.
• Support Board decision-making between meetings through written resolutions and other processes permitted by the bylaws and applicable policy.

Records & Reporting

• Attend Board and Committee meetings as governance lead and prepare concise, accurate minutes that capture decisions, material discussion, risks and actions.
• Ensure approved minutes, resolutions, policies and supporting records are signed, stored and retained in accordance with records-management requirements.
• Compile, revise and submit required corporate filings and governance reports to World Vision International, including the Board Chair’s report ensuring final records are submitted and stored appropriately.
• Own the Board and Committee decision and action tracker, follow up with accountable leaders and eleva